Germany confirmed on the 6^th February its intention to provide a further 200 troops to serve in Afghanistan. These soldiers, however, will be based in the north of the country, rather than the more dangerous south.

A component of a NATO Quick Reaction Force, the German soldiers will take over from a Norwegian unit.

Jung: Northern Afghan Quick Reaction Force Vital

"There is a readiness from our side now to fulfil this duty because we consider it a military necessity to have such a quick reaction force in the north in the future," Franz Josef Jung, Germany’s Defence Minister, advised the media.

He added: "This will happen in the summer of this year from our side."

NATO Members Urged to Provide More Troops

At present, American, British, Canadian and Dutch troops are battling the Taliban in the south. In recent days, a number of influential military/political figures have called for NATO member states to do more.

At the end of January, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates sent a letter to Jung urging for additional personnel to serve in Afghanistan, but his request was rejected.

"If we neglected the north, we would commit a decisive mistake," Jung stated. He added that the consensus among other NATO countries was that the north of Afghanistan was Germany’s prime responsibility.

In respect of Germany getting involved in short-term missions in other parts of Afghanistan, Jung commented: "If friends are in a situation of emergency, we will help them."

Parliament Stipulates Maximum 3,500 German Troops Can be Deployed

Taking into account the 200 additional soldiers Germany is deploying to Afghanistan, the total number of troops supplied to the region is still within the bounds set by the German parliament. The mandate dictates a maximum 3,500 troops can be sent to the north.

According to the results of a survey, a significant percentage of the German population is opposed to the notion of the country’s soldiers taking part in the hostilities in south Afghanistan.

In the poll, which was carried out by research group Forsa, 85 per cent of those assessed stated they were against such a deployment, while 12 per cent backed it.

Rice, Brown: NATO States Need to Share Afghanistan Burden

On the same day as Jung’s announcement, the US and the UK both urged other NATO nations to take on more of the burden.

Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, arrived in London for discussions with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and others. Prior to the meetings, she advised reporters how only a minimal number of countries within NATO had committed members of their armed forces to Afghanistan’s most lethal areas.

"We believe very strongly that there ought to be a sharing of that burden throughout the (NATO) alliance", she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by Mr Brown who, addressing Parliament, highlighted his desire for other nations to become more involved, and his hope that an upcoming meeting of NATO leaders in Romania would provide an opportunity for this.

"We have 15 percent of the troops in Afghanistan”, he said. “We need a proper burden sharing not only in terms of personnel but also in terms of helicopters and other equipment."

Source – Armed Forces International’s European Correspondent

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