Germany's Merkel visits Afghanistan
Reuters
2012-03-12
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Afghanistan on Monday (March 12) to pay a surprise visit to German troops serving in the NATO mission there.
Merkel's trip to German troops based near Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan coincides with heightened tensions after an American soldier went on a shooting spree on Sunday, killing 16 villagers in the south of the country.
Germany is the third largest contributor of troops to NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), with over 5,000 soldiers.
Merkel had also hoped to visit German forces at Kundus but bad weather forced her to abandon that plan. No further details about Merkel's trip were immediately available.
She last visited Afghanistan in 2010.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Afghanistan on Monday (March 12) to pay a surprise visit to German troops serving in the NATO mission there.
Merkel's trip to German troops based near Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan coincides with heightened tensions after an American soldier went on a shooting spree on Sunday, killing 16 villagers in the south of the country.
Germany is the third largest contributor of troops to NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), with over 5,000 soldiers.
Merkel had also hoped to visit German forces at Kundus but bad weather forced her to abandon that plan. No further details about Merkel's trip were immediately available.
She last visited Afghanistan in 2010.
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