Afghanistan, Merkel: “Yes to dialogue with the Taliban”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her favorable opinion on the continuation of a dialogue with the Taliban which, she underlined in an intervention before the Bundestag, “are now a reality in Afghanistan”. “Our goal now must be to maintain as many of the changes we have brought to that country over the past 20 years as possible,” he said. At the moment, however, the German government is concentrating “with all its might” on the operation for the evacuation of the Kabul airport which must be completed by August 31, when the American forces will leave the country. “The developments in recent days are terrible and bitter”, reiterated the chancellor, recalling the 59 German soldiers killed on a mission in Afghanistan since their deployment, including one of her former bodyguards. The leader of the SPD in Parliament, Rolf Muetzenich, has called for the opening of an investigation by the Bundestag on the mission of the German military in Afghanistan. Merkel admitted that the international community underestimated how “incredibly fast the Afghan security forces would stop resisting the Taliban after the coalition forces withdrew.” In retrospect, it is easy to say what should have been done but the decisions had to be made in full swing, he added.