German Military Fears Civil War in Afghanistan

[xchrom]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,801253,00.html

Officially, the Afghanistan conference set to kick off in Bonn on Monday is, according to the German Foreign Ministry website, intended to "solidify together with Afghanistan the long-term engagement of the international community and to advance the political process in the country."

Unofficially, however, many see the gathering, which will bring Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai together with NATO foreign ministers, as but a prelude to withdrawal. US President Barack Obama has begun the American drawdown and has said it will be complete by 2014. His NATO allies, including Germany, have followed suit, with Germany planning to reduce its presence in Afghanistan by 950 troops by the beginning of 2013. The remaining 4,400 troops are to leave by the end of 2014.

NATO has referred to the process as a handover of security responsibility to Afghanistan. But a report in the German tabloid Bild on Friday, citing secret US military intelligence documents as well as confidential German military documents, indicates that military officials in both countries believe that civil war in Afghanistan will be the result.

The paper quotes what it describes as a secret, collaborative appraisal by the US and German militaries as saying: "When the ISAF troops leave the country, there will be civil war." (Eds. note: Quote translated from the German.) The paper says that once withdrawal is complete, leaders of the insurgency, who are currently in Pakistan, "will return to Afghanistan."

[unhappycamper]

1. Evidently Germans read history,

Unlike Americans or Brits.

[bemildred]

2. Today's "No Shit, Sherlock" award.

One wonders what they call what is going on now in Afghnaistan?

[Diclotican]

3. xchrom

xchrom

It is not excactly news for everyonw who know little about Afghan history the last couple of centuries... The early 1990s was one hell of a sivil war, who just ended when Taliban got the upper hand - and even then parts of Afghanistan keept out, and was fighing the Taliban...

Now, a decade after US invanded the country - and gave the whole thing to NATo, so they could get their hands on Iraq, they want to leave the area, and if they do that, old enemies, would of course came back, to get a second, round to make their power feelt for everyone...

And again, the sivilians in Afghanistan wil pay the price when the Warlords of old was coming to kill their enemeis... again refugees from Afgahnistan wil overwelm Pakistan, and the rest of the whole area...

Diclotican