No. They don't have the lift capability to move the armor support for the troops they won't deploy, in any case. German Pacifist movements will hold huge protests at railheads and water ports of departure if the Germans did actually leave their kasernes, and only after the the Bundesregierung did actually allow expansion of the current force commitment, a commitment that has never been popular in the first place; a political deployment of forces, not an actual combat deployment.

Don't even start on the potential Muslim unrest and protest possibilities.

Last, outside of some holdover xenophoia from former East Germany, the pacifist movement in Germany is so huge, so pervasive, that it would take a tremendous social change. For all the fears of reviving the aggressive martial German Spirit, it would take nothing less than an actual attack on German soil, at or above that seen on 9/11, for Germans to take to the streets and the recruiting halls.

The Bundeswehr is little more than a professional cadre that cycles through its conscript force, not a professional standing army ready to do more than defend its own orders.

But hey, we got Uday and Qusay, right? All is well...

It could have helped stabilize the Afghan side, but Pakistan would still be a mess.

In which there would have been a lot less militant islaists. See, I'm thinking that a lot of the mess in Pakistan just now is because of cross border support from Afghan militants along the border.

Here we disagree. Getting their people more involved in Afghanistan, particualrly in the efforts along the border regions, would ahve done much to stabilzie the area.

It could have helped stabilize the Afghan side, but Pakistan would still be a mess.

Germany's lack of engagement in Afghanistan would have had a negligible effect on Pakistan, especially when compared with their myriad of internal problems. Heck, even the US role is minor in comparison.

Here we disagree. Getting their people more involved in Afghanistan, particualrly in the efforts along the border regions, would ahve done much to stabilzie the area.

Reasonable, but I consider that the opposiiton they raised was the most direct path to the instability of Pakistan, particularly given the outcome we're all seeing now.

There wasn't much path for them to go down, Pakistan has been on the edge of stability for decades. Germany's lack of engagement in Afghanistan would have had a negligible effect on Pakistan, especially when compared with their myriad of internal problems. Heck, even the US role is minor in comparison.

Sounds more like a Germany that has a vested economic interest in the stability of Pakistan.

Reasonable, but I consider that the opposiiton they raised was the most direct path to the instability of Pakistan, particularly given the outcome we're all seeing now.

Well, we all remembered the last time the Germans decided to cure their domestic economic problems by increased defense spending :)

Uh, well, yeah. Encouraging the Germans to militarize is like taking an alcoholic to a liquor store.

Well, we all remembered the last time the Germans decided to cure their domestic economic problems by increased defense spending :)

Mayhaps the Germans realize they can't cure anything on their own and are wanting to be the first in line for "help":

http://tinyurl.com/dlsfmg

And I think Merkel had a recent emphatic "no" to anything that cost any Thalers.

The noises we're hearing now is a Germany who is starting to recognize that barring a miricle, the cost of that opposition is that they've screwed themselves out of an extended life expectancy.

Sounds more like a Germany that has a vested economic interest in the stability of Pakistan.