How to Explain Guttenberg's About-Face?
Germany's Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has now decided that the Sept. 4 bombing in Kunduz was "militarily inappropriate," claiming that new information led him to change his mind. But German commentators on Friday say he should have arrived at the same conclusion much earlier.
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Afghanistan Surge
NATO has promised to send at least 5,000 more soldiers to Afghanistan. The question is: Where will they come from? Some nations, including Germany, say they will not make any decisions until next year, while other nations are saying that their soldiers can go -- but not fight.
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The World from Berlin
Critique of US President Barack Obama's newly announced strategy for Afghanistan has not been difficult to find. But at least he has taken a long-overdue sober look at the situation there, say German commentators. Now it's time for Europeans to do the same.
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Opinion
Never before has a speech by President Barack Obama felt as false as his Tuesday address announcing America's new strategy for Afghanistan. It seemed like a campaign speech combined with Bush rhetoric -- and left both dreamers and realists feeling distraught.
By Gabor Steingart more...
SPIEGEL 360: Our Complete Afghanistan Coverage
