(Berlin) Is the Bundeswehr preparing for the suppression of uprisings in the interior? One is amazed and rubs his eyes. Where is the threat? Who is the enemy? Politics and the media draw a very different picture. And yet, from the 20-22nd October the second International Urban Operations Conference (IUOC) was held in Berlin with more than 400 representatives from 40 countries participating. For three days the crackdown on civil wars and rebellions in urban areas was discussed. And the media do not report it?
The conference was organized by the German Association for Defence Technology (DWT). The meeting was directed by Major General Erhard Drews, commander of the Office of the Army Development begun in 2013 chaired by the Bundeswehr. The DWT was founded on the initiative of the Federal Ministry of Defence in 1957 and serves the defense industry lobbyist to government and parliament. Accordingly, the meeting was financed by defense contractors. The sponsors are described on the Conference website. At the meeting, new weapons and other products were introduced.
"From a demonstrations of power to street fights" in urban areas
The conference program states: "In today's world, urban areas are key areas". It follows: "The maintenance and the production of stability and security in urban areas is one of the challenging tasks of today's security forces. [...] The scenarios can quickly and suddenly change. From routine help or a show of force to full blown street fight " And further: "The risk of riots, terrorism and guerrilla wars can only be countered with the best intelligence technology, the best education and best monitoring systems. "
The International Urban Operations Conference defined their goal as follows: "Presentation of solutions for the above challenges. It provides a platform for the exchange of experiences from current operations and will provide an overview of the new military concept of the Bundeswehr for urban operations." And also: "Representatives of the industry have the chance to present their ideas, visions and solutions to senior representatives of NATO and introduce other military officials."
The Picture Signed by politicians and the media does not match conference theme
Even if one takes into account that the meeting was primarily lobbying the German armaments industry on the foreign market, or, the Bundeswehr preparing for more and more combat missions anywhere in the world, it is amazing that the focus is yet on an internal threat. It is diametrically opposed to the drawn between politics and media image. For a long time there has been no lack of critical voices that warn of the danger of civil war like conditions in the interior, as occured in the French banlieues or Swedish cities. In both cases, the authors of the violence came from the predominantly Muslim immigrant districts. Still, politicians don't want to hear the policy about that. At the same time, however, an International Urban Operations Conference is held for a second time, and to the exclusion of the public This raises questions. Not that the organizers have kept the matter secret. Not at all. However, if all major media are silent about it, this can hardly be assumed to be random.
But where does the danger really come from within? Is there preparation against a possible Salfist uprising? Or even equipping the state against its own citizens? The Office of Conference Chairman Major General Drews was entitled "Perspectives of the German Army in Urban Operations". The Israeli Reserve General, Rami Ben Efraim, spoke about the defense contractors "Rafael and the urban challenge", the British Brigadier General Bob Bruce on 'land forces in an urban environment ", the British Colonel Mark Kenyon on "Urban combat - Report of a Battalion Commander" and, truly amazing, a Member of Parliament and Chairman of the German Association Reservists Roderich Kiesewetter on "Political and strategic challenges of urban operations". As far as the first presentations go.
In Accordance to Announce the End of Military Restraint against Outside and Inside?
A total of 60 papers were presented. Speakers were military officials, scientists, arms lobbyists and politicians. A representative of the company Securiton about talking about "Mobile monitoring - urban reconnaissance and control."
Last spring, the German federal government announced an end to the military restraint. At the same time established a Bundeswehr reform, which is focused on operations against external enemies. The Bundeswehr "only" prepares for combat operations anywhere in the world and fighting there in urban, densely populated areas? Or they also equiped against internal enemies? And if so, which ones? Combat operations in urban areas can affect Afghanistan or the Middle East. You might as well mean German cities, in view of the events in France, Sweden and most recently in Greece, and related social tensions. The causes can be varied from migration to national bankruptcy.
Present at the Berlin conference are commanders with combat experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and Israel / Palestine, who provide examples for the Bundeswehr to base its preparation.
In the conference report in 2012 it stated: "Today's crisis operations are increasingly characterized by inserts and fighting in densely populated areas and partially also in cities. This is difficult and for many NATO countries, the new approach of the classic battle fields towards crisis operations in urban areas is off base in a fundamental restructuring of their own armed forces. The Bundeswehr follows with its realignment exactly these changing conditions."
Cardinal Schönborn's "concern" about upgrading the States against its own citizens
In the Rheinische Post from last August 12th, Archbishop Christoph Cardinal Schönborn of Vienna made a surprising statement. In the midst of an interview, which mainly revolved around Pop;e Francis, the Cardinal suddenly spoke of his "concern" for an arming of governments against their own citizens. In his own words, the Archbishop complained that "too little" talk about that will be "directed inward, with more and more with a view to possible uprisings in their own countries' military and defense strategies. This development was "appalling" and the drama illustrative of the present situation, because - as the Cardinal - will expected "with a growing discontent among the population" ". The Church had allegedly "to remember in this situation because there is still time to repent." The surprising statements were made by the Cardinal were not elaborated. What does the cardinal know that the public?
Text: Andreas Becker
image: IUOC (Screenshot)
image: IUOC (Screenshot)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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