German Greens split on terror war

Aid should now take precedence, says Claudia Roth

A key leader of the German Green Party has called for a halt to the US-led military offensive in Afghanistan - in comments which put her at odds with other senior party figures.

Claudia Roth, one of the party's two national leaders, said the bombing should be halted so humanitarian supplies could be distributed.

Roth: Time to stop the bombing

Other leading Green figures - including German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer - remain firmly behind the US policy.

The German Greens, who have their roots in the country's peace movement, are in a governing coalition with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats.

Ms Roth said that, after more than a week of airstrikes, it was necessary to stop the air raids.

"It is is time to stop. We need other priorities now," she said in a German radio interview.

Fischer: Backs the US policy

She also criticised the use of cluster bombs, saying they could endanger the civilian population of Afghanistan.

Ms Roth, who has just returned from a visit to Pakistan, said it was time to push for a political solution, and called on the German Government to take an active role in those efforts.

A coalition of humanity now had to follow the anti-terror coalition, she said, especially with the winter looming.

Anti-terror alliance

The call for suspension has also been backed by Green parliamentary chairman Rezzo Schlauch.

He said that, although the party supported the military action, it was "worth considering" suspending the attacks on targets in Afghanistan for a few days.

He said it would contribute to maintaining the anti-terror alliance with Islamic states, as well as being in the interests of Afghan refugees.

Mr Fischer and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder have strongly backed the US-led campaign, and the lower house of the German parliament has voted overwhelmingly in support of it.

Germany remains key to the inquiry into Osama Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network. German investigators have revealed that three of the hijackers who crashed planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon had lived in Hamburg for several years.