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US regime change efforts in Afghanistan ended in failure, says Merz
The Chancellor pointed out that, in his view, the only successful regime change in recent decades occurred in Panama.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has criticized the United States’ efforts at regime change in countries like Afghanistan, describing them as largely unsuccessful.
Speaking at a forum in Frankfurt on Friday, organized by the FAZ newspaper, Merz questioned the effectiveness of regime change as a strategy. “Is regime change really the goal?” he asked, adding that such efforts have “mostly gone wrong” in past conflicts, particularly the war in Afghanistan.
Merz expressed significant doubts about the existence of a coherent and successful strategy for regime change, remarking, “I have serious doubts as to whether there is a strategy and whether that strategy is being successfully implemented.” He warned that without a clear plan, such efforts could take even longer to achieve, if at all.
The Chancellor pointed out that, in his view, the only successful regime change in recent decades occurred in Panama. In contrast, Merz stated that most other attempts, including in Afghanistan, have failed to deliver the intended outcomes.
His comments come amid widespread domestic and international criticism of the U.S. military presence and withdrawal from Afghanistan, following nearly two decades of conflict that culminated in the Islamic Emirate’s return to power.