Combat - Why Germany is Stepping up its Presence in Afghanistan - People and Politics, 04.07.2008

The German mission to Afghanistan is to be extended, with the government set to deploy 1000 additional forces this autumn. On 1 July, the Bundeswehr also launched its quick reaction force in northern Afghanistan. Both missions will mean that soldiers will face offensive deployments against insurgents - a development which has met with criticism both from the public and from the soldiers themselves. Many feel they have inadequate support. Reinhold Robbe is the German parliament's military commissioner, and recently visited the troops in Afghanistan to listen to their concerns. We met up with him in Afghanistan and back home in Berlin.