Germany’s Engagement in Afghanistan

„Afghanistan is at a critical point“, said Svenja Sinjen, Head of Program ‘Berliner Forum Zukunft’ of the Research Institute of the DGAP. The current situation in the country requires an intensification of civil and military engagement of the international community. US President Barack Obama has asked the European NATO members for enhanced support; nevertheless, the Europeans – among them Germany – still are hesitant. “What should and what do we actually want to do in Afghanistan?” Sinjen asked at the beginning of the discussion.

Winfried Nachtwei, MdB and Spokesman on Foreign and Security Affairs of Alliance 90/The Greens, advocated a clear and reasonable effectiveness review of the German governments Afghanistan strategy . Only such an evaluation will enable examining successes and errors in order to correct them in time if necessary. The establishment of an “Afghanistan Task Force” is necessary in order to coordinate the cooperation between the German armed forces, ministries, development organisations, and international actors. He criticized that military forces are far better equipped financially as well as in personnel matters compared to their civilian counterparts – the development organizations. Furthermore, according to Nachtwei, it is important to specify objectives for the mission in Afghanistan, which could later serve as a basis for an exit strategy.

„In a stabilization operation the role the military plays is very important, but by any means it is not sufficient to solve a conflict“, Lieutenant General Rainer Glatz, Commander of the Armed Forces Operational Command, said. Politics and not military forces are responsible for resolving the underlying causes of a conflict, Glatz said. Due to the changing security situation in Afghanistan, for example more ambush attacks, the German armed forces have to increase efforts in force protection. Apart from the protection of soldiers, shielding the Afghan population is of first priority in order to ensure the overall strategic objectives.

Dr. Christoph Grams, expert for civil military cooperation at the GTZ, pointed out that it is very important to cooperate with the Afghan people. Only by applying this strategy, it is possible to shape development assistance in a way that fulfills the basic needs of the Afghan population. Moreover, the GTZ makes sure, that Afghans also take over responsibility for development projects.

FOCUS editor Thomas Wiegold, who commented on the statements, primarily criticized the lack of information of the public. The non-disclosure policy of the German armed forces and the responsible ministries contribute to painting a wrong picture in the media about the situation in Afghanistan. Furthermore, none of the responsible actors has genuinely mentioned a time-frame for an exit strategy so far, Wiegold said.

Contact: Svenja Sinjen, Head of Program ‚Berliner Forum Zukunft’, DGAP (sinjen@dgap.org)