Soldiers' farewell

For the second time in two weeks, German soldiers in north Afghanistan memorialized comrades killed by Taliban forces.

The memorial for the four Germans killed last Thursday in a rocket attack was held at the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) headquarters in Mazar-i-Sharif. Some 1,500 soldiers from 19 different countries attended.

The bodies were supposed to be flown back to Germany earlier in the weekend, but the volcanic ash cloud that has disrupted European air travel in recent days forced the transport to be delayed. A funeral in southern Germany is planned for Friday, but the exact date and time are unclear.

Germany's National Inspector of the Armed Forces, Volker Wieker, told the crowd that public debate about German troops' participation in the Afghan mission "should and will not be allowed to stand in the way of our security and the will of the Afghan people."

Wieker said continued debate would play into the Taliban's strategy to weaken German resolve to stay in Afghanistan.

The four dead all came from southern Germany: a 33-year-old from Ulm, a 28-year-old from Weiden, and two 24 and 32-year old soldiers from Ingolstadt.

Five other soldiers were severely injured in the attack and evacuated to Istanbul, where they are being treated in a US military hospital until they can be flown to Germany. The condition of two soldiers is still so serious that they couldn't yet be transported, but a defense ministry spokesman said their condition was stable.

A total of 43 German soldiers have died in Afghanistan since the beginning of the 2001 mission.

svs/dpa/apn
Editor: Andreas Illmer