Von der Leyen stresses soldier safety in first visit to Bundeswehr troops in Afghanistan

Deutsche Welle, 23 December 2013

Germany’s new defense minister has used a visit to Afghanistan to stress the need to provide the troops with sufficient equipment to carry out their mission. It is Ursula von der Leyen's first major act in her new post.

Visiting Bundeswehr troops in the northern Afghan town of Mazar-i-Sharif on Monday, Ursula von der Leyen - Germany's first woman defense minister - pledged that under her leadership, the defense ministry would ensure that German soldiers receive the best protective equipment possible.

"The most important thing is the person and not the question of material costs," the defense minister said. "The material must be good enough to ensure that … the people who work here are well protected."

At the same time, though she noted that any new purchases must be "cost-effective."

The quality of equipment issued to Bundeswehr soldiers has been criticized by several people in recent years, although, Hellmut Königshaus, the German parliament's commissioner for the armed forces, acknowledged in his 2012 annual report that there had been some improvement.

After her arrival in Afghanistan on Sunday, von der Leyen used a speech to around 300 Bundeswehr soldiers to pledge that she was “there for them.” She said she was “proud” to be their defense minister and took the job “very seriously.”

Von der Leyen also expressed Germany's willingness to remain involved militarily in Afghanistan after the Western military alliance NATO withdraws all of its remaining combat troops from the country by the end of next year.

Germany has offered to contribute around 800 Bundeswehr trainers and advisors to a non-combat NATO mission of between 8,000 and 12,000 troops.

"A lot has been achieved here, and we want to secure that," Von der Leyen told the troops in Mazar-i-Sharif.

However, this is only expected to happen if Afghan President Hamid Karzai signs an agreement with the US, which, among other things, would shield its troops in the country from prosecution under Afghan law. So far, Karzai has refused to do so.

Von der Leyen, of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, took over as defense minister from Thomas de Maiziere , when the new grand coalition cabinet, including members of the the Social Democrats, was sworn into office last Tuesday. Von der Leyen had been labor minister in Chancellor Merkel's previous coalition with the liberal Free Democrats.

pfd/ph (dpa, Reuters, AFP)

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 "Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“…  8 - The End of War

The last one is the best. For thousands of years on this planet, Human Beings have warred with each other. If you take a look at the reasons they warred with each other, you will quickly see there aren't any good ones - land, resources, greed. Those are not reasons. That is a description of old energy. Those are not reasons. Reasons would be perhaps defense against an aggressor. But what if there is no longer the consciousness of the aggressor?

When I appeared in my partner's life more than 20 years ago, I said to him privately that the first messages we're going to give will be unbelievable. There would be laughter. We told him that Human nature and consciousness itself would change, and that the seeds of peace would be planted and there would come a time where there is no more war. Indeed, the laughter was great because humans look at history and they see patterns based on an absolute energy called Human Nature. "Impossible! There always has to be war. There always has been. Therefore, there always will be." This is you, in a box, in a black and white potential, where you can only see the black and white of what is and the black and white of what has been. You have no idea the shades of color that are there in your consciousness and the beauty of the love of God.

North Korea is on the edge of change, as we told you it might be. What did this require? The death of the old energy, and I want you to watch this take place. The advisors of the young leader are going to do their best to pull him back into an old energy. This free choice of his will be far different than his father, for he sees some color. Watch for these things. They'll take longer than you want, but it is the beginning of the beginning.

You'll see a fresh unification of South America sooner than not, for what is going to take place potentially this year in Venezuela. You'll see Iran changing. We have no clock. These are the potentials. These can change with free choice. These are not prophecies. This is a reality shift, dear ones, so number eight becomes the propensity not to war again. This is what Humans are going to want. This is what governments are going to want. There is a wisdom factor that will begin to happen on the planet that is grander than what you think is possible. For when you look at government, what do you think about? You see dysfunction, and there is an axiom that says the more people that try to do something together, the worse it gets. It all settles to the lowest common denominator. I'm telling you even those things are going to become old energy concepts. Instead, you're going to watch wisdom become the top potential.

I have no clock. I cannot tell you when. I can just tell you it is in the works, and there will be the seeds of it for you to observe soon - right now, in every single of the eight categories I showed you.

There are those who will say, "Well, Kryon, you're doing a lot more predictions than you used to." I want to tell you what's going on, dear one. I am not predicting anything. I am just telling you what's already there in the potential soup of your reality. That's what Humans are doing on this planet, and for those who believe this communication, you should breathe a sigh of relief and say, "It's about time." ….”