Transferring responsibility – supporting Afghanistan in the long term
Sat, 20.11.2010
The NATO member states have now launched the transition process. As of 2011 Afghan security forces are to gradually assume leadership. The decision as to when responsibility for the individual regions will be transferred will depend on the specific developments on the ground. Transition cannot be pinned down to one date, but is a process that will depend on conditions being met.
For NATO it is important that the focus of military support shift increasingly from military actions to training. The Federal Armed Forces also subscribe to this new focus, declared Federal Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.
Transfer does not automatically mean withdrawal
The transfer of responsibility to the Afghan partners should not be confused with an immediate withdrawal of troops, underscored Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. But, depending on the way the security situation develops, it might be possible to start drawing down the German contingent as of 2012.
