Overview
- Investigations published on September 3, 2026 show two Bundeswehr special‑forces officers left for the Persian Gulf on November 14, 2001 and landed at Camp Rhino in southern Afghanistan in the night of November 28–29, 2001 before the Bundestag approved the wider mission.
- Former participants recount that the officers travelled in US uniforms through Oman, joined a US Task Force led by Navy SEAL commander Bob Harward and helped plan early reconnaissance and 'capture‑or‑kill' actions against listed al‑Qaida and Taliban figures.
- A confidential memo dated October 8, 2001 from Defence Minister Rudolf Scharping offered German capabilities to the United States and explicitly listed the KSK for possible direct‑action operations, showing a proactive political‑military posture.
- Multiple sources and witnesses quoted by NDR/ARD and published by tagesschau.de and taz say key Bundestag defence spokespeople and the defence committee were not informed in advance, prompting concern that normal parliamentary authorization processes were bypassed.
- The Bundeswehr and government continue to say they do not discuss KSK activities publicly, and the new reporting has reopened debate over oversight, possible parliamentary inquiries, and how future secret preparatory missions should be handled.