Catastrophe in Kunduz

The former German defence minister Franz Josef Jung is accused of having concealed information on the civilian victims of an air strike in the nothern Afghan region of Kunduz. This means an immense loss of confidence, writes the daily Der Tagesspiegel: "More than 8,200 soldiers are stationed abroad. ... And like all of us they make mistakes. That is bitter in a war, because often the wrong people suffer. But the tragic truth is that it will never be possible to avoid civilian victims entirely. Hushing them up is the next catastrophe. In a world where live reports come in from all corners of the earth practically every second and where almost any information can be looked up in the Internet, the only proper thing to do is to state clearly what facts are known, and what consequences can be drawn from them. ... Matters of vital importance for the soldiers fighting in the Hindu Kush have now led to severe losses here at home. Trust and credibility have been shaken to the core."

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