Merkel committed to ‘constructing’ Afghanistan

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stressed that Berlin remains committed to training Afghan security forces in the face of mounting calls for the withdrawal of troops from the war-torn country.

In her weekly video podcast on Saturday, Merkel daringly confirmed that Germany would concentrate its military efforts in northern Afghanistan, where a controversial German-ordered airstrike killed as many as 142 people, including up to 70 civilians.

“So that rebuilding can take place, and so that the training of security forces can occur, it is necessary that the (Afghan) population is protected from the Taliban,” the chancellor argued.

“Without peace there is no reconstruction, but without reconstruction there will be no peace either,” Merkel was quoted by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle as saying.

She noted that German army personnel would also focus on accelerating the training of Afghan security forces.

However, the fatal Konduz airstrike has sparked a debate over whether training was the top agenda of the country’s presence.

In a damning criticism of Germany’s involvement in the war before Christmas, the country’s head of Protestant Church, Bishop Margot Kaessmann called for a complete withdrawal of the forces, saying that German army was now admitting that, “besides digging wells and building schools, weapons are being used too.”

The head of Germany’s Catholic Church also urged the government to rethink its strategy.

However, Merkel is yet to decide on demands for a military surge in Afghanistan under US pressure. She has postponed any commitment until after an international conference in London later this month, which aims to outline western strategy in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, German Development Minister Dirk Niebel told the Focus magazine on Saturday that Berlin was likely to endorse the move to offer material incentives to Taliban fighters willing to lay down their arms.

The new financial support fund is in line with western-backed plans to “engaging” Taliban in order to end the unpopular conflict, which has been claiming more and more civilian lives each year.

On Friday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai unveiled the bid to offer money, training and jobs to the militants willing to disarm.