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Minister: Afghan exit difficult

July 3, 2012

Germany's defense minister, Thomas de Maiziere, expects his country's withdrawal from Afghanistan to be complicated, he said during an unannounced visit in Kunduz. But he said the security situation had improved.

https://p.dw.com/p/15QbU
De Maiziere steps off the plane in Kunduz
Image: picture-alliance/dpa

Speaking to German soldiers in Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, Thomas de Maiziere said he no longer believed that Pakistan would open its borders anytime soon, making Germany's exit from the country more difficult.

"That's why we'll have to do a lot by air or via the north. Logistically speaking, that's complicated, but we're working on it."

He also said Germany had to work out several ways of withdrawing, to be able to react in the most flexible way.

The US and Germany had hoped to use the border with Pakistan to move their equipment, but Pakistan has been blocking routes that had been used for the transport of military equipment, after a dispute with the US a few months ago.

If more equipment is being moved via the north of the country generally, Germany's Bundeswehr, which is stationed in the north near Masar-i-sharif, will have to provide logistics assistance until the very end.

In this Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 photo, German soldiers, right, part of the NATO- led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) stand with Afghan security forces during the second phase of transfer of authority ceremony from the NATO- led troops to Afghan security forces in Faizabad, Badakhshan province, north of Kabul, Afghanistan. The security responsibilities of eight districts including the provincial capital of Badakhshan province was handed over from the NATO forces to Afghan security forces. The process of taking over security from over 130,000-strong NATO-led ISAF forces by Afghan troops would be completed by the end of 2014 when Afghanistan will take over the full leadership of its own security duties from US and NATO forces
ISAF forces are gradually handing over control to Afghan security forcesImage: AP

No clear idea of costs

De Maiziere said the Bundeswehr is set to clear its first bigger base in Faizabad in the autumn, but he said it was not clear yet how much the withdrawal would cost. "I'll be able to tell you more in the autumn, but not now," he said.

The minister was cautiously optimistic about the security situation in Afghanistan, saying that the number of attacks in 2011 was 39 percent lower than in 2010. There were even fewer attacks in the first few months of this year.

"We're roughly at the level we saw in 2009. It's not what we'd call a stable security situation, let's face it, but it's progress nevertheless."

It was de Maiziere's seventh visit to Afghanistan since taking office 16 months ago.

German forces have been preparing their withdrawal from the country since the beginning of the year. Troops have already been reduced from 5,350 to around 4,800. Until the end of 2014, 1,700 vehicles and 6,000 containers will have to be moved.

The minister stressed again that more efforts to find a peaceful solution for Afghanistan were needed. But, asked about relations with the Taliban, he said that "we can't negotiate with every murderer."

ng/pfd (Reuters, dpa)