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German defense minister, Franz Josef Jung, has sparked both a heated political and military debate with his suggestion that Luftwaffe pilots should shoot down hijacked passenger aircraft. Germany’s constitutional court has said a shoot down could only take place if only hijackers were on board, but Jung has suggested there could be extraordinary emergencies where the law has to be set aside. The remarks by Jung, a member of the conservative CDU party, have drawn fire from members of the social democrats (the two parties are governing in a grand coalition). Members of the opposition on the left have gone as far as to call for Jung’s dismissal. But the issue has also sparked debate in the military, where there is concern pilots would be asked to break the law. Some military officials have indicated they would resist a shootdown command. However, Luftwaffe chief Lt. Gen. Klaus-Peter Stieglitz says such a course of action is not acceptable. Pilots have to follow their orders, he insists. Moreover, the defense ministry has issued a statement arguing Jung’s policy would not place pilots in legal jeopardy. *.
