German FM Warns NATO Against ‘Premature’ Withdrawal From Afghanistan

NATO’s foreign ministers are meeting on Tuesday, and as with most of the last 20 years, Afghanistan is a big focus, as the US pullout has the rest of NATO wondering what the future is for the war.

German FM Heiko Maas is warning that NATO would jeopardize peace by withdrawing prematurely, warning that NATO needs to avoid “rash actions,” like leaving after 20 years of failed war. So Germany is opposing withdrawal.

Or to look at it another way, Germany is getting ready to leave Afghanistan, because as Maas confirmed, Germany can’t guarantee the security of its own troops without a large number of US troops present in Afghanistan.

This is the reality for NATO forces in Afghanistan. Britain has already been drawing down because the US is leaving, and ultimately, everyone else likely will too, as they were never more than support for the US invasion, and can’t sustain themselves going forward.