Germany to boost its troops in Afghanistan

BERLIN, June 19 (UPI) -- Germany is considering sending an extra 1,000 soldiers to Afghanistan.

This is the number deemed most realistic by analysts when talking about Germany's additional contribution, which has been estimated at between 900 and 1,300 additional soldiers.

The Berliner Zeitung newspaper quoted German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung as saying the exact number would be determined by the end of the month.

Officials said the current troop limit, which caps the German contribution at 3,500 soldiers, was too tight for the additional responsibility Germany has to shoulder in securing Afghanistan's northern provinces. And exactly those provinces will remain the focus of Germany's contribution, Jung emphasized, countering calls by NATO allies that Germany should take on missions in the volatile southern provinces.

In a move that pleased NATO allies, however, Jung recently saw off some 200 German troops to replace a Norwegian Quick Reaction Force in Afghanistan on July 1.

Germany at the recent Afghanistan donor conference in Paris also pledged to contribute some $650 million in reconstruction aid.