The repercussions of the German-led air strike near Kunduz in the evening hours of 3 September, which claimed a high toll of civilian casualties, caught the German government by surprise. Until then, the chancellor, Angela Merkel, had hoped to keep Afghanistan out of the election campaign, preferring to pretend that nothing had really changed since the Bundeswehr took charge of the ISAF regional command in north Afghanistan in 2005. Yes, we raised the troop level to 4,800 in just three years and we now provide the northern-based Quick Reaction Force and airborne reconnaissance for the missions. Yes, we will participate in air operations via the Airborne Warning and Control System and occasionally we engage in direct fighting and call for Close Air Support. But basically the Bundeswehr is there to build bridges and schools and to help the Afghan army.
Welcome to the land of make-believe. The harsh realities of the Afghan operation were ignored and Bundeswehr involvement strictly denied, be it over German participation in the overall planning process of the operations, the knowledge about the inhumane prison conditions in the US detention facility in Bagram or the questionable manhunt by US special forces in north Afghanistan. Bundeswehr operations miraculously didn't kill civilians, that was always the fault of the US, British or other coalition forces.
Inevitably, this approach was bound to fail. The signs are on the wall for everybody to see: The security situation in all of Afghanistan, including the German area of responsibility, is deteriorating – producing record numbers of incidents and civilian casualties every month. More and more Afghan people are being alienated by the military focus of the international engagement in Afghanistan. Peace and reconstruction seem even further away than before. The presidential elections only accelerated the disillusionment. All in all, Nato's strategy has led us into a cul-de-sac.
The German involvement in the killing of civilians in early September confirmed that after eight years in Afghanistan and unconditional support for Nato's pattern of military escalation, we are gaining speed on the slippery slope to full, US-style war instead of achieving progress in peaceful reconstruction. Germany arrived on the bloody battle ground at the most inappropriate time for the ruling coalition with the election around the corner. Our government's haphazard excuse for an Afghanistan strategy is now in ruins.
It's time we opened our eyes. The Left party (Die Linke), along with the peace movement – and in agreement with the majority of the German public, which opposes the Afghanistan engagement – now wants an earnest debate on Afghanistan in the aftermath of the elections. Eight years of war and violations of human rights are enough. The deadlock of insurgency and counter-insurgency has to be broken. The international community has to accept that peace and reconstruction can't be forced at gunpoint. First and foremost, Afghanistan needs a peace and reconciliation process. This has to be complemented by intensified co-operation between the neighbouring countries. Afghanistan needs renewed international efforts for economic and social reconstruction through civilian capabilities. In this context, Nato withdrawal isn't one of the goals to be achieved along the way but a precondition. Therefore, the new chancellor would be well advised to set the course for the immediate return of the Bundeswehr from Afghanistan.
Paul Schäfer, the Spokesperson for Defence Policy of the Parliamentary Group of DIE LINKE in the Bundestag.