Opinion: "Germany Should Make No Compromises in Lebanon"

Germany's armed forces have an impeccable reputation in the world. But if the Lebanese government got its way, German soldiers would have to be hiding in Lebanon -- unlike in Afghanistan or Kosovo. The Lebanese would then not even be able spot a German ship on the horizon, five kilometers (3 miles) away from the beach. Under Hezbollah pressure, German ships would have to patrol the mainland from a distance of 13 kilometers, while the immediate coast protection would stay in Lebanese hands.

Although a compromise can be a silver bullet in diplomacy, the German Bundeswehr would do good if it didn't make any compromises. If for no other reason, then not to damage the credibility of the UN mission. The UN wants to put an end to the arms smuggling from Syria and Iran, which is what turned Hezbollah militia into a dangerous guerilla group. Missiles, machine guns and grenades have been smuggled for years, mostly by an overland route from Syria to Lebanon, but also by sea.

Germany's naval forces could prevent that in the future, but only if they were allowed -- even in the busy areas close to the coast -- to control even the smallest fishing boat. The Israelis are not the only ones who know that the badly equipped Lebanese navy would be unable to cope with such an operation, both politically and militarily. It is already fully stretched with the fight against the couriers that smuggle opium by sea in order to process it into heroin in Lebanon.

Nothing new for Germany

Patrolling of this kind would be nothing new for Germany, even though the designated war ships were actually built for engaging with warplanes, submarines or electronic warfare. Over the past few years, however, German soldiers have accumulated a great deal of experience in supervising embargos. In their deployment in the Mediterranean or the Horn of Africa, there were no grave incidents, but Germany's Defense Minister Franz-Josef Jung is right when he describes the Lebanon mission as a combat mission. Even small motor boats can be dangerous. Filled with explosives, they could cause great damage to the patrolling German ships.

It is not yet certain if German warships will at all control the Lebanese territorial waters. Regardless of whether the German parliament actually sends the soldiers on this mission or not, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) marks an important turning point for Germany. While a deployment of the German army in the Middle East was unthinkable until recently, politicians are nowadays discussing technicalities about the size of the patrolling area. Was there a great public discussion about breaking this last taboo? None, whatsoever.

What lies ahead

But the suppressed debate will soon catch up with Germany in a painful way. A relatively cozy period in German politics is coming to an end, in which German parliamentarians sent the army as a kind of armed technical aid organization into the crisis regions of the world. Germany mostly slipped into these missions. In Afghanistan, it was the US, and in Kongo, the French, who did the pushing. Berlin always said "yes" and reserved for itself the most pleasant parts of the mission. It started with field hospitals in the Balkans and went all the way to taking over the commando in the rather peaceful northern Afghanistan.

Now, however, things are turning uncomfortable in the crisis regions: the British and the Canadians are already discussing why it is mostly their soldiers that are sacrificing their lives in the dangerous southern Afghanistan. And the UN Security Council -- which Berlin would very much like to join as a permanent member -- is thinking out loud about which troops could end the genocide in Darfur. Germany will also have to take a stand there and figure out how it wants to deploy its limited military resources. That's another reason why German military ships should not parade for a photo album, but only if Beirut accepts a robust mandate and clear rules of engagement. Politics should be responsible for everything else, not the military.