The Canadian NATO Parliamentary
Association has the honour to present its REPORT on the Sub-committee on
Transatlantic Defence and Security Cooperation visit to Berlin and Postdam, Germany, held November 5-6, 2007. The Canadian delegation was represented by Mr. Claude
Bachand, M.P. and Mrs. Cheryl Gallant, M.P.
Proceedings began with an overview,
provided by German officials, of the out-of-area deployments of the German
Armed Forces after 1990. Noting that the Bundeswehr is a “parliamentary army”
the State Secretary reminded everyone of the need to obtain the approval of the
Bundestag for the participation of German Armed Forces in international
operations. He went on to explain that the legal basis providing the procedure
for parliamentary approval of military operations outside Germany was adopted in March of 2005.
Admiral Lange explained that the
transformation of the German Armed Forces is designed to increase the
Bundeswehr’s effectiveness with regard to mobility, intelligence and reconnaissance,
command and control, survivability and force protection, support and
sustainability, and operational effectiveness. German forces, he stressed,
will be able to cover a wide spectrum of tasks, ranging from high intensity war
fighting to low intensity peacekeeping.
Lange also addressed the matter of
recruitment, noting that it was becoming increasingly difficult to recruit
skilled personnel during a time of population decline and increased budget
restrictions. As a consequence the Bundeswehr has improved career and
promotion conditions, and has enhanced care for soldiers and their families
during deployments. While the transformation of the German Armed Forces has
come a long way, Admiral Lange suggested that further improvements were still
necessary – especially with regard to strategic deployability.
Karl Lamers, Vice Chair of the
Bundestag’s Defence Committee and Head of the German delegation to the NATO PA,
reminded members that Germany has 3,250 troops deployed in Afghanistan; making it the third largest troop contributor among allies. He also pointed out that
the Bundestag will soon vote on the extension of the ISAF and OEF mandates and
said that he anticipated large majorities in favour of renewal.
Members were told that the task of the
German troops in Afghanistan consisted of six main areas: support for Afghan
authorities, protection for friendly forces, disarmament and integration,
training Afghan security forces, providing humanitarian assistance and disaster
assistance.
Citha D. Maass of the Independent
Research Institute Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) divided Afghan’s
security problems into four categories: internal Afghan power rivalries,
criminal activities, drug economy and the insurgents. Noting the “harsh
criticism” directed at NATO for the conduct of operations in Afghanistan, she proposed that the Alliance should refocus on the main tasks, namely providing a
local security framework for civil actors who do the reconstruction. However,
she cautioned that NATO should never become engaged in reconstruction
activities itself. Ms. Maass argued that a national strategy to stabilise Afghanistan is inappropriate because each province faces a different mix of security
risks. Therefore, a different approach that identifies specific measures for
each province is needed to improve the situation. During the ensuing
conversation, all agreed that drug production remains a serious impediment to
improving the situation in Afghanistan.
Several speakers stressed the positive
contributions from Provincial Reconstruction Teams to the stabilization and
reconstruction of the country. Discussion revealed a broad consensus that
building a stable lasting peace in Afghanistan will take time and that NATO
needs to be prepared to remain for the long haul.
Speakers also agreed on the importance
of public diplomacy for the ongoing operation in Afghanistan. In this context,
Robert Hochbaum, member of the Bundestag’s Defence Committee and member of the
German delegation to the NATO PA, stressed the importance of media coverage.
When discussing NATO transformation all
agreed that NATO remains indispensable for Euro-Atlantic security. Mr. Pohl,
from the German Foreign Ministry, also stressed the continuing importance of
NATO partnerships. In this context he commended the role of the Euro-Atlantic
Partnership Council (EAPC) for providing an excellent forum for exchanging
views between Allies and partner countries.
Henning Riecke, of the German
Association for Foreign Policy, addressed the issue of the need for a new
strategic concept for the Alliance. He argued that a new strategic concept
would need to fulfill different functions; including providing a “mission
statement” that explains NATO’s core tasks and missions, as well as setting a
framework for doctrine and planning. He suggested that there are currently
three schools of thought concerning a new strategic concept. The first school
argues that a new strategic concept can lead to a rapprochement among Allies.
The second argues that the current strategic concept is already adequate to
deal with the challenges the Alliance needs to overcome. The final school
cautions that Allied negotiations over a new Concept would acerbate existing
disputes among member states. According to Mr. Riecke, a new strategic concept
would have to clarify the meaning of Article V in a changing security
environment and enable NATO to deal with new security threats.
A visit to the Bundeswehr Operations
Command in Geltow near Potsdam concluded the programme of the visit.
Respectfully
submitted,
Mr. Leon Benoit, M.P.
Chair
Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association (NATO PA)