Politicians in Germany are still struggling to find an appropriate framework for the end of the Afghanistan mission after almost 20 years. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) is now planning an official closing roll call at the Berlin headquarters of the Defense Ministry, the Bendlerblock. In the presence of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble, the mission will be honored on August 31.
If the Corona situation allows, between 200 and 300 soldiers from the entire deployment time should attend the roll call and up to 400 guests should be invited. With the celebration, the ministry wants to make up for what was not done when the last 264 men and women arrived at the Wunstorf air base in Lower Saxony. Last Wednesday, the most costly and exhausting deployment of the Bundeswehr came to an end there without the presence of high-ranking politicians. 59 German soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan.
Kramp-Karrenbauer justified the “quiet arrival” by saying that the soldiers wanted to go to their families quickly. Nevertheless, there was sharp criticism from the coalition partner SPD, from the opposition and also from our own ranks.
The FDP calls for a big tattoo
The SPD defense politician Siemtje Möller not only complained that the minister did not travel to Wunstorf on the day of her return. She was also angry that the parliamentarians had been denied their chance to see the soldiers. For security reasons, the MPs were informed late about the return of the last soldiers from Afghanistan.
But now the MPs are among the guests at the final roll call. In addition, survivors, those who were wounded in action, former commanders and key political representatives from the 20-year deployment should be able to take part in the ceremony. In a letter to the CDU MP Kerstin Vieregge, Kramp-Karrenbauer stated that the overall assessment leaves no doubt that “the federal government has particularly appreciated this commitment and will continue to appreciate it”.
For the FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the planned celebration does not go far enough. She calls for the highest-ranking military ceremony of the Bundeswehr, the great tattoo. And in a more prominent place, “in front of the Reichstag, as a token of thanks and solidarity with our troops”, as they do Süddeutsche Zeitung said.