German FM Urges Commitment to Support Afghan Govt Through 2025
Calls on Karzai to Fight Corruption
Speaking today at the opening of the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle urged the international community to pledge both “practical and financial support” through at least 2025 to the current Afghan government.
“Afghanistan and its people need a clear and reliable commitment to a long-term engagement,” Westerwelle warned, saying that Germany “stands ready” to pledge its own commitment to the situation through that date.
The Bonn Conference is the latest in a long, drawn out series of conferences aimed at “solving” the disastrous situation after a decade of occupation in Afghanistan. With Pakistan boycotting the conference, little has been expected to come out of it.
The commitment through 2025 would be a predictable result, as a previous conference was the one at which NATO decided to commit to an occupation through 2014. The unpopularity of the occupation among voters in several NATO nations may make such a long extension difficult to sell, but US officials have been openly talking about 2024 for quite some time.
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davidgrayling
December 5th, 2011 at 10:52 pm
Once the U.S. gets its foot in the door, it rarely lets go. It is still in Germany and Japan and WW2 finished, what was it? 66 years ago.
Of course, it has infiltrated other nations as well. Its footprint is all over the world. It's time nations of the world pushed the U.S. back to where it belongs.
It is a behemoth that has overstayed its welcome.
Bruce Richardson
December 6th, 2011 at 7:05 am
I would ask of the German FM that he persuade Russia to back off in Afghanistan in the interests of peace. Presently, unmarked Russian aircraft are bombing Taliban positions on behalf of the Northern Alliance, providing training for their tank crews, huge consignments of armaments and even troops to fight alongside the Northern Alliance soldiers against the Taliban. The Northern Alliance has a sordid history of collaboration and bloodletting so that they are unacceptable to the Afghan people as a viable government. As long as Russia, the US/NATO continues to cram this faction down their throats there can never ever be peace. Like it or not, the Taliban are representative of the majority Pashtuns. The Northern Alliance made up primarily of the Tajik and Uzbek minority and with a cloudy history just cannot assume any leadership mantle It is time to allow the Afghan people choose the government that best represents their interests and concerns. The Northern Alliance does not qualify for the reasons enumerated.
thedissenter
December 6th, 2011 at 7:57 am
2025…ha ha ha! Apparently, Angela Merkel is every bit as delusional as her counter-parts in the corporate USan empire.
thedissenter
December 6th, 2011 at 7:58 am
Except for one thing, David, the Empire is collapsing. It will have no choice but to retract its tentacles once it dies. Same as with every other empire before it.