German Navy Prepared to Take Over Command

Germany’s Defense Minister embarked on a US tour Tuesday ready to show Germany’s strategic big brother that it was ready to take on more responsibility in the war on terrorism.

The Defense Ministry announced Tuesday that it was not ruling out overtaking command of the international naval fleet deployed off the Horn of Africa. The fleet is responsible for sealing off possible escape routes for terrorist organizations believed by the US government to be seeking refuge in Somalia.

Germany's Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping was non-commital before boarding a plane to the United States but said he plans to take up the issue with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Rumsfeld. The meeting with American Secretary of Defense is just one of several that Scharping has planned for his five-day swing through the United States.

The minister also plans visits to the US Military Academy West Point, the United Nations and US Central Command in Florida, the command center for operation "Enduring Freedom".

Germany exceeded expectations in the international community by making several major contributions to the operation since the first US planes began raining down bombs and missiles on Afghanistan.

The country’s elite special forces unit has had 100 soldiers on the ground since the early stages of the Afghanistan conflict, fighting side-by-side with British and American soldiers. In January, a fleet of twelve ships and around 1,400 marines set sail for the Horn of Africa, the largest deployment in the history of Germany’s post-war navy.

At the time, politicians said the fleet would be relieved by a new shift in June. But in recent weeks defense officials have indicated that they also plan to reduce their presence, sending home five fast boats and at least one frigate.

That would leave whoever relieves the United States of their command in June with a fleet of around a dozen ships.