Inside ISAF’s Headquarter in Afghanistan

Just how involved German troops should be in Afghanistan has been a debate that’s raged in Germany for months, and the mandates will be reconsidered this fall in German Parliament. But with the recent kidnapping of two German engineers, one thing is certain: the combined efforts of all the forces have been needed to help locate and try to free any foreigners taken hostage in the country.

When two German engineers were kidnapped on July 18, experts in the International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, tried to use all of their contacts to locate them. Karsten Weber, an intelligence expert at ISAF headquarters in Kabul, says nationality didn’t play a role:

"We also tried to help locate the Frenchmen who were kidnapped in the past. And we try tried to provide information about how events could progress, just as we’ve been doing now with the Germans."

More troops?

Some senior German politicians have recently suggested dispatching more troops to Afghanistan to help stabilize the country, but others say Germany’s role mainly in reconstruction is being confused with combat and anti-terrorism efforts.

Still, when terrorist events occur, like the kidnapping of the two German engineers, it’s German technology found in the Tornado surveillance jets that has helped locate them. German Armed Forces First Sergeant Herbert Neuhaus scans all of the images at ISAF headquarters that come from the surveillance jets. He says his databank contains more than 2,000 pictures:

"I have software which is fed with all of the pictures taken in the air, and which organizes all of the images. My responsibilty is to ensure that only intelligence officers or those within the forces who have permission can actually access them. Only ISAF soldiers may have access."

Fine line

Neuhaus’s work is part of the mandate as laid down by the German Parliament, which is clearly separate from the US-led anti-terror operation.

Still, the line between the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom -- OED -- and ISAF is rather fine at times. Since ISAF has been expanded, both OED and ISAF troops are active throughout the country. That is why coordination is important.

General Josef Heinrichs, head of the ISAF Operation Center, explains: "We exchange information to make sure we don’t get in each others‘ way. That means we know where the American troops are working, and they know where we are working."

Gathering intelligence

The ISAF Operation Center gathers intelligence and organizes operations, including attacks on the Taliban.

That means that the German Armed Forces -- or Bundeswehr -- are part of the ISAF operations, including those in the volatile south, where German soldiers are not permitted by their mandate.

The top Bundeswehr General in Afghanistan, Bruno Kasdorf, stresses, however, that ISAF and the American commander must adher to the NATO mandate, and not that of the United States: "The commander may have the final word, but the staff helps him make decisions and I can assure you that my comments are heard."

Ensuring freedom for Afghanistan

Decisions are make on the basis of collected intelligence and analyses, which are also prepared by German officers. Their goal: to provide fast and reliable information to carry out attacks against Taliban militants and other insurgents standing in the way of ensuring freedom for Afghanistan.

Germany, for its part, is due to decide on the renewal of its three mandates for the Afghanistan mission in the autumn. This includes a maximum of 3,000 ISAF soldiers, 500 staff for the Tornado reconnaissance planes and up to 100 soldiers for the KSK special forces and the OEF.