June 3, 2011: NATO spokesmen have said repeatedly that the Taliban is weakened militarily, its momemtum halted and popular support dwindling. However, that did not stop the Taliban from announcing a new offensive beginning on May 1 of this year.

May turned out to be the deadliest month since November 2010 for coalition troops in Afghanistan. 57 coalition troops died in May. April was also a violent month with another 51 coalition soldiers killed. Despite claims that the Taliban has been weakened, coalition casualties have not decreased significantly from the same period last year.

Among those killed in the last nine days were four German soldiers, along with a German general who was wounded. At a memorial service in Hannover for three of the four soliders killed, German defense minister Thomas de Maizière trumpeted the standard governmental response to losses in Afghanistan: "Terrorists may never be allowed to have the last word." He also stressed the importance of maintaining trust between coalition forces and their Afghan allies. "Trust cannot and may not be blasted away," he added.

Some of Germany's NATO troops in Afghanistan might not be so quick to agree with their civilian boss. "Distrust of Afghan forces is growing," a German corporal in Kundus said. According to the soldier, one of the deadly attacks on a German armored vehicle was successful only because Afghan soldiers had given the Taliban tips on the vulnerable of the vehicle's construction. That enabled them to place the bomb in exactly the right place. "It was torn open like an egg. They knew exactly where they had to place the bomb," the corporal added.

German media report that it is not only their soldiers who wonder about the loyalty of the Afghan forces. At NATO headquarters in Kabul there are also doubts about joint operations with Afghan soldiers as part of the "Partnering Program."

German casualties and doubts about the loyalty of Afghan troops is not likely to make the mission more palatable for German public opinion, especially younger voters, who are already at odds with their party leaders over the issue. As the Vietnam War proved, public opinion can be a key factor in deciding whether to continue or curtail military deployment. In this case, more than just Germany's Afghanistan presence is at stake: NATO's own future may well depend on whether the alliance is able to fulfill its mission in Afghanistan.