German Jets in Afganistan

It would have been impossible to refuse. NATO needs reconnaissance planes in Afghanistan and asked Germany for help. German Tornado jets are among the best of their kind, able to take detailed pictures from very high altitudes, and that's essential for identifying enemy positions on the ground.

Taliban forces pose a very real danger to NATO in southern and eastern Afghanistan. Last year, Canada alone lost 36 troops. It would have been very difficult for Germany to justify turning its back on its allies after they had requested assistance.

The ISAF troops in Afghanistan will only be successful if the various countries in NATO cooperate. This is not to say that the Bundeswehr hasn't helped in Afghanistan. On the contrary, the 3,000 German soldiers stationed there have done a good job of maintaining order in the relatively peaceful north, which is the mandate they received from NATO and the Bundestag.

But it would be too simple to hide behind regional responsibility. ISAF is extending its presence in Afghanistan step by step, and that requires changes in strategy. NATO generals have to react when British, Canadian and Dutch troops encounter Taliban resistance in the south. That's why they have requested more troops and more support from other countries.

Cooperation in NATO is a perennial problem since individual members are guided by national concerns. Many members, including Germany, have specific national rules about how and when troops can be deployed. That has to change.

The German Tornados will only be identifying targets, not doing any bombing, but, of course, they will be involved in combat activities. That's why the issue has proved contentious in Germany, where critics would like to restrict the Bundeswehr to a kind of robust aid organization. But ensuring the security of NATO forces has always been part of the Bundeswehr mandate, and that is precisely what the Tornados will be doing with their reconnaissance photos.

It is entirely correct that Germany should emphasis the reconstruction element of its presence in Afghanistan. But some regions can only be protected by force from Taliban resurgence.

The German government can thank its lucky stars that it's been able to block requests to transfer Bundeswehr ground troops to southern Afghanistan. The deployment of Tornados allows Berlin to show it is taking responsibility without assuming any huge risks. And it should help to relieve pressure from critics within NATO who accuse Germany of letting other nations do all the fighting.

Nina Werkhäuser is a DW political journalist in Berlin. (jc)