Our German Problem, and Theirs

It’s 10 p.m. Do you know where the German Army is?

If it’s the few thousand social worker-servicemen in Afghanistan, they’re probably tucked securely into bed. That’s because German soldiers serving with the U.S. and other allies have a curfew, among other “national caveats” that prevent them from making a serious military contribution to the fight against the Taliban.

On crucial issues ... Germany still lags, especially by continuing to trade with the Iranians and especially in Afghanistan, where their obduracy is helping to jeopardize the fight against the Taliban and thereby bringing into question the very future of NATO.

For over three years, 100 members of the German KSF Special Forces were stationed in Afghanistan but apparently did not participate in a single mission, and now their inactivity is being cynically exploited by German politicians as a questionable excuse to bring them home.

The fate of Afghanistan and NATO may hang in the balance, but by 10:00 p.m. German soldiers are no doubt safely abed. Four time zones to the West, amidst lush countryside and bright and shiny cities Germany’s 82 million citizens go about their business enjoying peace and plenty that is still all-too-often ensured by her allies.

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