All Change in Afghanistan
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All Change in Afghanistan
Taken from http://www.eurasianet.org/department...pp021503.shtml (Full article there)
Having been so far in the backwoods for the past few months, I hadn't realised that the time for the Turks to give up the running of ISAF had come. Odd to be told that without the Germans, nobody else would serve in Afghanistan - everybody that has been there over the past 17 months must be a figment of our imagination. And things will obviously fall completely apart in 6 months when...
Interesting to note the suggestion that it may be NATO that takes over command later in the year and that whilst France objects (it does have a reputation to keep up) Hamid Karzai welcomes the idea (keeps him in power).
He [Schroeder] also noted Germany’s growing contribution to the United Nations-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which has helped stabilize the situation in Kabul since December 2001. "On Monday this week [10 February], German soldiers, together with the Netherlands, assumed command of the UN ISAF international security force in Kabul. Ladies and gentleman, this must be recognized by the German public. Up to 2,500 soldiers are operating there. They are doing a good job, and without Germany very few others would serve in such a difficult area," Schroeder said.
He [Defense Minister Peter Struck] said he expects Germany to hand over the responsibilities of ISAF headquarters to either NATO or another country by September at the latest.
