Schroeder Speaks Out Against Extending Anti-terrorist Military Operation Beyond Afghanistan

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has spoken out against widening the anti-terrorist operation to other countries outside of Afghanistan's borders. "Otherwise it will be much more difficult to maintain the international anti-terrorist coalition", Schroeder stated in Berlin on Monday. Stressing that "his government did not support the idea of expanding the war". Meanwhile, a defence ministry representative declared that at present there were no plans by the Bundesweir to be part of the UN international force on Afghan territory. Additionally whether Germany was capable of participating in principle depended on a concrete request and such a request has not been received, the defence ministry stressed.