EUCOM deputy commander meets with
German leaders on coalition building
By David Josar,
Stuttgart bureau
U.S. European Command deputy commander-in-chief Gen. Carlton W. Fulford met with about
75 state and nationally elected German leaders to discuss coalition building and how it
relates to Operation Enduring Freedom.
"Though the candles have burned out and the flowers at the gate have long since
wilted, our close ties have not been diminished," Fulford said on Monday in Berlin,
referring to the hundreds of mementos Germans placed at the gates to U.S. military bases.
He said the long friendship between the United States and Germany will be important
during the U.S.-led war on terrorism.
"We must together be patient and determined or we risk not prevailing over this
enemy who draws strength from disunity and disharmony," he said.
Fulford spoke with the elected officials for about two hours. Officials from the state
of Baden-Wurttemberg approached EUCOM about such a meeting two weeks ago, said Navy Capt.
Brian Cullin, the EUCOM spokesman.
The German government currently is considering a U.S. request to provided up to 3,900
soldiers to help fight the war on terrorism.
Fulford said it is important that Germany and the United States continue to work
together, particularly in the sharing of intelligence.
"Our combined law enforcement efforts have benefited already from these new bonds
of trust and sharing," he said.
The investigation into the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States has led to the arrest
of several people with ties to Osama bin Laden living in Germany. It is believed that one
terrorist cell operated in Germany.
Fulford also emphasized that in an "asymmetric" war — a term for
battling guerrilla fighters — it is difficult to see clear-cut victories.
Cullin said Fulford’s talk was important because it addressed "coalition
building."
"As we get partners, there is patience that is required in getting to the
endgame," Cullin said. "That is specifically tied to the patience that comes
from being a close ally and sharing information and working together."
Cullin said this is the first time any EUCOM senior leader has talked about coalition
building with elected representatives of the German government.
"We’ve always been close allies and to work through a war on terrorism it
takes even a greater degree of cooperation and sharing," he said.
Fulford also highlighted the international cooperation of Operation Enduring Freedom.
He noted the United States has pledged $320 million in humanitarian aid to the Afghan
people, that Britain has frozen about $90 million of Taliban assets, Russia has agreed to
share information and airspace, and NATO has agreed to help provide air-space security
over the United States.
"Of course, this new security relationship is not just about the U.S. and
Germany," he said. "It is unlikely to change in its core strength and
identity."
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