Military Deployment: How Do Ordinary Germans Feel?

As German politicians thrash out the issue of whether to send troops to Afghanistan, the German population seems to be split on the issue too.

After all this is the first time since the end of World War II that German troops will be involved and risking their lives in international military operations outside Europe.

Daily pictures and reports of heavy bombing and starving refugees in Afghanistan is not making things easier. Most sympathize with the plight of the refugees and civilians in war-torn Afghanistan.

At the same time confusion prevailed till last Friday regarding the efficiency of the US strikes along with growing fear of attacks and anthrax scares in Germany too.

This has led to many people asking whether international terrorism can really be countered by relentlessly bombing one of the most impoverished nations of the world.

But in spite of these high emotions, a full 71 per cent of Germans seem to be for "unconditional solidarity" with the Americans as Chancellor Schroeder puts it.

These were the results of a poll published in the German news magazine, "Spiegel".

Among the 43 per cent of Germans who are decidedly against extending unconditional support to the Americans in the international war against terrorism, two thirds of them are from East Germany