General Petraeus Opposes Afghanistan Withdrawal Deadline

The commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, U.S. General David Petraeus, has warned against being overly optimistic about Afghanistan and reiterated that any troop withdrawal from the war zone would depend on whether sufficient mission progress had been made. Petraeus told the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung in Munich that “enormous progress” had been made there over the past six months but that withdrawal plans should remain dependent on conditions on the ground.

“We must avoid making sweeping promises,” Petraeus warned. The General spoke with an eye toward the coming parliamentary vote on extending Germany’s military commitment. The extension is a weighty political issue between German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, who disagree on how concrete the planned withdrawal of German forces scheduled for the end of this year should be. Petraeus said that while it is the privilege of politicians to discuss deadlines, the actual withdrawal is a matter of political will and progress on the ground. He added praise for the accomplishments of German troops and civilian workers in Afghanistan, especially for German troop involvement in the fight against the insurgency. Driving al-Qaida out of the Kundus region was a German army victory of which all Germans could be proud, he said.