German special forces commanders "drunk" in Afghanistan: report

Sep 29, 2007, 10:52 GMT

Berlin - German special forces serving in Afghanistan were commanded by senior officers who were often drunk, Der Spiegel news magazine reported Saturday.

The report spoke of 'serious cases of alcohol abuse by those in charge' of the elite commando unit KSK based in the southern town of Kandahar since December 2001.

Among those regularly intoxicated were the officer in overall charge of the contingent and the company commander, Der Spiegel said in an article released in advance of publication on Sunday.

The news magazine said it based its report on eyewitness accounts as well as 'internal documents' of the German armed forces.

A defence ministry spokesman declined to comment on the allegations, saying they were part of a complex of issues currently under investigation by a parliamentary committee.

Germany currently has some 3,000 are stationed in Afghanistan, most of them engaged in reconstruction work in the north of the country.

In addition, there is a six-month mandate for six reconnaissance jets to assist ISAF forces spy out Taliban positions all over the country.

A third mandate commits up to 100 special forces to the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

All three mandates come up for renewal in the autumn.