Minister: Airstrike was Appropriate in Military Terms
Berlin, 06.11.2009.
Minister of Defence Dr. Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg considers the airstrike on two fuel trucks near Kunduz in northern Afghanistan to have been ”appropriate in military terms against the overall backdrop of threats.”
The Minister stressed this at a press conference in Berlin on 6 November. Beforehand, zu Guttenberg had informed the parliamentary groups of the German Bundestag about the classified International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) investigation report. The minister emphasized that he placed great importance on maximum transparency vis-à-vis the Bundestag. After close scrutiny of the investigation report, which was submitted to the Ministry on 29 October, zu Guttenberg thus publicly supported the initial assessment of the Chief of Staff, Bundeswehr.
At the same time the minister referred to procedural errors having been made prior to the September 4 airstrike.
In his opinion there is “considerable need for adjustment here “ at both national and international level.
The Bundeswehr had already introduced the necessary steps in its training, said the minister. Nonetheless, zu Guttenberg emphasized: “Even if no procedural errors had been made, it would still have been necessary to carry out an airstrike.” In the minister’s opinion the airstrike had, however, claimed the lives of too many civilians. He “deeply and sincerely“ regretted this. Every effort must be made in future to avoid civilian casualties, he said.
Minister Guttenberg did not comment on the fact that the German federal prosecuters in Karlsruhe have meanwhile commenced investigations into the incident. “The investigation now has to be conducted and we await the outcome with keen interest”, he stated. He welcomed “every contribution to achieving greater legal security.” There are no plans at present to take disciplinary measures against Colonel Georg Klein, the commander in Kunduz responsible for ordering the airstrike.
