Incompetence?

The Blogosphere is agog with rumours of an imminent strike of monumental proportions rivalling that of 9/11, hitting Germany, through the kindly auspices of al-Qaeda, which has long had Germany in its cross-hairs. German authorities and its intelligence community has mustered resources to ensure the country remains on high alert. They are taking these rumours very seriously. The forthcoming elections may be invested with some degree of kick-back from German voters who deplore their country's ongoing presence in Afghanistan.

Even though German troops, while stationed in Afghanistan, are in a province which does not generally see much action, with a scarce Taliban presence. Germany's government has insisted it sees no need to bolster the presence of its troops with additional German military, not does it see for its troops an aggressive, truly military role in that benighted country. They are there as keepers-of-the-peace, although there is no peace, and likely will not be any, as long as foreign troops are present. Not that their absence would bring peace.

But it is highly unfortunate that with the capture of two fuel tankers, the Taliban managed to create a situation whereby the senior German commander felt his troops to be threatened. Sufficiently so that he called in an air strike to destroy the tankers. So that when a U.S. F-15 jet responded and dropped its bombs, the explosion brought hell on earth to the Taliban present, along with the villagers whom the Taliban had encouraged to drain the tankers of their fuel. After having murdered one of the truck drivers and his son.

This hugely untoward event, coming hard on the heels of the new U.S. commander in the field, General Stanley McChrystal having waxed lyrical about the need to convince Afghans that NATO troops are there for their protection, and that those same troops had an obligation, both moral and practical, to demonstrate their usefulness in training Afghan police and military, and helping to build civil structure, now finding himself embroiled in a controversy he hardly anticipated.

Not only defending the actions of NATO troops, and personally investigating the scene of the airstrike that had claimed up to 70 lives and horribly maimed other civilian victims, but finding himself at critical odds with the German commander, Colonel Georg Klein who admits, "I can honestly say it was a mistake", which doesn't restore the situation one whit, nor auger well for the future.

What's that venerable and wise saying? "Shit happens"