Leading Power Germany

German Security Policy Forum

Berlin's Federal College for Security Studies (BAKS) has announced its first "German Security Policy Forum," to take place today and tomorrow. The conference, according to the announcement, will discuss the issue of the "strategic consequences for Germany" growing out of what the government-financed think tank sees as the current "global transformations," such as "climate change," "migration and refugee flow," as well as "natural resources depletion."[1] On its agenda are talks by the Minister of Defense, Thomas de Maizière (CDU), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Guido Westerwelle (FDP), and the Minister of Finances, Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU). Moderation at the conference will be assumed by editors of the leading German mass media, including Stefan Kornelius, "head of the foreign policy department" of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" and his counterpart Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger at the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" (FAZ). A wide media echo beyond the doors of the conference room should not only be assured by their inclusion on the program, the government radio, the "Deutsche Welle," will also broadcast live from the conference in both image and sound.

Circulation of Talent

The first part of the conference will discuss what BAKS considers current "security policy challenges," including "cyber-attacks," "Islamist terrorism," "organized crime," as well as Germany's "supply of natural resources."[2] Commerzbank Board Chairman, Klaus-Dieter Müller, who has repeatedly pointed to the connection between the phenomena listed above, will be one of the speakers. According to Müller "more than half of the metallic raw materials produced in the world, come from politically instable countries," making "investments" in the exploitation of these resources "unattractive." Therefore, "whoever takes out a terrorist training camp at the Hindu Kush," lowers, simultaneously, the "general risk premium for the economic and financial markets," explained Müller, a manager and reserve officer, who has been highly decorated by the Bundeswehr. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[3]) Müller is considered the initiator of the "Celler Trialog," which has been held between the political establishment, the military and industry since 2007 and was relaunched late last May. At that session Armin Papperger, Board Chairman of the arms producer, Rheinmetall, made a plea for an intensification of cooperation between the armed forces and the business sector: "The personnel exchange must be facilitated."[4] The speaker, who had preceded Papperger at the rostrum, spoke in a similar vein: In his talk at the "Celler Trialog 2013" German Minister of Defense Thomas de Maizière explicitly called for a "Circulation of Talent" between enterprises and the military, Germany's "future" depends upon it.[5]

Stop China

According to its program, the second part of BAKS' conference will focus discussion on the military policy implications resulting from the fact that internationally Germany is considered the "leading European power."[6] Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, will also address this subject. Ischinger, who is the Allianz Group's Global Head of Government Relations, has recently come out in favor of intervening in the Syrian civil war on the side of insurgents: "Germany's discussion with its partners about delivering equipment, including weapons, to the Syrian insurgents is long overdue," otherwise, in a post Assad Syria, "there will be no friends left."[7] He had already expressed similar views regarding the civil war in Mali and described a "Bundeswehr combat mission" as an option of "wise foreign policy in a crisis."[8] FAZ journalist Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger will moderate the second part of the conference, designed to define "Germany's security policy interests."[9] Frankenberger is pleading for close ties in military policy to the United States, aimed at thwarting the "rise of a dynamic and self-confident China." (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[10]) Because of its "leadership responsibility," Germany has to place southern European crisis countries, such as Greece, under fiscal "tutelage," according to Frankenberger. Only this would enable the EU to prevail in the global competitive struggle against "21 century challenges."[11]

Germany's Main Media

Following the second part of the BAKS conference, a panel discussion will focus on the "ethical aspects of German security policy." The discussion will include topics such as "special forces missions," "drone warfare" and "targeted killings."[12] The participants will include representatives of two of the leading media organs in Germany - Elmar Theveßen, deputy editor-in-chief of the public "ZDF" TV channel and Stefan Kornelius, head of the foreign policy department of the daily "Süddeutsche Zeitung." They cannot be expected to be critical in their views of the subject, because they have repeatedly revealed themselves already to be ideologues and propagandists of official German foreign and military policy. When in late July 2011, an ultra rightwing terrorist killed 77 people in Norway, Theveßen, who is considered an "expert on terrorism," was still insisting on "Islamic terrorism," even after the real motives of the crime had already been revealed.[13] Kornelius, who had been presented the "Journalist of the Year Award - 2009" for his reporting on the Kundus massacre, ordered by a German officer that had cost the lives of 142 Afghan civilians. He publically defended the war crime. The Hamburg-based Körber Foundation quoted him saying that it borders on "irony that after that bombardment, of all countries, Germany, which for so long has been accused of hesitation bordering on cowardliness is now being accused of exorbitant aggressiveness."[14] He wrote of the lawyers, still fighting in the courts for a reasonable compensation for the victims of this bombing, that they had acquired their mandates "like American reparation hunters."[15]

Other reports and background information on Federal College for Security Studies (BAKS) can be found here: A Ring of Fire around China, A Ring of Fire Around China (II), The Next Shooting War, Exclusive Contacts and To Corner.

[1] Ein entsprechender Ankündigungstext fand sich noch bis zum 20.06.2013 auf der Webseite der BAKS (www.baks.bund.de), wurde dann jedoch entfernt.
[2] Deutsches Forum Sicherheitspolitik. Sicherheitspolitik in Zeiten der Globalisierung - strategische Konsequenzen für Deutschland. 24. und 25. Juni 2013 (Programm)
[3] see also Schulterschluss
[4] Rüstungsbranche will mehr Exporte; www.moz.de 23.05.2013
[5] Rede des Bundesministers der Verteidigung, Dr. Thomas de Maizière MdB, am 22. Mai 2013 im Rahmen des Celler Trialogs in Celle - "Politik - Bundeswehr - Wirtschaft: Kooperation oder Konkurrenz"; www.bmvg.de 24.05.2013
[6] Deutsches Forum Sicherheitspolitik. Sicherheitspolitik in Zeiten der Globalisierung - strategische Konsequenzen für Deutschland. 24. und 25. Juni 2013 (Programm)
[7] EU-Ausbilder für Rebellen; Der Spiegel 10/2013
[8] Deutsche Mali-Politik: Ischinger kritisiert Berlins Kampftruppen-Tabu; www.spiegel.de 15.01.2013
[9] Deutsches Forum Sicherheitspolitik. Sicherheitspolitik in Zeiten der Globalisierung - strategische Konsequenzen für Deutschland. 24. und 25. Juni 2013 (Programm)
[10] see also Der alte Westen
[11] Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger: Niemand kann als Solitär gut leben; Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 30.09.2011. See also Weniger Demokratie wagen (II)
[12] Deutsches Forum Sicherheitspolitik. Sicherheitspolitik in Zeiten der Globalisierung - strategische Konsequenzen für Deutschland. 24. und 25. Juni 2013 (Programm)
[13] Stefan Niggemeier: Wer solche Experten kennt, braucht keine Laien; www.faz.net 24.07.2011
[14] Rückblicke 2009 - Deutschlands Selbstbetrug in Afghanistan; www.koerber-stiftung.de 16.09.2009
[15] Stefan Kornelius: Deutscher Ablasshandel; www.sueddeutsche.de 17.05.2010