“Just as we failed in Afghanistan, we must never fail again,” says Schahina Gambir, a 23-year-old Green Party parliamentarian. She was on the Enquête Commission, which for two and a half years scrutinized the ultimately unsuccessful international mission in Afghanistan that operated from 2001 to 2021. The commission’s final report is now available, and the Bundestag will debate its political implications.
From the perspective of Gambir, an Afghani woman born in Kabul, who grew up in Germany, the mission had bitter consequences: “The 20-year mission in Afghanistan was the biggest, the most expensive and the most sacrificial mission in history.” 59 soldiers lost their lives during the military mission, which was triggered by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. But following the withdrawal of the mission’s troops, the radical Islamic returned to power. The situation of women and girls, in particular, has deteriorated dramatically in ever since.
A plea for more diplomacy
The mandate of the Enquête Commission was: “Lessons from Afghanistan for Germany’s future networked engagement.” The Commission Chairman, Michael Müller, outlined clear conditions for future foreign missions: In addition to military aspects, humanitarian aid should play a part, as well as stronger diplomatic commitment.
“We need to take stock in a self-critical way,” insists Müller, a Social Democrat (SPD). He points to the current global situation and believes that better international coordination is crucial: “We are seeing crises and wars. And we are seeing more and more clearly that Germany will also be called upon to play an active role in these crises in the future.”
No clear Afghanistan strategy
In light of the failed mission, the commission’s final report has more than 70 recommendations to politicians: “Future engagements require a formulated strategy that specifies clear, verifiable and realistic goals, and defines intended effects.” The Enquête Commission and the experts they interviewed believe almost none of these were developed for Afghanistan.
For future missions abroad, it recommends that all partners develop a common overview of the situation and improve the involvement of the local population: “In the country of deployment, communication should be tailored to the target group, takinginto account the cultural and religious context.” One suggestion is to include information from returning experts from the area of deployment, as well as from allies and partners from civil society, in the analysis.
Too little communication within the German government
The Enquête Commission found there was not enough exchange of experience during : There was practically no coordination between the government’s own ministries. “Each ministry drove something forward with great commitment – from its own perspective,” says Müller, both praising and criticizing the approach.
Despite the ministries’ zeal, it seems they had lost sight of the big picture. There was equally inadequate communication by various ministries, including Defense, Development, Foreign Affairs and the Interior Ministry. The Federal Chancellery apparently also lacked crucial coordination. The Afghanistan Committee of Inquiry, which met in parallel to the Enquête Commission, mostly agrees.
Inquiry Committee’s most prominent witness: Angela Merkel
The committee’s work focused on the hasty withdrawal of the Bundeswehr, and the chaotic evacuation of German and Afghan local forces when the Taliban invaded Kabul in August 2021. Former Chancellor to be questioned by the committee of inquiry in December 2024. The Christian Democrat (CDU) admitted serious failings in the Afghanistan mission: “The cultural differences weighed more heavily than I could have imagined.”
At the same time, Merkel called for humanitarian efforts to continue even after the Taliban had taken power. This is entirely in line with Enquête Commission Chair Michael Müller’s recommendations. Today’s situation in Afghanistan is catastrophic. Germany does not need to open an embassy there, but it should be visible via personnel. Müller is aware it is a difficult balancing act: “There’s no getting around talking to the Taliban. But of course, we don’t want to be complicit with this regime.”
This article was originally written in German.
The post Germany’s lessons from Afghanistan: Bundestag takes stock appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
