Merkel: No change in German Afghan mission

BERLIN, March 11 (UPI) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel said once again that German troops in Afghanistan will remain in the north of the country and stay out of the troubled south.

Speaking at a meeting of German military commanders Monday, Merkel said NATO needs better coordination of its Afghanistan mission, Deutsche Welle reported. Germany now has about 3,500 troops in a total NATO force of 40,000 and plans to increase the number by this summer.

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the NATO secretary general, warned that Afghanistan will be won or lost as a whole. He said the missions of reconstruction, peacekeeping and counterinsurgency cannot be separated.

Four countries have handled most of the fighting in Afghanistan, the United States, Britain, Canada and the Netherlands. The Canadian parliament votes Wednesday on whether to maintain its Afghanistan mission at the same level.