Withdrawal operation
July 7, 2012
By the end of 2014, the Bundeswehr will have left Afghanistan. Well, that's the plan. The Bundeswehr are keen to point out that it is not a "retreat." A retreat would imply defeat. They don't see it that way. They're calling it a "return transfer."
Aside from that, not all of the troops will have returned home by then since their mission in Afghanistan will not yet have been completed. The task of the German International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) contingent, namely the training, assistance and supervision of Afghan security forces, will most likely be extended to run beyond 2014 under a further mandate. Meaning, of course, that Bundeswehr personnel will continue to be stationed in the country, even after the planned withdrawal.
Unprecedented task
The return of German troops from Afghanistan has been characterized as an "operation without a blueprint" in the German press. That relates to a confession by the Inspector of the Joint Support Service (SKB) Admiral Manfred Nielson, that such a complex logistical task was something completely new for the Bundeswehr: "The is no blueprint for an operation of this magnitude," he said.
Lieutenant Colonel Jörg Langer from the Joint Operations Command of the Bundeswehr in Potsdam (EinsFükdoBw) sees things differently. In an interview with DW, he said that the Bundeswehr had gained a lot of experience during the transportation of provisions for troops over long distances.
He sees the extent of the operation, the "task to completely relocate," as the only difference. But the relocation of troops has already begun in part, he said, naming the example of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Fayzabad which is already being "relocated" within Afghanistan.
Over land, over water and by air
The soldiers of the German ISAF contingent in Afghanistan will return to Germany by air. In addition, around 1,200 armored and 5,000 unarmored vehicles must be returned to Germany. Lieutenant Colonel Langer has estimated that around 5,000 to 6,000 containers will now need to be packed with the rest of the military apparatus in Afghanistan.
These containers will be brought back over land, said Langer. "We are located north of the Hindu Kush and the routes out of Afghanistan are clearly prescribed. There the overland route can be put back on to the road or on trains." This route is not only long, but also leads through various countries in which railway systems are less than reliable. That means that the journey will be especially long, but there is also the danger that apparatus could go missing. But, said Langer, apparatus transported on this route won't include weapons or munitions.
"The security-relevant materials, meaning weapons and munitions, will of course be flown out of the country," the Lieutenant Colonel said. Aside from that, what constitutes a "weapon" or not is a "matter of definition." A fully equipped vehicle stripped of weapons and munitions is simply "an unclad vehicle which can't be used as a weapon of war," said Langer. Such vehicles could be returned to Germany by railroad.
No simple solutions
But that won't be possible with all military vehicles. "A Panzerhaubitz [eds. self-propelled artillery] can't be dismantled easily. They will be returned by air." There is another reason behind the extreme caution being taken: "This material is simply too expensive to be exposed to this kind of transportation."
Part of the mission of the Bundeswehr in Afghanistan involves assisting Afghan security forces. And German military apparatus in the form of vehicles would, most probably, be highly welcome. But according Lieutenant Colonel Langer, such an apparently simple and easy solution for all parties is not on the agenda. In any case, "the Afghan security forces are already equipped."
The transfer of German military vehicles to Afghan security forces wouldn't necessarily be helpful to them: The cars and tanks would soon be broken-down. Put diplomatically: "If we were to suddenly give our military vehicles to Afghan forces, the appropriate logistics, the proper care, would be needed." The appropriate logistics do not exist in the Hindu Kush.
Security risk?
The removal of a military camp from a country at war, in which those military forces could come under attack, is dangerous. As the apparatus is dismantled, defense capabilities are also reduced. But the Joint Operations Command seems unconcerned. "The situation must be continually reassessed. Even during the relocation phase," Colonel Langer explained. "I don't see a great risk there."
The total cost of the entire operation is not yet measurable. It is dependent on too many differing circumstances which can't as yet be judged, said Jörg Langer. The questions of the cost of renting the transport machinery, which haulage company will get the contract, how many shipping containers will eventually be needed and the number of soldiers expected to return home, all remain open.
"We don't know how many soldiers will stay in the country as part of a further ISAF mission," explained Lieutenant Colonel Langer. That will only be known following the issuing of a new mandate for Afghanistan. German taxpayers will also have to wait for an estimate of the costs. The Minister of Defense himself, Thomas de Maiziere, will present the expenses. "The first figures will be made public by the end of the year, where possible," said Langer.
Author: Dirk Kaufmann / hw
Editor: Simon Bone