Germany to begin Afghan troop withdrawal by end of 2011: Westerwelle
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Berlin, Dec 16, IRNA -- Germany will start to lower its troop size in Afghanistan by the end of next year, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle announced here Thursday.
Addressing the parliament, Westerwelle said the withdrawal of German forces would begin by 'the end of 2011.'
He vowed all German combat forces would be pulled out of Afghanistan by 2014.
Westerwelle made clear the German troop deployment in could 'not last forever.'
A handover from NATO to Afghan forces is expected to start early next year and run through the end of 2014 under a plan approved by the recent NATO summit in Lisbon, Portugal.
Westerwelle acknowledged the overall situation in Afghanistan remained critical.
The German parliament is to decide on a new Afghan mandate in January.
German soldiers serve in northern Afghanistan as part of a parliamentary mandate
that allows a maximum contingent of 5,350 soldiers.
There are presently around 4,900 German troops based in the war-stricken country.
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