German chancellor Angela Merkel Saturday reiterated her support for NATO troops in Afghanistan during a surprise visit to Afghanistan, UPI reported. Meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, Merkel said she hoped to intensify German involvement in training Afghan police who, in turn, could help Afghanistan gain control of its own affairs, Deutsche Welle reported. During her stay, Merkel is to meet with some of the 3,000 German soldiers deployed in northern Afghanistan as part of NATO forces. Germany's parliament last month agreed to extend its country's military engagement in Afghanistan after Merkel's government insisted on the extension.
