Without security, reconstruction in Afghanistan cannot be successfully continued. This is why the German government has decided to extend the Bundeswehr's mission in Afghanistan. The decision is subject to ratification by the German Bundestag.

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Soldiers secure the area around the Bundeswehr camp in Kunduz.

(© dpa)

The Bundeswehr will continue its involvement in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The German contingent will be increased by a maximum of 1,000, and in future will comprise up to 4,500 soldiers. It will remain deployed in the northern region and the Kabul area.

This higher upper limit on personnel will benefit first and foremost the training of the Afghan army. The flexibility needed to be able to respond to unforeseen escalations in the security situation will also be retained. Furthermore, additional personnel will also be available to secure the presidential elections in 2009, if necessary.
 
The German government has applied to the Bundestag for an extension of the mandate by another 14 months. This timeframe will give the next German government, to be elected in 2009, an opportunity to decide on a further extension.

Security situation calls for further international support 

Developments in Afghanistan remain mixed. The Afghan government is increasingly able to assume responsibility for reconstruction and security. This was demonstrated when the Afghan security forces assumed responsibility for the security of Kabul city in late August 2008.
 
The security situation in Afghanistan remains tense, however. This is the case particularly in the South and the East of the country. More than 90 percent of all security-related incidents occur in these regions. However, incidents do also occur in the North.
 
In view of the threat posed by militant elements opposed to the government and by organized crime, Afghanistan remains dependent on support from the international community. This is the only way to guarantee the security needed to rebuild the country. The Afghan security forces are not yet able to ensure national security self-reliantly.
 
Yet Afghanistan must not become once again a safe haven or a training ground for international terrorism. This is why Germany, together with other states, will remain committed to Afghanistan. As Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also underscored in the Leipziger Volkszeitung newspaper, the Bundeswehr's presence in the Hindu Kush is "not an end in itself."

Afghanistan: Germany to Double Personnel Working on Creation of Police Force