Afstan: German Parliament approves troop increase

Further to this post,

500 more Germans for ISAF/Update: But supposed NATO troop increase shortfall

the latest:

German Parliament Backs Afghan Troop Increase

Germany's plan to send up to 850 extra troops to Afghanistan cleared its final hurdle Friday when lawmakers gave it strong backing.

They voted 429-111, with 46 abstentions, to increase the maximum number of German troops serving in Afghanistan to 5,350 from 4,500.

Under the government plan announced last month, Berlin will send 500 extra troops to Afghanistan and focus more on training local forces.

The new mandate, valid for a year, allows for another 350 soldiers to be deployed as a "flexible reserve"—for example, helping secure elections. Parliamentary approval is required for German deployments abroad. Germany currently has 4,340 troops in northern Afghanistan.

It hopes to start reducing its contingent next year and hand over security responsibilities to Afghan authorities in 2014, but isn't setting a specific withdrawal date [emphasis added].

At least some members of the biggest opposition party, the center-left Social Democrats, supported the plan as a route toward an eventual pullout.

"This prospect of withdrawal is the central issue, so we are going along with the increase of the contingent," said their parliamentary leader, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was Germany's foreign minister until last year.

The deployment is unpopular at home...

If only our Liberals (indeed Conservatives) had a similar approach. More:

Afghan mission and broader role for military divide Germany