German Commission Labels Afghanistan Mission a Strategic Failure

A Bundestag report highlights critical missteps during the 20-year mission and offers 72 recommendations for future international deployments.

The Bundestag's Enquete Commission concluded that Germany, along with its international partners, failed to achieve strategic objectives during the Afghanistan mission.
The report criticized a lack of clear strategy, inadequate inter-agency coordination, and insufficient understanding of Afghanistan's cultural and political complexities.
The mission incurred significant costs, with Germany spending an estimated €47 billion, while the overall U.S.-led effort cost roughly $2.3 trillion.
Recommendations for future deployments include improved inter-ministerial collaboration, realistic goal-setting, and greater integration of civilian and military efforts.
The commission emphasized the need for better communication, both domestically and in deployment regions, and highlighted the importance of learning from past mistakes to avoid similar failures.