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| Afghanistan | |
| Bundestag gives go-ahead to troop boost in Afghanistan | |
| 2010-03-01 | |
| The Bundestag has backed the German government's plan to raise the number of its troops in Afghanistan by up to 850 - from 4,500 to 5,350 - although the cross-party consensus on the mission looked increasingly shaky. The ruling Christian Democrat and Free Democrat parties were joined by opposition Social Democrats to vote by 429 to 111 for the increase. Guido Westerwelle, foreign minister, called the result "a victory for responsibility and rationality" and pledged it would usher in a "new chapter" in German foreign policy, one now intent on better training for Afghan soldiers and police. Of those who voted against, it is thought that the 76 lawmakers from the anti-war Left Party were joined by some opposition Greens and Social Democrats. Although then Social Democrat chancellor Gerhard Schröder committed troops to Afghanistan in 2002, the party's new chairman Sigmar Gabriel spent the past weeks considering whether the party should now withdraw its backing. Such a U-turn could have helped the SPD set itself apart from the Christian Democrats, with whom they ruled from 2005 until last year. But it could have also have been a hard sell to voters, given the SPD's past backing for the policy. Although the SPD initially demanded the government pledge a date for the withdrawal of German troops, the party accepted a verbal promise from Angela Merkel, the chancellor, that Berlin would "if possible" bring the troops home by 2014. Berlin's plan to send an additional 500 Bundeswehr soldiers - plus keeping on hand a "strategic reserve" of 350 for short-term assignments like securing elections - falls far short of US hopes Germany would commit 2,000 or more.
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| Posted by:tipper |