German Protestant leader says Afghan war 'unjust'

The head of Germany's Protestant churches has described the war in Afghanistan as "unjust" and has called for a complete troops withdrawal.

On Thursday, Margot Kaessmann called for the withdrawal of all of the 4,400 German troops taking part in the US-led NATO operation in Afghanistan.

"There is no just war. I cannot legitimize it from a Christian point of view," Kaessmann said in an interview in the Berliner Zeitung daily on Thursday.

The comments by Kaessmann, head of the EKD — an umbrella group for 22 Churches — comes while Berlin is mulling over sending more troops to the war-torn country following a troop boost request from Washington.

Germany is the third-largest force contributor in Afghanistan after the United States and the United Kingdom. Germany's Parliament, which has the final say on troop levels, has so far authorized a maximum level of 4,500 troops.