Following the heated debate at NATO over the deployment of German troops in dangerous southern Afghanistan, Berlin appears poised to shift its position. Top brass in the German military, the Bundeswehr, are considering putting more troops under the command of British General David Richards -- soldiers who could also be deployed to the south, where the Taliban are engaged in heavy fighting with NATO troops.

Currently, close to 3,000 Bundeswehr soldiers are stationed in Afghanistan, but less than two-thirds -- under 2,000 troops -- are under the command of the NATO ISAF force leadership. The remaining troops are entirely under national command, a status that is considered a limitation of their deployment possibilities by NATO.

Among the troops that are not under NATO command are reinforcement troops, airplane mechanics and also coveted special forces, including the teams responsible for operating the so-called "Luna" reconnaissance drones and around 200 telecommunications and radar experts who specialize in eavesdropping on radio signals and telephone calls. Now, SPIEGEL has learned, Berlin's military leadership is considering placing some of these troops under the command of the British general.

The catalyst for the shift is the hope that the Bundeswehr can attain greater influence at ISAF headquarters, where allies have sharply criticized Germany for its unwillingness to send troops into southern Afghanistan. German troops also want to get a better insight into the way the Americans, British and Canadians are managing combat operations in the south.

The Bundeswehr's mandate in Afghanistan is determined by Germany's parliament, the Bundestag. Under that mandate, the military aid that Bundeswehr troops -- who are predominantly stationed in the north -- are allowed to provide in other parts of the country must be "limited in both time and scope."