Troop Surge Put on Hold

Germany will not ramp up its presence in Afghanistan, at least for now.

Germany will not send more troops to Afghanistan before the end of this year. German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung made this announcement at the meeting of NATO defense ministers in Bratislava. After expiration of the current mandate on Dec 13, Germany has no plans to change from its current commitment of 4,500 soldiers.

It appears that Germany has decided to develop a stalling tactic on this issue until the United States decides on how to proceed in Afghanistan. This is the course on which the German government had apparently settled when the question of a troop surge comes up.

At least that is how Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung (CDU) expressed Germany’s position at the defense minister’s conference in Bratislava, saying Germany wanted to wait for the U.S. decision. But the United States government is also having difficulty coming up with a future direction in Afghanistan.

Commander of the Afghanistan security force (ISAF), General Stanley McChrystal, has asked for 40,000 additional soldiers, a request also supported by United Nations Special Envoy Kai Eide. Eide has asked the international community to increase their troop presence in the Hindu Kush. “I believe more international troops will be needed, especially in order to better advise and direct the Afghan army,” Eide explained. He added that more NATO combat troops would also be needed saying, “Some additional troops will be necessary to get to the point where Afghan security forces will be able to operate independently.” The number of troops this will require has to be determined by NATO.

But how to accomplish this is a matter of debate even in the United States itself. Former Vice-President Dick Cheney accuses President Obama of “dithering” on his own foreign policy. In a speech last Wednesday, Cheney said Obama appears to be “afraid to make a decision.” Up to now, the Obama administration has not reached a decision on increasing troop strength in Afghanistan.

Following that lead, the German government has decided not to strengthen its presence there either. Jung stated in Bratislava on Friday that the German mandate, set to expire in mid-December, to provide no more than 4,500 troops to the campaign would be extended. “I assume we will adhere to the former limit of 4,500 troops,” Jung stated. A decision to increase strength would not come until after the upcoming international conference on Afghanistan has taken place. “We need a clearly-defined overall strategy, we need a clear goal and we need a clear definition of how we may achieve that goal,” Jung said. A definite date for the conference has yet to be determined.

Until that time, Germany intends to wait for the slow-going decision process undertaken by the United States. This strategy is being followed not only by Germany, however. Other European NATO allies are also watching Washington to see what decision the United States reaches. Dutch Minister of Defense Elmert van Middelkoop said he does not expect the NATO foreign ministry to address the issue until around the beginning of December, saying it would be “prudent” to wait for the outcome of the Afghan runoff election and President Obama’s decision before considering any possible troop increase.