German spy service paints bleak picture of Afghan war
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Berlin, Sep 30, IRNA -- Germany's foreign intelligence agency BND painted a bleak scenario of the Afghan war, warning of even more insurgent attacks against western troops deployed in the war-stricken country, the Hamburg-based weekly Spiegel reported Sunday.
According to an internal BND report, the situation in Afghanistan is much worse than portrayed by the German government.
It warned that the attacks against western soldiers by rebels who have infiltrated the Afghan security forces, is set to further increase.
The BND assessment pointed out that up to 35,000 foreign soldiers were needed to help stabilize Afghanistan after the official pullout date of western combat forces in late 2014.
The report stressed also that reintegration program of former Taliban fighters in the Afghan army had "no impact" on the peace process in that country.
Western political and military leaders have repeatedly admitted the Afghan war could not longer be won.
In fact, a top Dutch NATO advisor acknowledged earlier this year that the western military pact had lost the war in Afghanistan.
"The war has been lost by the western alliance...," said the head of The Hague-based Center for Strategic Studies, Rob de Wijk was quoted saying in the German press.
He added NATO was merely looking for a reason to declare itself a winner of the Afghan war.
Germany has deployed around 5,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of the controversial NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Dozens of German soldiers have reportedly been killed and hundreds more injured in Afghanistan since the start of the western war in that country in late 2001.
Most Germans remain deeply opposed to the Afghan military campaign.
OT**1412
Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 1028816
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