German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 19/214, pp.
26964-26965.
Right honorable Herr President. Right honorable ladies and
gentlemen.
Every year we speak here on Operation Sea Guardian, the
proponents of this mission expound on the general importance of the fight
against terror and arms smuggling and emphasize how important are secure
seaways. These general positions normally cannot be contradicted,
Daniela De Ridder (SPD): Then don’t you do it!
yet do not have much to do with Operation Sea Guardian.
For we speak, ja, every year again anew on the balances of these missions. And it also now appears that we still have seen no terrorists in the Mediterranean,
Daniela De Ridder (SPD): Ever heard of deterrence?
that in the Operation Sea Guardian area still no arms
smuggler has been apprehended, and that the Federal government besides does not
have any knowledge of other threats to security in the Operation Sea Guardian
area.
For 20 years now we are there in place, if we figure in the
predecessor Operation Active Endeavour. Despite that, the Federal government apparently
wants to continue to remain there; it appears, as you also do not want to enter
into the slightest risk, it will, for all that, still in some way happen. When one
hears this and is aware that here in our capital city, in Berlin, clan bosses
decide whether there is to be war or peace, and not the police, then one can
only wish that one, fine day the Federal government fights criminality here in
Germany with the same élan as we now already do outside of Germany.
The explanation for why there are no arms smugglers and no terrorists there, I have plainly also heard from my preceding speaker – she sat here again –, is plainly deterrence; of which all are afraid and on that account none came. That we also have never seen the enemy on whose account we are actually there, may be a sign of how good the mandate is. Yet that cannot be a basis for a member of the Bundestag to vote in favor here. That is certainly completely arbitrary. That would mean that in the future we no more only decide on a mandate because of an enemy who is there, but also because of an enemy who is not there, yet could still perhaps sometime emerge purely hypothetically.
Marianne Schieder (SPD): Such nonsense!
If this theory is to be believed, one please needs to
consider: Sea Guardian pertains to ships which, besides those in the
Mediterranean, are in transit. We could thus today end Operation Sea Guardian,
save ourselves 3 million euros per year, and there are exactly these same ships
in the Mediterranean as before, and the bad boys still tremble at the knees on
account of our ships – all works wunderbar.
If the text of the motion is read, then one also has the impression
that the Federal government itself does not exactly know how they should
establish the value of the operation. Of that, there is an example as follows:
The contribution to the building-up of capacity in the Mediterranean littoral
states. And what does it consist of? We have held general information reports
in Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. – Ja,
that might be quite nice, but I believe for the building-up of capacity in the
Mediterranean littoral states, better concepts nevertheless occur to us; for
that, we do not need Operation Sea Guardian.
Also, joint exercises are to be emphasized as a result of
Sea Guardian. It can only therein be called to mind: Multinational exercises are
entirely top-notch; yet for that, no mandate is needed.
As a result: We do not need Operation Sea Guardian. We can
save ourselves 3 million euros per year. With that, we can buy our soldiers
good equipment. We as the Alternative für Deutschland do not here today vote in
favor.
I now still have 28 seconds: Frau De Ridder, I can in one
sentence go into what you have said here – I have it only approximately in
memory: In regards the defense of soldiers, you somehow stand on the side of
the soldiers. – A hypocrisy before the Lord, really!
Michael Grosse-Brömer (CDU/CSU): Now you are done!
No longer block the arming of drones, then can the soldiers be protected. It so appears as if in an operational country some tragedy needs to occur so that the SPD sees the political momentum and finally summons up the courage for a decision. Defend our soldiers and don’t duck out!
Daniela De Ridder (SPD): Your populism is cheap! Cheap!
[trans: tem]
