Transparent Manoeuvre
The extension of the ISAF-mandate of the Bundeswehr (Federal Armed Forces) in Afghanistan is supposed to be agreed on today in the Bundestag (parliament). Dietmar Bartsch, General Secretary of DIE LINKE, declares:
This time, the mission is to be extended not only for further 12 months but for 14 months: this is an election-campaign-manoeuvre of the Grand Coalition. The Federal Government has the majority in parliament but not the majority of the population. Because of that, the CDU and the SPD fear a debate on the re-extension of the Afghanistan-mandate shortly before the elections next year. They know that the majority of the people is against the deployment in Afghanistan. Instead of following the will of the majority of the people, the government tries by tricking to prevent that the deployment will play a role for the voting-decision of the people.
DIE LINKE will not allow the Grand Coalition to do so. We will turn the election also in a ballot on the German troop withdrawal and the future foreign policy.
The population is much smarter than the government thinks. Germany is not defended in Afghanistan. DIE LINKE stands for a peaceful foreign policy. The Bundeswehr needs to get out of Afghanistan. The financial resources need to be used for the civil reconstruction aid.