ABSTRACT
In the decade since the end of the Cold War, no other Western European country's security policy has evolved more than Germany's. Though Germany's security policy nexus incorporated in a number of issues, including proliferation, international crime, and conventional disarmament, the evolution of Germany's stance on the deployment of its armed forces in out of area operations was by far the most reflective of change. Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the US, the German approach to international military operations has varied. For Germany, the concept of responsibility was closely linked to one of the defining aspects of its foreign policy – the desire to be seen as a reliable and calculable partner. Throughout the evolving debate German leaders often spoke of this developing responsibility. On the very eve of war, German Foreign Minister Fischer argued on 2003 before the UN Security Council, in a similar vein from his earlier speech, that alternatives remained before military force should be used.
