Working to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan

Transcription

1 OTAN s & y s â...s.*. v... / \ f li >c ' Ultimate aim -led BTmSjsraîEIiTra Workg to brg peace stability to Afghanistan ATO has assumed a leadership role providg security N around Kabul Afghanistan, what is Alliance s first mission beyond Euro-Atlantic area. This groundbreakg operation dem on N A T O j strates s resolve ability to International developm ent address new security challenges Force take on new missions is clearly of force benefit to all volved: to Afghanistan security its people, United Nations 11 August. Accordg to s wider ternational community, operational commer, General Sir nations ir Partners. Jack Deverell, this step was a mile- form ally took Security (), tasked a with Assistance UN-mated helpg around n over provide Kabul, on

2 stone s This sequential approach to com development representg a real break from mg of past to an Alliance sive results on ground but was which has hampered by a lack of contuity. greater utility uncerta secu It put great pressure on lead nations rity environment of future. who carried responsibility for s is more relevant achieved impres strategic direction, planng force was created s enhanced role overcomes problem of a contual search every six months for a new lead nation generation as well as provision of by UN Secu rity Council Resolution 1386 of 20 essential operational capabilities, December 2001 to assist recently such as telligence com m u form ed Afghan Transitional Authority nications. And, sce lead nations matenance of security were only prepared to carry such Kabul its surroundg areas so responsibility for six-month periods, that Transitional Authority re was no let-up quest to UN personnel could operate a identify new lead nations. secure enviroment. Troop-contributg nations were additionally called first became volved upon to help Transitional Author response to a request from ity set up new Afghan security Germ any Nerls for armed forces. In effect, a three-way support planng execution partnership was established between of III. The Alliance s assumption of strategic comm, control United Nations Assistance coordation of entire mission is, Mission lead refore, a logical contuation of Afghanistan out of three decades this process. s enhanced role o f turm oil through a state-buildg overcomes problem of a contual process search every six months for a new Transitional Authority, Afghanistan to a more to peaceful lead nation. Moreover, creation prosperous future. of a permanent headquarters times adds stability, creases contuity contributed more than 90 per cent enables sm aller countries, which of s troops. The mission was fd it difficult to act as lead nations, itially led by United Kgdom, to play a stronger role with a multi n national structure. nations between have June at all 2002 January by Turkey between February August jotly by Germ any Nerls. 0

3 -led T he -led will contue to use same banner operate accordg to current future UN resolutions. The current mate limits operations to Kabul surroundg areas. Any extension of mate would require a UN Security Council resolution, sce now exercises leadership of, a decision by North Atlantic Council (NAC), Alliance s highest decision-makg body. To strengn ternational support for Transitional Authority, has started considerg wher how s mate might be exped. More than 30 countries are contributg some 5,500 troops to The NAC will provide political direc on AFNORTH s subordate comms tion to, close consultation with, particular first stance, non- on nations, troop-contributg Jot Comm Centre well-established Heidelberg, Germany, which has pro practice derived from experience vided German Lieutenant-General Gôtz of Gliemeroth to be first erations followg Alliance s peacekeepg form er op Yugoslavia. Force Commer. Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers, Europe (SHAPE) Mons, Belgium, More than 30 countries are contribu will assume strategic responsi tg some 5,500 troops to In bility of operation headquarters addition, Force Com m er host ternational coorda Kabul has access to vast pool of tion cell, while Headquarters, Allied staff expertise available Heidelberg, Forces North Europe (AFNORTH) Brunssum Brunssum, Nerls, will act as reach-back capability, he will be able operational-level Jot Force Com to draw on specialised assets such m headquarters between SHAPE areas as strategic planng without Kabul. havg to deploy m to Afghanistan. is providg a composite head As a result, without requirg a larger quarters to form permanent core force on ground with only a of headquarters. This draws small footprt Kabul, headquarters Mons. Through this 0

4 AFGHANISTAN Population: approx. 28 million (June ) Area: 650,000 km2 L boundaries: Cha, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Ethnic groups: Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, Mor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, ors) 13%, Uzbek 8% Hdu Kuch Farm l P rairie Steppe Snow - Ice W ate r will have an enhanced capability to time its history embarked on a plan conduct operations. comprehensive reform process to en sure that Alliance was as equipped Although has extensive peace to deal with security threats of keepg experience on which to draw 21st century as it had been last. as a result of its operations Bosnia At ir Reykjavik Herzegova, Kosovo for 2002, foreign misters decided mer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*11, that: must be able to field forces takg comm of represents a that can move quickly to wherever y new departure for Alliance. It is, are needed, susta operations over however, a natural manifestation of distance time, achieve ir Alliance s transform ation agenda objectives. a dem onstration of member states effectively paved way for Alli resolve to meet new security chal ance to move beyond Euro-Atlantic lenges. area, cludg to Afghanistan. The This meetg semal May decision Alliance s Prague Summit of Novem In wake of terrorist attacks ber 2002 put place programmes agast United States of 11 Septem necessary to give Alliance ber 2001, voked Article 5, its capabilities required to take on new collective defence provision for first potentially far-away missions. (1) Turkey recognises Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name. must be able to field forces that can move q u ick ly

5 Ultimate aim s ultimate aim Afghanistan is to help establish conditions which Afghanistan enjoys a representative government self-sustag peace security. has already contributed to progressive development of national Afghan stitutions, notably by helpg tra first units of new Afghan National Army national police. Lord Robertson: The sooner we re not necessary Afghanistan, better, but we are now part parcel of country s future Now, Afghan National Army routely conduct jot patrols streets of Kabul, projectg a positive image of teamwork partnership. In addition, hundreds of civilmilitary projects volvg are under way areas of local admistration, frastructure reconstruction, rehabilitation of schools medical facilities, restoration of water supply, health, eduction, agricultural technical assistance, stillg a new mission by creatg a climate of uncertaty. The drug trade, organised crime poor state of local frastructure rema longer-term challenges for Afghanistan ternational community workg to rebuild country. While task of rebuildg Afghanistan is primarily one for Afghans mselves, can help create through stability that is a pre-requisite for successful reconstruction. In words of Secretary General sense of hope among civilian population around Kabul. Lord Robertson: does not take Great challenges, neverless, rema. The terrorist threat to is a major source of concern. Moreover, persistent Taliban al-qaida activity sourn on operations to fail. has to succeed we re determed to succeed. The sooner we re not necessary Afghanistan, better, but we are now part parcel of country s future. south-eastern Afghanistan factional -fightg country s norrn provces underme s For more formation on, see

6 The International Security Assistance UN personnel could operate a Force () has a peace-enforcement secure environment. m ate under Chapter VII of UN IS * International Secoirity IB Assistance Force Afghani stair after Charter. It was created accordance with Bonn C onference of December reliable security structures; identifyg 2001 reconstruction at which Afghan opposition also assists needs; developg trag leaders gared to beg process buildg up future Afghan security of reconstructg ir country. Its tasks forces. Three are detailed a M ilitary Technical Resolutions, 1386, , Agreem ent of January 2002 between relate to, but it is not a UN force. C om m er Afghan Rar, it is a coalition of willg Transitional Authority. These clude deployed under authority o f assistg UN Security Council, supported Authority Afghan Transitional m atenance of security Kabul its surroundg UN Security Council now led by fanced by troop-contributg nations. areas so that Transitional Authority In wake of ouster of Taliban, In December 2001, Afghan opposition Afghanistan was one of poorest leaders met Bonn to set up a new countries world as a result of more government structure for ir country, than two decades of fightg, repressive specifically rule aftermath of war. Sce Authority. Soviet vasion of Afghanistan Loya Jirga, a gr council specific to 1979, more than two million Afghans Afghanistan, are estimated to have been killed Transitional Authority many times number wounded which to hold a national Loya Jirga to or maimed for life. Afghanistan is adopt a constitution 24 months most heavily med which to hold national elections. that country Afghan In June 2002 took place Transitional a national givg 18 months world with an estimated five to seven million l mes 750,000 pieces The of ordnance. Accordg December national elections to UN Development Programme, for June The ternational com 70 per cent of Afghanistan s 22 million munity pledged $4.7 habitants are malnourished life first three years of reconstruction at a expectancy is 40. The World Bank donors conference Tokyo January estimates annual per capita GDP to be 2002 to be admistered by World about $200. Bank. unexploded Loya Jirga is scheduled for billion for Briefgs address topical Alliance issues. They are published under authority of Secretary General do not necessarily reflect official opion or policy of member governments or of. Public Diplomacy Division, 1110 Brussels - Belgium, web site: natodoc@hq.nato.t