By IRNA
Berlin : Former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer here Thursday dismissed public calls for a troop pullout from war-stricken Afghanistan.
Unveiling his new autobiography titled `The Red-Green Years – German Foreign Policy from Kosovo until September 11′ at a news conference, Fischer said, “From my personal point of view, a lot is at stake in Afghanistan. We will be linked directly … with this crisis region and there is a need for a lasting engagement (in Afghanistan).”
He hailed as “right” the decision to send western multi-national forces to Afghanistan after the 9/11 terror attacks in the US.
Fischer who was Germany’s foreign minister from 1998 until 2005, stressed more international efforts were needed to improve the situation in Afghanistan.
The former head of the Green party conceded that there was “basic skepticism” among Germans when it comes to military engagements abroad which he linked to Germany’s history following its World War II defeat.
Almost all recent opinion polls have called for the withdrawal of German soldiers from Afghanistan ahead of this month’s crucial parliamentary vote on extending the Afghan military missions.
Germany has three separate deployments in Afghanistan where around 3,000 troops are based in northern Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
In addition, six Tornado reconnaissance fighter jets have been assisting NATO military throughout Afghanistan since April.
Germany has also been the scene of recent street protests, voicing strong opposition to the renewal of the Afghan military operations.
Images and reports of NATO’s indiscriminate bombings of civilian areas in Afghanistan have caused anger among Germans and have made it ifficult for the center-right government to justify the extension of the Afghan military mandate.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated last month that there was “no alternative” but renewing the Afghan military operation.
She stressed that not only the well-being of the Afghan people but also Germany’s security was linked to the Afghan military mission.
Merkel added that Afghanistan should not be allowed to fall into the hands of terrorists.
Berlin has also faced intense pressure in recent months from its Nato allies, notably the US, Britain and Canada, to widen its military presence into southern Afghanistan where NATO troops are battling a revitalized Taliban insurgency.
The recent wave of abductions of German nationals in Afghanistan has also negatively influenced public opinion about the futile western military campaign in the war-ravaged country.
The issue of the Afghan military engagement has also deeply split Fischer’s Green party whose members voted last month against Germany’s continued Afghan military mission during a special party congress.
The non-binding poll is expected to have an impact on the upcoming vote of Green legislators on renewing the mandate.