Photo Gallery A Difficult Withdrawal
NATO is facing a difficult withdrawal from Afghanistan this year, particularly given that Afghan President Hamid Karzai still hasn't signed an agreement on the long-term presence of US troops in his country beyond this year. Germany and the rest of NATO are planning for all eventualities. Here, two German soldiers can be seen on a base in Kunduz.
New German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, seen as a possible successor to Chancellor Angela Merkel, visited Afghanistan at the end of December. She will have her work cut out for her.
The withdrawal of troops and material has already begun. Here, German military vehicles at the port of Trabzon in Turkey after they were airlifted out of Afghanistan. The rest of the trip home was made by ship.
An Antonov 225 transport place at the Halle/Leipzig airport last summer. The plane is assisting the Bundeswehr's withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The German base in Kunduz. US intelligence agencies fear that the situation will dramatically worsen once NATO withdraws from the country, even if a long-term security mission is approved by the Afghan government.
German diplomats in Afghanistan have warned Berlin that, absent an agreement regarding a successor mission, the situation in the country could deteriorate rapidly and that German must prepare for such an eventuality.
Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen at the German base in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan. She is inheriting a situation that will be difficult to solve.
Graphic: The withdrawal from Afghanistan.
