28.06.2005
"Every Soldier Is Aware of That Risk"
After a blast which killed two German soldiers in northern Afghanistan
last
weekend, DW-WORLD spoke with a German military official stationed in Kunduz
about the duties and dangers of peacekeeping.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,1630500,00.html?maca=en-rss_english_top
-388-rdf
On Monday, German Defense Minister Peter Struck said he had no reason to
believe the explosion in a munitions warehouse that killed the German
soldiers and five Afghans was an attack. "There are no indications of an
attack and we continue to assume it was an accident," Struck told reporters
at the time.
Yet the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which the soldiers
were part of, requested an investigation to rule out a deliberate attack. A
report is due by the end of the week on the deaths of the soldiers, who were
part of an ISAF contingent observing ammunition-sorting operations. Germany
is the biggest single contributor to ISA. Some 2,000 of the 8,300 troops on
the ground there are German.
DW-WORLD spoke with Commander Roland Vogler-Wander, the Bundeswehr's
spokesman in Kunduz.
DW-WORLD: On Saturday, two German soldiers were killed in a disarmament
action. How dangerous is it to be a Bundeswehr soldier in Afghanistan?
Vogler-Wander: The soldiers here come into contact with armaments and
munitions that have been buried for decades, that weren't correctly stored.
Of course there is a risk. Every soldier who comes here is aware of that
risk. They are also especially prepared and educated for it -- they learn
how to deal with mines, or in special situations. We try to minimize the
risk to the extent possible. But you cannot rule out that something will
happen.
The accident happened during a disarmament action. What normally takes place
in such an action?
The arms are laid out, registered, and loaded onto the truck. Anything that
can no longer be used by the Afghan army is then destroyed and disposed of.
The unusual case that led to the accident involved Piram Qul, one of the ex
commanders of the Northern Alliance. Of course, he had a lot of armaments.
But now he wants to run in the parliamentary elections, and whoever wants to
run in that race is no longer allowed to have weapons. That's why the
weapons collection was taking place in this case.
How does the Bundeswehr know where the weapons are?
We don't know. The Afghans tell us. As I said, when someone wants to run for
election, he has to give up his weapons. If someone charges him with being
in possession of more weapons, he is taken off the list of candidates. Of
course, right now it is interesting for the warlords to get into the
political process. We see that as a big opportunity.
So you're saying, giving up one's weapons is voluntary?
Right. There's no coercion.
What kinds of weapons are we talking about here?
Mostly small-caliber weapons, such as machine guns like Kalashnikovs. There
are bazookas, light weight ordnance, anti-aircraft guns, which were used in
the civil war or in the Mujaheddin against the Russians.
Do delicate situations often come up during these disarmament actions?
It is risky if the munitions aren't properly stored. For example, when the
safety has already been pulled on a mine. Of course, then it is dangerous.
But our people are trained to the point that they can recognize this danger
and say, 'We won't touch this one.'
The disarmament of militias are considered the main job of the peacekeepers
in Afghanistan. How far along are they?
There are many, many arms in Afghanistan. But I always say, every weapon
that is turned in, makes Afghanistan a bit safer. And every firearm that no
longer is in the hands of the wrong people, but that goes to the government,
adds to the further stability and also to the improvement of the country.
How do the people of Afghanistan view the deployed Bundeswehr soldiers?
Positively. The people don't want any more arms. They don't want warlords.
They want to live in peace and quiet and want stability and political
co-determination. They are pleading for it.
What's the mood among the troops after the accident on Saturday?
We live here in a camp with 300 people. We are always together. We eat
together, we work together, we have leisure time together. Losing a
colleague is very oppressive, and it hurts. I knew the people who died and
the ones who were injured. I spoke with them frequently. It certainly does
affect one personally.
What will the consequences be for the Bundeswehr after the accident?
We have to live with the fact that there is a certain amount of risk
involved. As soldiers, we know that and we are trained for it. We are
prepared for the fact, and Defense Minister Struck has also clearly said,
that we have to be ready to accept the fact that in this deployment, a
soldier can lose his life.
What other conditions make this a difficult deployment?
The climate. Its almost 50 degrees here right now. The bad roads and the
infrastructure make it difficult. But I prefer to see these difficulties as
challenges.
What is the biggest challenge?
In my view? That we reach our goal, which is to help the Afghan government
to achieve stability. I think we're on the right path.
Author Interview conducted by Christiane Wolters (jen)
http://www.dw-world.de © Deutsche Welle
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