Bundeswehr Inspector-General: NATO should take over in Afghanistan

Germany´s top soldier believes only NATO, apart from the US, can in the long term take over the leadership of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
In an interview with DW-TV, Germany´s international television service, Bundeswehr inspector-general Harald Kujat said: "I can´t see a European nation that is in a position to take the lead, we have to look for other organisations to carry on. The only one in a position to do the job as far as command structure and collective capabilities are concerned is NATO." In January, the German government rejected the idea of taking over as lead nation in Afghanistan.

Kujat said Britain, the current lead nation in Afghanistan, was "doing an excellent job". He stressed that the question of relieving the British had to be seen within the context of possibly prolonging and extending the security mandate.
Asked whether fighting terrorism should become NATO´s main priority, as the US is demanding, the inspector-general said: "If NATO wants to be relevant in the future, it has to adapt to the challenges and risks we are facing. I think this is very important not just for NATO as a whole but also for Germany and the other member nations."
In July, Kujat takes up one of the western alliance´s most senior military jobs, the post of chairman of NATO´s military committee.

14. Februar 2002
25/02