What the international Catholic peace movement pax christi has been demanding for years has now also been acknowledged by the new defense minister zu Guttenberg: For the first time, he has spoken of "war" in connection with the Bundeswehr mission in Afghanistan and turned against euphemistic terms. pax christi welcomes to our site this turnaround and continues to call for an exit strategy.
"I myself understand every soldier who says: 'There is a war going on in Afghanistan, regardless of whether I am attacked, wounded or killed by foreign forces or Taliban terrorists.", Guttenberg told the "Bild" newspaper. "For years, the mission in Afghanistan has also been a combat mission. At least in the perception not only of our soldiers, the Taliban are waging a war against the soldiers of the international community."Although international law is clear and says that wars can only take place between states. But he does not believe a soldier has any understanding of "necessary legal, academic or semantic subtleties". "Some conventional words don't really fit the threat of today," the minister said.
Peace movement and Bundeswehr association welcome Wen The international Catholic peace movement pax christi has long called for an honest accounting of the military mission and an exit strategy. General Secretary Christine Hoffmann, stated in an interview with this site Cologne: "The fact is that soldiers are dying during the deployment of the Bundeswehr in Afghanistan. For the fallen, it makes no difference whether the talk is of war or combat. Germany has a responsibility to the soldiers and their families.Commenting on the defense minister's new choice of words, Hoffmann said Tuesday, "Congratulations, Mr. Defense Minister! The first step toward reality has been taken: the Afghanistan mission, experienced as a war, is also called a war. Now it is still a matter of ending this war. There is much you can contribute to this. The first thing that needs to be done is an exit strategy."The German Armed Forces Association also praises the assessment of the new defense minister. The minister shows "that he feels the pulse of the troops," association head Ulrich Kirsch told the newspaper Leipziger Volkszeitung. And this includes the realization that "the soldiers who are in combat in Kunduz every day, who experience death and injury and have to kill themselves, perceive this situation as war." He had the impression that
Guttenberg "wants to lead", Kirsch went on to say. About it "all involved ones in the armed forces could be glad", After the time of its predecessor Franz Josef young (CDU) is such a medium-suited Minister as Guttenberg "an opportunity for the Bundeswehr".We are in a conflict in the Hindu Kush in which regular armed forces are facing insurgent guerrilla warriors, the colonel stated. "We are witnessing the continuation of civil war in Afghanistan."