German Military Fears for Afghanistan's Future

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http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,825414,00.html


Bundeswehr soldiers plan to leave Afghanistan soon. But what will they leave behind?

When the German military, the Bundeswehr, leaves its field base in Faizabad at the foot of the mountains in northeastern Afghanistan in a few months, it will take along everything that isn't nailed down, leaving behind little more than a green pasture, swept as clean as a campground in the winter. In recent years, 550 German soldiers have trained Afghan troops at the base and provided stability to the region. Now 100 Bundeswehr moving experts will take half a year to pack their bags.

The withdrawal from Afghanistan is a massive undertaking that also involves many soldiers in Germany. "It's easier to climb up a tree than to get back down again," says Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière. The key questions associated with the withdrawal remain unanswered. When will the Bundeswehr withdraw which of its forces? Which soldiers are organizing the move? Which material has to be brought back to Germany? And what happens after 2014?

The Germans are taking inventory in Afghanistan at the moment. About 6,000 containers of material, 1,200 armored vehicles and 500 non-armored vehicles need to be brought back to Germany. The teams tasked with this feat include experienced logisticians and combat support troops, as well as telecommunications experts to keep the lines up and running while the satellite systems are dismantled, and cleaning personnel to disinfect the vehicles prior to departure -- a process known as a animal epidemic prevention.

Hand-me-down Equipment

If the Bundeswehr intends to continue fulfilling its mission to train Afghan security forces and provide stability in the country, it will need additional support from Germany. Between 250 and 600 soldiers are needed for a move of this magnitude, Defense Ministry officials say vaguely. It's an optimistic estimate. The Dutch, for example, needed about 700 specialists to withdraw their 2,000 soldiers from the Afghanistan, while the Americans brought in 4,000 experts.