10:36 GMT, June 24, 2008 German Minister of Defence Dr. Franz Josef Jung and Joint Chief of Staff Wolfgang Schneiderhan today presented their plans to increase the number of troops that could be sent to Afghanistan by 1.000 later this year.

The existing parliamentary mandate which will expire in October limits the number of German troops in Afghanistan to 3.500. Members of the Bundestag will have to decide on the new mandate on October 12th. Parliamentary consent is deemed to be assured though representatives of the ruling Christian Democrats (CDU) and Social Democrats (SPD) already signalised their acceptance.

The deliberations to raise German troop power in Afghanistan follow military advices of General Schneiderhan and consider the latest development of the security situation in the German area of authority in Northern Afghanistan and the effect on ISAF generally.

„Our fields of duty within the Regional Command North will remain” Jung said. Ministerial officials also stated that the tasks which will foreseeable approach to Germany were considered within the extension of the mandate: “Germany will increase their training support for Afghan troops threefold and replace Danish and Czech troops which recently focused at other regions. Protection of 2009 presidential elections was also taken into account.”

Further on Minister Jung qualified: “A limit of 4.500 troops does not mean that all these troops have to be in mission”. However, this flexibility would be necessary in order to realize the goals of NATO summit in Bucharest and Afghanistan conference in Paris.

Beside the enlargement of the ISAF mandate Jung announced that German mandate for “Operation Enduring Freedom” (OEF) shall be reduced from 1.400 to 800 troops.

Germany has been under pressure from NATO partners to raise their contingent in Afghanistan and enlarge their operational areas to Southern Afghanistan regions in order to fight Taliban positions more effective.