Germany pulls advisors out of Afghan ministries

BERLIN - The German government said Sunday that it has ordered some 50 German and international experts working in Afghan ministries and authorities to withdraw from Kabul, in response to recent anti-US unrest over the burning of Qurans at a US military base.

The decision of withdrawal was made by the Risk Management Office and was a "reasonable precautionary measure," German Economic Cooperation and Development Minister Dirk Niebel said in a statement.

Niebel said once the situation calmed down, these experts and staff, who worked with Afghan authorities and made advice on the country's reconstruction and development, would come back to work.

On Saturday, two American members of NATO forces were shot dead in the Afghan Interior Ministry in Kabul. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the shootings, which were among a series of violence and demonstrations following the burning of Qurans by some US soldiers at a military base near Kabul on Feb 20.

Thousands of outraged Afghan protesters took to the streets last week in Kabul and other major cities and at least 27 people have been killed in the demonstrations. US President Barack Obama has apologized over the Quran burning.

Germany has withdrawn around 50 German soldiers earlier than planned from a northern Afghanistan base in Taluqan city on Thursday, after about 300 people had been demonstrating outside the base. The German forces had been due to leave Afghanistan by the end of March.

Germany has some 4,600 troops stationed in Afghanistan, the third largest contingent of NATO's International Security Assistance Force behind the United States and Britain.