German Army deployment in Afghanistan: secret and without mandate

Germany's military, the Bundeswehr, deployed special forces to Afghanistan in early 2001 before receiving formal approval from the German parliament, according to new findings revealed by NDR investigations. This deployment occurred just days ahead of the Bundestag’s decision to authorize the controversial operation under the framework of Operation Enduring Freedom, which was accompanied by a confidence vote for Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of the SPD. On the night of November 28, 2001, Oberstleutnant Andreas Jödecke and another major from the KSK, the Bundeswehr’s Special Forces Command, boarded a U.S. aircraft in Oman and landed shortly after in Afghanistan alongside Navy SEAL commander Bob Harward. They became the first German soldiers to arrive in the country. Jödecke described the landing at Camp Rhino, the initial U.S. base in southern Afghanistan, as taking place under the cover of darkness with sand filling the plane as it touched down. “We jumped out while the loadmaster shouted, ‘The last man is out.’ Then they hit full throttle and were gone,” he recalled. According to NDR research, Jödecke and Wolfgang B. had already departed on November 14, 2001, disguised and under strict secrecy as a reconnaissance team heading toward the Persian Gulf region. This mission took place two days prior to the Bundestag’s narrow approval of the overseas deployment. The defense committee members were reportedly not informed of this action, which is unusual for secret operations. Angelika Beer, former chairwoman of the Greens parliamentary group, noted that unlike previous deployments, she felt uncertain about her role during this time. “I thought, what am I actually doing here? You can ask questions, nobody can prevent that, but there were no answers.” From the perspective of some former politicians and generals, had this journey become public knowledge, it might have influenced the parliamentary vote. General Harald Kujat, who served as chief of staff at the time, suggested that there could have been issues with the Bundestag but argued that there was no need to make it public since these were preparatory measures. “They’re just making a business trip,” he stated. Josef Niebecker, who was a military advisor in the Chancellery at the time, was unaware of the secret mission undertaken by the first Bundeswehr soldiers. He believed that disclosure would have complicated the voting process further, potentially reducing the majority even more. Rudolf Scharping, the then-defense minister, acknowledged that such advance teams were common practice. “It is not customary to talk too much publicly about them because they don’t represent a military mandate in our understanding and regulations but rather an exploratory mission. And in that sense, it was okay.” A spokesperson for the Bundeswehr declined to comment on activities involving the KSK upon request from NDR. The journey taken by the German officers was unconventional. They traveled from the U.S. Central Command in Florida via Qatar to Oman, where they prepared under the command of Task Force leader Bob Harward. Due to lack of visas for Oman and the need to remain inconspicuous, the Germans wore American uniforms. “Sometimes it's necessary. In this case, it was necessary,” said General Harald Kujat. Jödecke emphasized the importance of being operational alongside Americans from day one. “We wanted to show that Germans are good, that German special forces can go along and take certain risks to fulfill their mission.” After being discovered by Omani authorities despite their disguise, the officers flew in a U.S. plane to southern Afghanistan, where they remained for six days. During this time, they assessed how the KSK could operate in the area and supported the Americans in planning initial reconnaissance missions. Lists of targeted Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders and actions planned by the Americans for capturing or killing them were examined. Subsequent KSK units were then deployed throughout southern Afghanistan for operations outside their camp.