Ambassador’s Editorial on Visit to Afghanistan

by Philip D. Murphy, U.S. Ambassador to Germany

I don’t know what impressed me most: the Bundeswehr soldiers, or the Afghan children.  It’s a close call.  But I can certainly say, after five days in Afghanistan as a guest of the German Ministry of Defense, that I have a new understanding of the Afghan situation, the link to our collective security, and the vital contribution that German soldiers are making.

I met with many men and women in uniform who are risking their lives every day to achieve the mission that the German government has entrusted to them: to build security in the northern part of Afghanistan (which is roughly half of the size of Germany!) and to train Afghan national security forces so they can ensure a stable tomorrow.  I spoke with dozens of people; soldiers, civilian aid workers, diplomats, and police, from Germany, the United States, other Allies, and Afghanistan.  What I heard was an impressive chorus that the strategy of protecting the population and accelerating the training of the Afghan national security forces has the real potential to catalyze success throughout Afghanistan.  Signs of stability and progress are emerging; one German officer told me, “Every day I see more signs of hope for the people of Afghanistan.”  Over the next few days of my visit I heard this theme again and again, from the most senior Bundeswehr commander to the most junior enlisted soldier.

I appreciate and understand the passionate debate among Germans about the role of the military in civilian society.  Since accepting responsibility for providing security in northern Afghanistan (and managing the Quick Reaction Force in the north), Germany has troops who are regularly called upon to do everything that soldiers in conflict zones do: present a credible threat of force, and use it when necessary to achieve the mission, as well as to protect themselves and the civilian population.  This is anything but easy, but I can say unequivocally that within ISAF, NATO and my own government, there is a tremendous appreciation and respect for the outstanding efforts of German troops in Afghanistan, and for Germany as a reliable, capable and responsible partner.  In fact, the U.S. will be sending several thousand more troops to the north as part of its country-wide surge, all under tactical control of the respected German RC North commander.  American military forces are proud to work with, beside and at times under the command of our Allies.

What I heard from nearly everyone I spoke to was that implementing this strategy will require greater presence through training, mentoring and partnering with Afghan national security forces as they provide increased security for the civilian population of Afghanistan; and that 2010 and 2011 are critical years in this regard.  I was deeply moved by the commitment and professionalism of the German soldiers I met: every one of them is aware of the risks he or she is taking, and that Germany has lost over thirty soldiers and policemen in Afghanistan—more than any other country besides the U.S., UK, and Canada.   One comment that I heard from several German soldiers, was that they felt that their countrymen did not appreciate fully their efforts; there was a time where we saw this same challenge in our own country.  I heard statements like, “What we are doing here is not accepted or understood back home…Germans can take more bad news than they are given credit for…Politicians should be honest about the fact that we are fighting a war, where we are required to risk our lives to do the job they sent us here to do.”  None of the soldiers I spoke to asked for thanks, only for greater understanding and support for their mission at home.

Every single German soldier I talked to supported and understood General McChrystal’s population-centric approach and partnering with the Afghan national security forces.  As one German Colonel who had already finished a month of service told me: “I arrived optimistic, and now, I’m even more optimistic.”  German soldiers in the Hindu Kush are proud of their efforts to produce a more stable future for Afghanistan.  And they should be.

You may wonder why, given that effective military and security progress is but one of the critical pillars to success in Afghanistan, I am not commenting further on the vital importance of civilian reconstruction programs in Afghanistan, to which the German government is making such an important contribution.  First of all, without security, reconstruction cannot be realized.  Secondly, we believe that Germany’s military performance in Afghanistan is not sufficiently understood or appreciated in Germany.

I will remember this trip.  I will remember watching countless Afghan children run to the side of the road to wave when the Bundeswehr vehicles drove by.  And the smiles on Bundeswehr faces knowing that they were doing something with meaning.  And General Murat Ali-Murat, Commander of the 209^th Corps of the Afghan National Army, telling me that he has the greatest confidence in his Bundeswehr colleagues, along with his tremendous thanks for the mentoring and partnership they provide his troops.  These memories inspire me and I will keep them close.

Published by “Die Welt” on February 11, 2010.