Amid criticism from opposition parties, German Chancellor Angela Merkel appealed to Germans in her weekly video podcast on Saturday, Sept. 15, to support German troops deployed in war-torn Afghanistan. "There is no alternative," Merkel said, amid continuing criticism from opposition parties, which have called for a partial or complete pullout of Germany's biggest force abroad from the conflict. She said the issue was not just the welfare of the Afghan people but Germany's own security as well. Foreign troop deployments require regular votes of approval from the German parliament. The mandates for the peacekeepers and forces backing the war against the Taliban come up for renewal in October and November. "We must not leave Afghanistan to the terrorists again," said Merkel. Instead, the German chancellor said, Afghanistan had to be helped to establish robust government institutions.
"There is no alternative," Merkel said, amid continuing criticism from opposition parties, which have called for a partial or complete pullout of Germany's biggest force abroad from the conflict.
She said the issue was not just the welfare of the Afghan people but Germany's own security as well.
Foreign troop deployments require regular votes of approval from the German parliament. The mandates for the peacekeepers and forces backing the war against the Taliban come up for renewal in October and November.
"We must not leave Afghanistan to the terrorists again," said Merkel.
Instead, the German chancellor said, Afghanistan had to be helped to establish robust government institutions.
Good to see the Warsaw Pact mentality is alive and well in a country other than Poland. Nice of the Germans to have picked an Ossi, though too bad they didn't pick one from our camp... Fai de bèn a Bertrand, te lou rendra en cagant
The domestic context is that the current Afghanistan mission (in a supporting role) is up for legislative renewal, and something like 2/3 of the electorate is agin it. The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
But the rhetoric is quite "global war on terror," especially the intervention in a state to fight non-state actors who may or may not be there. Fai de bèn a Bertrand, te lou rendra en cagant
I fear neither side truly comprehends the situation. The Realos, just like interventionist liberals elsewhere, see noble goals and ignore the issue of whether they are achievable with the means at disposal, and ther allies at hand. And I'm not sure that many on the opposed side really contemplate how much in a dire straits the country is, and will be even without Western meddling. (So in effect I think the base is naive yet demands the right move.) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
That's inexplicable and surreal.
