Interview with Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the "Welt am Sonntag"

(excerpts)

Turning to foreign policy: writer Martin Walser criticizes that you have no exit strategy for Afghanistan. Is that going to be an issue in the election campaign?

It won't be as far as I'm concerned. Obviously missions abroad are controversial and the one in Afghanistan is especially dangerous. But our engagement in Afghanistan was not a decision lightly taken by anyone. Our aim is to stop Afghanistan being used as a base for training terrorists and help the country get back onto its feet after three decades of civil war. And Walser is wrong, by the way. We've mapped out the route leading to the exit. We'll leave Afghanistan as soon as the country is able to take responsibility for its own security. That's the joint exit strategy of all our allies. The German Government has given its word. With me Germany won't be taking any separate path of its own.

President Barack Obama has started a new offensive in Afghanistan. In US parlance the word "war" is used all the time – they talk of ending the war in Iraq and winning the war in Afghanistan. We talk about a mission abroad ...

I believe the current debate about war or not war completely misses the point. In the classic case, war is between two states. In Afghanistan, however, we're fighting against terrorism together with the Afghan Government. And we're providing protection for the civilian reconstruction effort. What we're engaged in is a dangerous combat mission, but not war.

People increasingly have the impression that under President Obama things are really "hotting up."

Barack Obama knows this confrontation cannot be won by purely military means. That's why with their new concept the Americans are explicitly strengthening the reconstruction effort.

How realistic is Barack Obama's goal of a world free of nuclear weapons?

With Obama's Administration a new era for the whole world has begun. On nuclear disarmament the only way to make any initial progress is to adhere to the vision of a nuclear-weapon-free world. Barack Obama has now renewed this vision.

Isn't there a risk that regional conflicts will increase in number and intensity if nuclear weapons are eliminated?

At the present time the problem is rather that the ambition to possess nuclear weapons is triggering new regional conflicts.

US Vice-President Joe Biden recently made a surprising comment to the effect that it was up to Israel as a sovereign nation to decide on a possible strike against Iran. What's your view on this?

Joe Biden has now made clear he had no intention of indirectly encouraging such an attack.

Mr Biden is not just anyone, however. Do you think such an attack is on the cards?

Of course I discussed this on my visit to Israel earlier this week. I didn't meet anyone who argued for a military option, but I did hear many calls for greater political pressure on Iran.

You're off next week for your summer holiday in South Tyrol. Are you planning any mountain trips? Or is ridge-walking above a precipice more your thing?

Getting to the summit is what I like!

What book will you be taking to read?

"Bitterfelder Bogen" by Monika Maron. It's an account of how an industrial wasteland north of Leipzig became a "solar valley." I'm looking forward to it very much.