German gov't okays one-year extension of Afghan military mission

Berlin, Jan 12, IRNA - Germany's center-right government on Wednesday has approved a one-year extension of the Afghan military mandate amid mounting public opposition to Berlin's controversial operation in that war-stricken country.

The German parliament is expected to give final green light for the mission when it meets on January 28.

The cabinet did not set a fixed date for the start of German troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

However, Berlin hopes to begin the pullout by the end of this year and conclude the withdrawal by 2014, depending on the Afghan security situation.

Nearly two-third of Germans (63 percent) support reportedly a fixed date for a pullout of their troops from Afghanistan.

Only 32 percent of those questioned say German soldiers should stay in Afghanistan as long as they are needed to stabilize the security situation in that war-stricken country.

Among those backing a fixed withdrawal date, some 59 percent say the Afghan pullout should be completed by the end of this year and 28 percent say by the end of next year.

Germany has deployed around 4,600 troops in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)./end