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Bundeswehr Scandal

Soldiers Confess in Afghanistan Photo Case

Three soldiers with Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, have admitted their participation in desecrating human skeletons in Afghanistan. At least 20 current and former members of the Bundeswehr are under investigation.

First came the steady stream of shocking images: German soldiers gleefully posing for pictures with human skulls in Afghanistan; skulls placed on Bundeswehr vehicles; one soldier even exposing his genitalia next to the mouth of a skull.

Now, the confessions are pouring in. According to media reports, three soldiers with Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, have admitted they took part in the desecration of the dead.

"Those responsible in the case have confessed ... and they regret the incident," Bundeswehr General Christof Munzlinger told the Lübecker Nachrichten newspaper in a report published on Tuesday. One soldier said he had attempted to destroy the images in the days after the incident, but by then multiple copies had already been made.

The general refused to provide additional information about the men, saying only: "What is certain is that these men failed in their duties and have caused colossal damage to the Bundeswehr's reputation and the danger it has caused our troops in Afghanistan is inexcusable."

A total of 20 active and former Bundeswehr soldiers are currently under investigation and two have already been suspended in the case, said Thomas Raabe, a spokesman for the German Defense Ministry in Berlin. In a warning that fallout isn't over yet, Raabe said at least one major newspaper was still in possession of additional unpublished photos. But he denied reports that Bundeswehr officers stationed in Afghanistan had long been aware of the photos. The acts of desecration, he added, had been performed by regular enlisted men and non-officer level soldiers.

Ambiguity still remains over the course of disciplinary or prosecutorial action that can actually be taken against the soldiers. Former Bundeswehr General Hermann Hagena told the daily Die Welt that the law recognizes a difference between how a skeleton is handled and how a corpse is handled. The stated intention of prosecuting any soldiers who participated in the acts of desecration, in other words, could face a legal challenge in court. Because the skeletons were in an exposed gravel pit and not actually buried, he said it would not be possible to bring charges of "disturbing the dead" against the soldiers, which could carry a prison sentence of up to 3 years.

The publication of the images last week in the tabloid Bild Zeitung sparked a major international scandal that left many wondering to what extent it would endanger Bundeswehr troops or weaken their mandate of winning the "hearts and minds" of the Afghan people as they help rebuild and provide security in the country.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the acts as "repugnant" adding that the German government would mete out severe disciplinary action to the soldiers responsible. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier last week dispatched the German ambassador in Kabul to issue an apology to the Afghan Foreign Ministry. At home, the incident has sparked a national debate over whether Bundeswehr soldiers are adequately prepared for the emotional trauma of being in a peacekeeping zone where attacks and killings are a part of daily life.

dsl/dpa/ddp