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Only one-third of Germans support Afghan military mission: poll

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Berlin, April 2, IRNA - Only one-third of Germans back the military operation in Afghanistan ahead of Friday's NATO summit in Germany and France, according to a survey released Thursday by the ARD broadcasting network.

Some 32 percent of those questioned say German troops should remain in Afghanistan, down 10 percent from the same corresponding time in February 2008.

Around 64 percent believe that German soldiers, deployed in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), should be pulled out of the war-stricken country as soon as possible.

This is the lowest rate of approval for the German military mission in Afghanistan, conducted by the ARD television station.

Germany has been the scene of nationwide mass protests against the war in Afghanistan over the past years.

More than 3,500 German troops are presently deployed in northern Afghanistan and Kabul.

Berlin has faced intense pressure by the US, Britain and Canada to dispatch more soldiers to Afghanistan, especially to the southern part of the country where NATO-led forces have been confronted with a fierce Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgency.

The upcoming NATO Summit, co-hosted by Germany and France in early April, is expected to devise a new strategy for Afghanistan.

NATO has presently based around 55,000 troops in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

ISAF is by far NATO's largest mission, and is viewed as crucial to the security and long-term credibility of the western military pact.

The disputed ISAF mission was mandated by the United Nations in December 2001, in the wake of the overthrow of the Taliban.

The largest troop contingents come from the US with 23,220 followed by Britain with 8,910 and Germany with 3,500.

American President Barack Obama has announced that he will boost the number of US soldiers in Afghanistan by around 17,000.

However, he has also urged European allies to make a similar commitment.