German minister to resign over Afghan civilian bombing scandal
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Berlin, Nov 27, IRNA -- Former German defense minister Franz Josef Jung is to resign from post as labor minister on Friday over his role in an alleged cover-up of civilian casualties in a recent air strike in Afghanistan, government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said.
Asked at a routine weekly press briefing in Berlin on Friday, if he did not know Jung would resign or if he was merely not saying at this point in time, Wilhelm replied, "The latter."
Jung, who has been labor minister since Chancellor Angela Merkel's new government assumed office in October, is to hold a press conference in Berlin later in the day.
Jung was defense minister in Merkel's previous government when, on September 4, a German officer ordered a NATO air strike in Afghanistan that killed up to 142 people, many of them civilians.
The top-selling daily Bild claimed Thursday Jung had covered up his knowledge of the civilian casualties when he updated the press and parliament.
Addressing parliament on Thursday, Jung rejected calls for his resignation.
A session of the parliament's defense committee was meeting Friday to discuss the crisis.
On Thursday, Germany's top soldier, General Wolfgang Schneiderhan, resigned over his role in the affair.
Berlin had also been harshly criticized by fellow NATO and European allies for its handling of the case.
OT**1420
End News / IRNA / News Code 813577
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