Afghanistan mission unites rivals

The left-liberal daily La Repubblica writes that criticism of the Kunduz province air strike ordered by the Germans has had the effect of uniting two political rivals, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and SPD Foreign Minister and candidate for the chancellorship Frank-Walter Steinmeier: "The issue has split the country in two halves. Around 61 percent of Germans favour a withdrawal. But the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats - who rule together but present themselves to voters as two alternative majority concepts - stand united. They say clearly that they want to reconsider the mission, but they defend it and talk of a 'transfer strategy' for passing on responsibility to the Afghan authorities. At the same time they vehemently defend themselves against those - from Washington to the Nato headquarters - who have criticised the call of the German command for an air strike as premature. … The next international conference due to take place in Berlin on the future of Afghanistan … will be the hour of truth for the European and Western mission in Kabul."

» full article (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Elections, » Germany
All available articles from » Andrea Tarquini

» To the complete press review of Wednesday, September 9, 2009