It was his first visit as foreign minister in Kunduz: Guido Westerwelle thanked the German soldiers in the camp in Afghanistan for their efforts - but his speech was also the policy at home. He campaigned in opposition to an extension of the parliamentary mandate. After political talks with the Afghan government in Kabul, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in the morning in the German camp has arrived in Kunduz.The visit to the most dangerous region of the responsibility of the armed forces had been kept secret for security reasons. With a tarngrünen Transall the Bundeswehr, the Minister landed at nine clock time at the airport in Kunduz, and was accompanied by a heavily armed escort to the camp.
There he received the commander of the camp and the regional commander of the armed forces in Northern Afghanistan. The visiting troops is the first visit Guido Westerwelle in Kunduz since it is Federal Minister, as a deputy he was years ago have been there before. Since then, he said, had the security situation around Kunduz, unfortunately deteriorated.
Westerwelle thanked the Fallschirmjägerzug "Charly" from the Lower Saxony Seedorf expressly for use around the fire dangerous Kunduz. The unit is part of the so-called "Task Force Kunduz. The soldiers are at the forefront in the fight against the Taliban. Together with Afghan and American soldiers who fought in several major operations against the Taliban.
Almost every day, this results in shootouts and fights. Westerwelle soliciting support for the mandate during his visit the minister campaigned for a stronger support for the soldiers. "Here men and women to keep their head," he said, "that is too often forgotten in Germany." Instead, it would be the right signal when the population would recognize the achievements of German soldiers.
"I want to tell them that we are proud of them," said the minister. At the same time, he called again for a broad political support for the new army's mandate to be adopted this week by the Cabinet and then approved by the Bundestag must. The federal government hopes to agree with many members of the SPD are.
"The women and men here have a right to know that they get a large backing from the parliament," demanded Westerwelle. On his lightning visit Westerwelle will take the first German politician and the new governor of Kunduz, which has only been a few days in office. His predecessor was killed in September, a bomb blast during Friday prayers.
That the post vacant for nearly three months was presented, for the Germans is a major problem, since the cooperation with the Afghans, with little progress. In addition, discussions with the civilian representatives in the camp are planned, and will report on ongoing projects for reconstruction.
These are due to the poor security situation around Kunduz disabled still strong, several areas around Kunduz are still deemed "no go" areas. The region around Kunduz area is within the armed forces in northern Afghanistan as the most dangerous, as 18 soldiers since the mission began here please.
Regularly, the armed forces and the roughly 1,500 American soldiers have been stationed for several months in Kunduz are attacked. Meanwhile, however, the change of strategy of the Bundeswehr yielding to more presence in the area and the massive support from the U.S. army, about 2,500 soldiers and helicopters sent to Kunduz, the first successes.
This enabled the units together with the Afghans liberate some of the Taliban strongholds of the rebels. Now, these regions are kept to the Afghan army massively supported. Just hours before a visit by Westerwelle was fought a few miles from Camp violently. Special forces attacked the Americans in a targeted campaign to a local night Talibanfüher and violent skirmishes with the insurgents supplied.
During subsequent air strikes after Afghan detail two senior commanders were killed, up to eight other fighters also died. The army was not involved in the commando action. The regional commander for northern Afghanistan, Major General Hans-Werner Fritz praised over Westerwelle cooperation with the Americans.
The U.S. soldiers will stand side by side with the Germans, the cooperation was excellent.
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