German Defense Minister Supports Stronger Military Engagement Abroad

[Purveyor]

BERLIN — The German government wants to broaden its military engagement in international missions abroad.

German news weekly Spiegel reported Sunday that Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen is in favor of sending more German soldiers to crisis regions for humanitarian reasons. Von der Leyen told Spiegel the country could not "look the other way when murder and rape are part of the daily routine."

The defense minister mentioned the conflict in the Central African Republic and said she could imagine the Bundeswehr helping evacuate wounded soldiers with its medical air planes. She says the government was also considering sending more soldiers to Mali.

Germans are generally wary of military action and the country has been criticized abroad for not joining military missions like the international military intervention in Libya in 2011.

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/c47ff615da0a4bf7bd22cf2e2e24168b/EU-Germany-Military

[delrem]

1. Since the military is a humanitarian organization, why not?

Likewise I've always wondered why the US hasn't actually used the MX Peacekeepers after spending all that money on Peace. It doesn't make any sense to me. It's so obvious that Freedom, Democracy and GOD need proactive Peace Missions.

[okaawhatever]

2. Often in these countries it takes military members to participate in humanitarian missions for

safety purposes. Also, the military is mobile and is sort of a one stop shop for meeting needs. Civilian aid agencies frequently don't have aircraft, communication, mobile food prep, trucks, ships, etc. to get the aid where it's needed. That was largely what the navy did after the Phillipines hurricane.
While the purpose of the military may be a little more sinister, they are actually very well equipped to handle natural disasters and humanitarian missions in war torn countries. Our two hospital ships, the USNS Mercy and the USNS Comfort have listed as their secondary mission: "full hospital services to support US disaster relief and humanitarian assistance worldwide." They are a floating level 1 trauma center and one of the largest in the country with 12 operating rooms and 1,000 beds.

The hospital ships have participated in numerous charitable deployments teaming up with Operatioin Smile, Project Hope and many other orgs. I know you were being a smart a$$ with your comment, but take a look at some of these pics or google the subject and I think you'll find the work they do will make you feel better about the military and some of the other things they do besides killing people.

http://thebrigade.thechive.com/2013/09/23/usns-mercycomfort-will-give-you-powerful-reasons-to-be-proud-129-photos/

[delrem]

3. I realize that the military is employed, occasionally, for good purposes.

But the military is *trained* for war because that is what it is for. Politicians will do things like combining "nation building" with "regime overthrow" so as to provide cover, and this is so much a matter of course in European/US wars that the concepts of "peacekeeping" and "international aid" have been destroyed.

IMO if a country wants to do good at home or abroad it ought to set up the appropriate institutions, with the appropriate regulations and checks and balances, and if the good will is to be applied abroad it ought to be regulated by an international body.

[RC]

4. Until peace becomes profitable, real, lasting peace ain't a gonna happen.

Ya gotta kill and destroy stuff that needs replacing so the war toy manufacture can make enough money to do it all over again. All in the name of profits, donchano?

[bluestate10]

5. Your view is lost. The people pushing fighting in the Central African Republic and Mali don't

give one shit about fancy notions on the military industrial complex. All they care about is dominating and dehumanizing their rivals. If it takes a more powerful military force getting involved to fight for peace and justice, so fucking be it.

[RC]

6. And where are the guns, ammunition and what else coming from?

I would not be surprised it it were being brokered by one of our black ops agencies. Not in the least. And no, it does not have to be American munitions being supplied under the table with our money.

[delrem]

7. Kind of like the Justice League of America fighting for peace and justice?

Is there any evidence whatsoever that the US uses its military wisely, in the sense of global peacemaking that you imply?
Not on my planet.
The idea might be a good idea for a sci-fi farce, a spoof on the alternate reality idea "where Hitler won the war".

There have, on the other hand, existed "Western" politicians who acted for peace. An outstanding example is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_B._Pearson