Angela Merkel's government has come under fire: The Bundeswehr is now threatened with a dangerous mission in Afghanistan.
The Chancellor explains details in the evening.
The situation in Afghanistan is dramatic for the opponents of the radical Islamic Taliban: Thousands are trying to flee.
The federal government has waited a long time with evacuation measures.
Now she is under criticism.
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) explain the procedure on Monday evening.
Berlin / Kabul - The radical Islamic Taliban have reached Afghanistan's capital Kabul - now the Bundeswehr is also facing a difficult mission: The continued evacuation of German citizens and Afghan local forces from the Bundeswehr and German ministries is difficult and dangerous. There is also strong criticism of the federal government's plans. The opposition mainly targeted Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) on Monday. The accusation: The government of Chancellor Angela Merkel * (CDU) reacted too late to the worsening situation in Afghanistan. The Foreign Office admitted errors.
On Monday evening, the scolded want to express themselves: The Federal Press Office announced a press conference with Merkel in the Chancellery for 6.45 p.m.
Maas wants to speak about Afghanistan * as early as 5.00 p.m.
Merkel explains details of the Bundeswehr mission in Afghanistan: to evacuate at least 10,000 people?
The Federal Ministry of Defense launched an airlift on Monday, through which German citizens and particularly vulnerable Afghans are to be flown out of Kabul.
Merkel said in an internal party meeting *, including relatives, up to 10,000 people would have to be brought to safety in Germany.
At the same time, she warned of a new refugee crisis.
Merkel was quoted as saying that the federal government had identified 2,500 local employees months ago. In addition, in 2000 the government identified other locals who were to be brought out of the country with German help - such as human rights activists and lawyers. Including the relatives, around 10,000 people could come together who were to be flown to Germany. "One thing is certain: It is a dangerous mission for our soldiers," wrote the Ministry of Defense on Twitter.
The use of the Bundeswehr requires the approval of the Bundestag;
because of the urgency of the situation, Parliament will vote on the mandate retrospectively.
This is to authorize the deployment of "a few hundred soldiers" - Merkel announced this according to AFP information when the Bundestag parliamentary group chairmen were briefed.
In addition to German citizens and local staff, "women at particular risk, human rights activists and other employees of non-governmental organizations" should also be flown out.
Merkel's government is therefore assuming an "operation window until August 31," it said.
However, the government did not want to rule out the possibility that this window for the evacuation missions of the Bundeswehr might close earlier.
Afghanistan: criticism of Merkel's government - "it has waited too long"
According to many critics, Merkel's government is partly to blame for the now extremely dramatic situation. The security expert of the government-affiliated Science and Politics Foundation (SWP), Markus Kaim, assumes that Kabul Airport can no longer be used for evacuation flights. There is still a time window of maybe three days or at most a week - "then this time window closes and those who have not left the country will have to stay there," Kaim said on Monday on the Phoenix broadcaster.
When it came to accepting former Afghan local staff in Germany, he said that the federal government had to be given “a bad report”. "She waited too long, she set up bureaucratic obstacles that were too high, she insisted that everyone who wants to come to Germany present an Afghan passport." That slowed down the process considerably. "And now it is really time to take all those you can take with you, unbureaucratically," cautioned Kaim.
Some opposition politicians made similar statements.
The parliamentary manager of the Greens, Britta Haßelmann, accused the federal government as well as FDP foreign expert Alexander Graf Lambsdorff of “failure” in this question.
Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock also raised allegations *.
There was even criticism from the ranks of the governing parties.
CDU foreign politician Roderich Kiesewetter admitted a "serious mistake", SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich indirectly complained about waiting too long.
Afghanistan: Dramatic situation in Kabul - panic in front of the Taliban
In the past few days, the Taliban had taken one city after the other, sometimes without a fight, at a rapid pace, penetrated the capital Kabul on Sunday and already have the presidential palace under their control. In view of the dramatic situation on Friday, the federal government decided to reduce the embassy staff to a minimum.
On Sunday, all employees were brought to the airport, which is secured by several thousand US soldiers. The situation is particularly threatening for the Afghan people. At the airport, countless people reportedly tried to get a flight out of the country - but commercial aviation has been suspended. Photos and videos showed on Monday how those willing to flee clung to planes. There were also reports of people who fell from aircraft landing gears from great heights into the depths *. (
dpa / AFP / fn
) *
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