Deutschland aus (ein wenig)

German parliamentarians are considering pulling out some 100 special forces troops in Afghanistan who are there under the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom. Public opinion in Germany is opposed to the Afghan mission.

Germany currently has some 3000 soldiers in northern Afghanistan operating as part of NATO's ISAF forces as well as several surveillance jets recently added to the NATO project. The mandates of both those deployments will come up for renewal this fall. Thus the move to pull out the special forces could be an attempt to play to public opinion in order to keep the main body of troops in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, IWPR reports on German aid workers pulling out of the northern Kunduz province after the German PRT advised them that the area is too dangerous due to Taliban attacks.