Merkel insists Afghan mission is needed to fight global terrorism

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Thousands of protesters called Saturday for German troops to pull out of peacekeeping efforts in Afghanistan, while Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the nation's presence there as necessary to ensure security. In her weekly video podcast, Merkel insisted that helping Afghans to rebuild their nation was the only way to keep the country from, once again, becoming a breeding ground for terrorists. "We have no alternative, because we cannot leave Afghanistan to the hands of the terrorists," Merkel said.