Majority of Germans support early Afghanistan withdrawal

PanARMENIAN.Net - A majority of Germans want to see an early withdrawal of the nation's troops from Afghanistan, a poll published Friday, March 16 showed, M&C reported citing DPA.

Released by German state broadcaster ARD, the survey showed that 57 per cent of Germans want to see a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan before the planned date of 2014.

Only 26 per cent said Chancellor Angela Merkel's government should stick to its 2014 timetable.

However, Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert told the government's regular press briefing Friday that the planned handover of security to Afghan forces formed part of an agreement with Germany's NATO allies.

He said that the next occasion that the issue was likely to be raised among the allies was at the NATO conference in Chicago set for May.

The survey followed the call this week by Afghan President Hamid Karzai for NATO forces to hand over responsibility for security in his country by 2013.

His comments came in the wake of a series of setbacks for the allied forces and increasing anti-US sentiment in Afghanistan.

Riots and the deaths of more than 30 people last month followed news that US forces had burnt copies of the Koran during the disposal of rubbish.

The tensions were compounded this week when a US soldier went on the rampage shooting dead 16 civilians.

But in a visit to the country on Wednesday German Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere confirmed Berlin's plans to keep its troops in Afghanistan until 2014.

Speaking at Friday's press briefing in Berlin, a spokesman for the Defence Ministry said that building up to a handover would involve a transition period of between 12 and 18 months.