By IRNA
Berlin : A German Defense Ministry spokesperson voiced serious questions over a report in the weekly Stern news magazine report which alleged that German soldiers have operated outside of the mandated area of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in 2002.
Speaking at a routine government press briefing in Berlin on Wednesday, Christian Dienst expressed strong doubts over claims made by a former German ISAF soldier who said that several troops had knowingly violated the ISAF zone.
The 41-year-old ex-German soldier who quit military service in 2006 as a lower ranking officer, is to unveil on Thursday his book titled ‘Final Station Kabul’ which gives an insight into the ISAF military missions in war-rigged Afghanistan.
According to Dienst, the former German trooper lacked an overview over all aspects of the security structure.
Some 3,500 German troops are deployed in mainly northern Afghanistan.
Germany has 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.
A spate of kidnappings of German nationals in Afghanistan has also negatively influenced public opinion about the western military campaign in the war-ravaged country.
According to the latest opinion polls, most Germans oppose the western war in Afghanistan.