The report issued by the group Human Rights Watch did not mince any words. German troops failed in their mission and simply melted away last March as a mob raged in parts of Kosovo, the region in former Yugoslavia teeming with Serbian-Albanian tensions.
A U.N. official was upset as well by the military's response, saying the sight of one tank would have caused the violent crowd to scurry away. But that tank never arrived.
Both Human Rights Watch and the U.N. official were referring to the way that German soldiers reacted to some of the bloodiest violence that has broken out in the U.N.-run region since NATO went to war against the regime of Slobodan Milosevic in 1999. The violence was set off by reports from a boy that Serbs had chased a group of children into the Ibar River that separates the Serbian and Albanian communities in Mitrovica. At least two children reportedly drowned as a result.
The news spread rapidly through the area, kindling an outburst of violence that killed 19 people and injured 900 on March 17 and 18. One of the focuses of the violence was the city of Prizren, where the German military has stationed about 3,200 soldiers. The critics maintained that the German troops sat passively by as the Albanians attacked Serbs and that they did little to help U.N. employees and international police officers caught up in the violence.
At first, German military commanders defended their troops. But after careful review, the leadership has come to a different conclusion. Officials in the Defense Ministry in Berlin now concede that they were more concerned with the products in the PX, the delivery times for military mail and the cell-phone connections to Germany. It says the commanders in Kosovo failed to fulfill their political and military missions. These include guaranteeing freedom of movement; protecting minorities, including their houses and churches; and helping U.N. staff members and the international police force.
The review also found that the troops lacked riot gear. There were only 220 shields and riot clubs available for the force in Prizren, and the troops had no water cannons. The unit's helicopters stayed on the ground as well. As a result, they did not fly in any reinforcements or help save anyone.
In the aftermath of the violence, the German military has introduced a series of changes.
Down range, it rushed 600 extra troops to Prizren right after the violence. It then turned to the Federal Border Guard and obtained extra riot gear from the agency's stockpiles. Water cannons also were sent to the force.
The military's leadership also overhauled its emergency response plans. More than 12 helicopters assigned to the contingent are now capable of flying a company of troops (about 100 soldiers) to the heart of any rioting within 20 minutes.
At home, the military has turned its attention to training. Troops about to be sent to Kosovo will be taught more thoroughly how to deal with violent incidents like the raging mob in March. The German military also will set up a joint headquarters with police officers assigned to the United Nations Interim Administration Mission and are conducting training exercises with them.
Beyond such activities, the military is also trying to change attitudes. Soldiers arriving for duty see a letter written by General Friedrich Riechmann hanging on a bulletin board at the airport in Skopje, Macedonia. It reminds the troops: “It pays to stay alert. (...) Routine can make you immobile. Long periods of time in which few things happen should not hurt your will and ability to react quickly and decisively.“
Kosovo - in the country of Serbia and Montenegro, which was once part of Yugoslavia - has been under U.N. administration since the war ended in 1999. NATO is responsible for peacekeeping efforts and protecting the minority Serbs.
Sep. 3, 2004

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