Tuesday, February 16, 2010
BERLIN: Afghanistan could be as much as two decades away from being a functioning state, the head of the German army warned Tuesday, as Berlin prepared to send more troops to the war-torn region.
"Despite help from outside, statehood rarely develops overnight," said Volker Wieker in an article written for local daily.
"In general, it takes between one and two decades to become a functioning state and this process is often accompanied by internal power struggles and violent debate over the right model for society," he added.
Germany has up to 4,500 troops in the north of the country, making it the third-largest contingent after the United States and Britain.
BERLIN: Afghanistan could be as much as two decades away from being a functioning state, the head of the German army warned Tuesday, as Berlin prepared to send more troops to the war-torn region.
"Despite help from outside, statehood rarely develops overnight," said Volker Wieker in an article written for local daily.
"In general, it takes between one and two decades to become a functioning state and this process is often accompanied by internal power struggles and violent debate over the right model for society," he added.
Germany has up to 4,500 troops in the north of the country, making it the third-largest contingent after the United States and Britain.
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