Afghanistan strategy
January 25, 2010
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is to announce an overhaul of the government's mission in Afghanistan. Merkel said any new measures will be in line with NATO strategy and focus on military aid and reconstruction efforts.
"Our NATO partners are all in agreement about this strategy," Merkel said on Monday.
"But the fact remains that the mission in Afghanistan is dangerous," she added. Merkel is therefore keen to discuss anti-corruption measures and good governance with Afghan President Hamid Karzai during his visit to Berlin on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Merkel also held a meeting with four key ministers on Monday evening in Berlin.
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere and Development Minister Dirk Niebel all joined Merkel in the Chancellery.
Merkel said she would announce her government's Afghanistan strategy by Wednesday, a day before the international Afghanistan conference in London.
Defense minister in support of troop surge
In an interview with the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Defense Minister Guttenberg said the country's new Afghanistan strategy should be released prior to the London conference, adding that any increase in troops would depend on the outcome of the conference.
He said German soldiers should increase their "presence in the area," adding, however, that the additional troops would not be intended for offensive combat operations but rather for training the Afghan army and its police forces.
There have been reports that the Defense Ministry is considering sending 500 more troops to support the 4,500 currently deployed in the country, primarily in the northern Kunduz province.
Emphasis on training Afghan forces
Guttenberg's comments follow a video podcast by Merkel over the weekend, reiterating Germany's commitment to provide more intensive training for Afghan security forces.
She said that the training was vital for rebuilding the country and to ensure the Afghan people were protected from the Taliban.
Foreign Minister Westerwelle, who is set to represent Berlin at the London conference, has also not ruled out boosting German troops in Afghanistan.
ng/dpa/AP
Editor: Rob Turner