Germany Pulls Advisors Out Of Kabul Over Anti-US Protests

Berlin, Feb 28, IRNA - Germany withdrew its advisors from Kabul-based Afghan ministries in the wake of deadly anti-US protests over the desecration of the Holy Quran, media reports said here Monday. German Development Minister Dirk Niebel said his country would be pulling their experts from Afghan ministries as a precautionary step. He stressed the decision was a 'purely precautionary measure.' There have been contradictory reports as to whether the German personnel, among them development aid workers, would actually be evacuated out of Afghanistan or whether they would be staying at German bases in the war-stricken country. Berlin had strongly condemned the burning of the Holy Quran by US soldiers. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has voiced concern over the escalating violence in Afghanistan. At least 30 people, including five US soldiers, were killed in the latest violence on the sixth day of Holy Quran burning protests criss-crossing Afghanistan, despite another plea for calm by President Hamid Karzai who called on the US to punish those responsible for the Quran burning/end