1st Committee of Inquiry “Afghanistan” Holds Public Witness Hearing
November 1, 2024, 11:24 AM
Berlin, Germany – The 1st Committee of Inquiry “Afghanistan” of the German Bundestag held a public witness hearing today. The committee is investigating the circumstances and consequences of the withdrawal of German troops from Afghanistan in 2021.
The first witness to testify was former Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. Kramp-Karrenbauer was in office from 2019 to 2021, during the period leading up to and including the withdrawal.
In her testimony, Kramp-Karrenbauer defended the decision to withdraw German troops from Afghanistan. She argued that the mission had failed to achieve its objectives and that it was no longer possible to justify the loss of German lives.
Kramp-Karrenbauer also acknowledged that the withdrawal had been chaotic and that there had been mistakes. She said that she took responsibility for these mistakes and that she had learned from them.
The other witnesses who testified today included former Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and former Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr Markus Laubenthal. Maas defended the decision to withdraw troops, arguing that it was necessary to prevent a further escalation of the conflict. Laubenthal acknowledged that there had been problems with the withdrawal, but he said that these problems had been exaggerated.
The Committee of Inquiry is expected to continue its work for several months. It will hear from a total of 50 witnesses, including government officials, military personnel, and Afghan experts. The committee is expected to issue a final report in 2025.
Öffentliche Zeugenvernehmung des 1. Untersuchungsausschusses „Afghanistan“
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