Germany To Launch EU-Wide Military Force As Frustration Grows After Afghan Debacle

• Germany To Launch EU-Wide Military Force As Frustration Grows After Afghan Debacle
  by Tyler Durden, https://www.zerohedge.com/
  Ideas for a European Army have long been debated within the EU, which has as its purpose a civilian alliance – thus many have long argued it doesn’t need a military force – which would also be controversial as a parallel force to NATO.
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  But Germany along with four other European Union countries are now seeking to establish a new EU “rapid reaction force” in order to respond quickly to any future military crisis. The group including Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Slovenia is pursuing the initiative, citing the lessons learned from Afghanistan and the disastrous pullout which saw many European nationals get stranded in the Taliban-controlled country, with not enough flights or personnel available to evacuate them.
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  German media outlet dpa days ago confirmed the plan after it obtained new internal documents, describing that the five countries are aiming “to expand the existing EU battle groups, which are multinational military units of 1,500 personnel each on standby to respond to crises.”
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  “The new force is expected to include space and cyber capabilities, along with special forces and air transport,” the report indicated.
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  Currently, German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is in favor of the initiative, saying in a recent interview that EU forces within NATO are only able to conduct defensive operations within the context of United States support. Thus there’s a desire for a more independent force that can deploy rapidly without seeking broader US and NATO approval first, or going through NATO hurdles.
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