Berlin to deepen Afghan role

[Kellanved]

WARNEMUENDE - German Defence Minister Peter Struck said Tuesday he foresaw German forces expanding their operations to the Afghan city of Kundus to help protect civilian aid projects.

While visiting a military installation at the Baltic Sea port town of Warnemuende, Struck said it was not realistic that a fact-finding team which has just returned from Kundus would judge against German forces assuming a role in the city.
He said the experiences of the United States forces in the city "would not cause us to say 'no'" to a request for German troops there.

He noted however that the decision was not yet made. Struck said he would be consulting with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, and that before the troops' mission can be expanded approval must be given by parliament.
...
He said it would not be for military protection in the region or entail patrols, but rather protection for civilian helpers involved in humanitarian projects such as building hospitals, schools, water supplies and the administration.

...

http://www.expatica.com/germanymain.asp?pad=190,205,&item_id=33738


on Edit:
related
German airline for Kabul flights

DUESSELDORF - German air charter company LTU is to resume regular once-weekly flights to Kabul with a flight set for Tuesday evening, an LTU spokesman said.

...
Once restored, the flight route would be the first direct civilian aviation link between Europe and Afghanistan in 23 years. LTU says its market is chiefly exiled Afghans living in Germany and Europe as well as personnel of companies and international organisations.

The German airline pilots lobby group Cockpit has strongly criticised the plans for the Kabul flights, citing security questions.


Cockpit is the pilots Union

[realFedUp]

1. Give Afghanistan to Germany

in trade for troops in Iraq. (just kidding)

[Kellanved]

2. I fear something else

Take care of Afghanistan and we'll forget about Iraq.

[realFedUp]

3. what are your fears?

about Iraq and Afghanistan?

[Kellanved]

4. That the role in Afghanistan will be extended

And that the US will allow German corporations in Iraq as an exchange / allow public contracts for them. And even if not:
Praise by an US administration (even by Bush) will help the Chancellor and weaken the conservative opposition.
It is a common belief that not participating in the war was the right thing to do, but many think the damaged German/US relations weren't worth it.
The USA are a very important market for Germany; American investments are very important for rebuilding the eastern states.
The opposition claims that Schröder’s stance damaged the German/US relations and thus endangered the hopes to go piggyback on the (“imminent”) US economic improvement. Of course only a new conservative federal Government would be able to repair the damage in time – Bush’s meeting with right-winger Koch is proof of that.
The media bought that position.

So it would be a great victory over the opposition to present US/German relations as being back to normal. (Especially now, as Siemens wants to rebuild the US power grid (and the Baghdad grid, while they're at it))

I think it’s possible that the Administration (Lugar) made a deal with the Chancellor; endangering German soldiers for little or no improvement for the Afghan people.

I prefer this over an Iraq-mission; but I don't like it .