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German troops not to withdraw from Afghanistan: defense minister |
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13:55, July 04, 2007 |
German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung said here Tuesday that the country would not withdraw troops from war-ravaged Afghanistan.
While attending a symposium Tuesday morning, Jung said it is necessary to prolong the stationing of German troops in Afghanistan under the U.S.-led anti-terrorist peace mission.
"As long as there are terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, the mission has to continue," Jung said.
He said that in order to achieve stability and carry out reconstruction work in Afghanistan, the international force first needs to tackle terrorism.
He added that the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) should avoid causing civilian causalities during their operations.
A suicide bomber detonated himself next to German soldiers in Kunduz on May 19, killing three of them and wounding two others. The incident triggered a heated debate in Germany on whether to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
Germany currently has a 3,000-strong force in Afghanistan, mainly in the relatively stable northern region. The mission is expected to come up for renewal by parliament in October.
Source: Xinhua
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