Germany failing to fight Taliban, US claims

Telegraph ^ | 02/02/08 | David Blair and Harry de Quetteville

[stefan10]

let me put it that way.

As far as i know are the remaining US forces in germany because you can reach these places you named easier cheaper and faster from here.

As i called it logistic reasons and given the fact that the infrastructure is there and germany is a political stable country these troops stay here to fight in the middle east or where ever you need. You also have a lot of legal advantages in terms of the use of airspace, your military in general and other smaller advantages remaining parts of the post war times. So i believe it is a mix of all these things why some troops are still here. Given the fact that we clearly do not need them anymore.

In the end it is a problem or a question that has to be answered in washington. (a financial and cost problem) and as a strong fiscal conservative i could really understand if the troops leave when there is a better or cheaper solution. It is US taxpayers money and i personally do not like paying taxes and i do clearly not like governments wasting my (or any other taxpayer) hard earned money.

Germany or the german people really play not a important role here beside the smaller towns i mentioned that would be hit hard if the remaining US troops leave germany.

[PoliticsAndSausages]

This request was IMO a gift to Jung so he could score with the general population while the German Army slowly and sneakily starts to introduce fighting soldiers into the North of Afghanistan. There will only be ~250 soldiers for the North with a combat mandate, but to introduce them is a delicate issue anyways, because a majority of Germans does not believe in the Afghanistan mission, either because out of area missions are essentially against the Grundgesetz, or because there’s really nothing to get in Afghanistan for Germany, even if it should be a Democracy some day.

[Niuhuru]

In that case I amend my earlier statement.