German politicians are discussing how many Bundeswehr helpers should be evacuated from Afghanistan to Germany.
Annalena Baerbock and Armin Laschet are apparently far apart.
Munich / Berlin - The evacuation mission of the Bundeswehr and other armed forces in Afghanistan is in full swing after the Taliban came to power in the Hindu Kush.
As of Monday afternoon, August 23, the Bundeswehr had flown around 3,000 people from the country in Central Asia, including around 1,800 Afghan citizens.
Bundeswehr mission in Kabul: How many Afghans are flown to Germany?
The Federal Government named the “military evacuation” of German citizens and “other designated persons” for whom Germany was responsible as the goal of the Bundeswehr mission in Kabul.
A maximum of 600 soldiers are deployed, including around 80 special forces from the paratroopers and the Special Forces Command (KSK).
Among other things, KSK soldiers recently brought a Munich family from the city to Kabul Airport in order to evacuate them to Germany.
The rescued persons are first flown to Tashkent in Uzbekistan with massive A400M planes, and then distributed to the NATO countries.
Also to Germany.
To put it into perspective: In the past few years, several thousand locals had supported the German soldiers in their work - for example as interpreters, cooks or informants.
Many of them are now afraid of the Taliban because of the cooperation with the West - and just want to get out.
But how to deal with these people?
The debate has been going on for a long time, far beyond Berlin.
"We can't just keep quiet about what happened in the disaster."
Annalena Baerbock (The Greens)
Bundeswehr mission in Kabul: CDU chancellor candidate Armin Laschet is defensive
Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (CDU) recently called for financial aid for Afghanistan to be linked to Taliban's guarantees for human rights. "We can make development cooperation dependent on schooling for girls and other minimum standards," said the CDU head of the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung
. The aim is "to influence the Taliban so that the country does not become a refuge for international terrorism again," said the 60-year-old Rhinelander. His approach: financial aid as a lever.
How many people should be brought to safety in Germany, Armin Laschet did not talk about so shortly before the federal election in 2021 (September 26th).
He didn't give a specific number.
Quite different from the Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock.
Your approach could polarize so shortly before the federal election - presumably.
In the video: Evacuation from Afghanistan: This is how the airlift to Kabul works
“We can't just keep quiet about what happened in the disaster,” said the 40-year-old from Lower Saxony in the “summer interview” on ARD.
She also called for a broad-based Afghanistan conference with the neighboring countries.
And Annalena Baerbock apparently goes even further.
Bundeswehr mission in Kabul: Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock has a high number in mind
The Green Chancellor candidate also did not name a clear number of people to be admitted by Germany in the ARD conversation. But she emphasized that in addition to the local staff, it was also about family members, subcontractors, journalists and women's rights activists who “had to” be flown out of Afghanistan to Germany. She named well over 50,000 people.
Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) also pointed out on Monday evening that significantly more than the 1,800 Afghans are to be flown out to date. Germany is holding talks with the "USA, Turkey and other partners with the aim of making civilian operation of the airport in Kabul possible," Maas said in a statement. The Saarlander did not name a target either. And at this point in time, the Taliban indicated that they would not be ready to talk beyond August.
(pm)