German Chancellor Angela Merkel honors heroic returnee German soldiers from Afghanistan
German Chancellor Angela Merkel honored German soldiers on Wednesday in Seedorf, northern Germany, who took part in the military evacuation operation from Kabul, Afghanistan, last month.
She also recalled the “13 brave fallen U.S. comrades” who were killed by an Islamic State suicide bomber outside the gates of Kabul airport, complicating efforts to evacuate Afghan civilians.
Reuters reports that the ceremony took place at Seedorf military base, west of Hamburg.
German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer promised to “continue to do everything we can” to get more people out of Afghanistan, particularly those who assisted the German military during its 20-year presence in the country.
Germany lost 59 soldiers during its two decades long mission there, Kramp-Karrenbauer said, adding that “we remember those who suffered injuries, including those you can’t see.”
She called on European Union allies to show “the will, power and also the strength to turn Europe and the European pillar within NATO into an actor which operates at eye level with others.” (Reuters)
