A garrison of Bundeswehr troops has been stationed in Afghanistan since 2002, with Germany intervening in the conflict alongside its US allies in NATO after America itself invaded the country in late 2001 on the pretext of responding to the 9/11 terror attacks.
Germany intends to speed up the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan, and plans to complete the process by 4 July, Deutschen Presse-Agentur reports, citing a Defence Ministry briefing to members of the German parliament, the Bundestag.
The Bundestag extended the Afghanistan mission by 10 months in March, several weeks before US President Joe Biden's announcement in April that American forces would withdraw from the war-torn country by the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. After that, NATO announced that it too would be withdrawing its forces by the US deadline.
When troops were first deployed, the Bundeswehr was promised that they would be stationed in the country for a short period of time to stabilise the country and restore order. Their mission has gone on to last over a generation, with German troops heavily engaged in the training of Afghan security forces.
The war has reportedly cost Berlin over 17 billion euros, a hefty sum, but far below the $2+ trillion spent by the United States on the Afghan conflict.
Withdrawal Made Possible by Trump Administration
The end of the US and NATO mission in Afghanistan was made possible by the Trump administration, which in February 2020 signed a peace deal with…
