| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Afghanistan | |
| Germany Mulls Afghan Exit Strategy | |
| 2009-09-15 | |
| [Quqnoos] An influential German candidate said his country should move toward an 'eventual withdrawal' from Afghanistan German Chancellor Angela Markel and her main rival Walter Steinmeier in the next week election discussed Afghanistan issues in a televised debate on Sunday. "Germany should move toward an eventual withdrawal of its 4,000 troops from Afghanistan," said Foreign Minister Walter Steinmeier. "We want to create the conditions ... by 2013 so that the withdrawal can begin," Steinmeier, the head of the German Social Democrats, said in Sunday's debate. Merkel said that pressure needed to by exerted on Kabul to ensure progress but would not engage on a specific withdrawal plan. "Getting out now would mean women going back into the cellar, girls no longer going to school, farmers growing drugs again and plenty more," Steinmeier said. Germany as a key US ally in Afghanistan has nearly 4,000 troops in the country, mostly stationed in the relatively peaceful northern Afghanistan. In a visit with her French and British counterparts last week, the German chancellor said training of Afghan forces should be accelerated in order to transfer full control of security to Afghans.
| |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 The US, NATO, and the Afghan Army need to "exit" via Karachi, taking on anyone in their way. Once they've finished (hopefully with some help from India), the "Pashtunistan" problem will be solved, the Jammu & Kashmir problem will be solved, the security problem with Pakistani nukes will be solved, and the extremist madrassa problem will be solved. Afterwards, Afghanistan and India can agree on a common border (the Indus River), and another problem is solved. What's NOT to like by such a strategy? |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2009-09-15 18:59 |
| #3 Germany mulls? A candidate mulls. Please notice the difference. "We want to create the conditions ... by 2013 so that the withdrawal can begin," Well that's not bad per se. Nobody wants to stay forever, right? It's not likely that in 2013 the conditions will be achieved but trying to do so is not a bad thing. |
| Posted by: European Conservative 2009-09-15 18:16 |
| #2 I believe so, Porcopius. Figured it wouldn't be long after a "no alcohol" policy for them to pull up stakes. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2009-09-15 17:48 |
| #1 It's that no beer thingy, right? |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2009-09-15 17:25 |