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Podsjecanja radi kako je pocelo i sta su ciljevi NATO a u Avganistanu...
NATO’s role in Afghanistan
NATO’s main role in Afghanistan is to assist the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) in exercising and extending its authority and influence across the country, paving the way for reconstruction and effective governance. NATO does this predominantly through its United Nations-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Since NATO took command of ISAF in 2003, the Alliance has gradually expanded the reach of its mission, originally limited to Kabul, to cover all of Afghanistan’s territory. Accordingly, the number of ISAF troops has grown from the initial 5000 to around 100 000 troops from 46 countries, including all 28 NATO member nations.
ISAF’s objectives
ISAF is a key component of the international community’s engagement in Afghanistan, assisting the Afghan authorities in providing security and stability, in order to create the conditions for reconstruction and development.
ISAF’s tasks
Security
In accordance with relevant Security Council Resolutions, ISAF assists the Afghan government in the establishment of a secure and stable environment. To this end, ISAF personnel, together with the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), conduct security and stability operations throughout the country. ISAF personnel are also directly involved in the training and development of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP) via the NATO Training Mission Afghanistan (NTM-A).
Conducting security and stability operations
ISAF conducts security and stability operations across Afghanistan. A large and increasing proportion of these operations are conducted in partnership with the ANSF.
Training the Afghan National Security Forces
NATO-ISAF training efforts in Afghanistan focus on the need to significantly increase the capacity of Afghan security forces in order to enable the international community to gradually hand over lead responsibility for security to the Afghans.
Through NTM-A, ISAF is helping to bring the ANA and the ANP to self-sustaining capability. This is being done in partnership with the United States, which runs its training and equipping activities through the Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan (CSTC-A).
In concrete terms, ISAF troop contributing nations (TCNs) have deployed a number of Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) and Police OMLTs (POMLTs). These teams are embedded in ANA and ANP units to support training and deploy on operations in an advisory role. OMLTs and POMLTs join ANA and ANP units after they have received initial training.
In addition to training and mentoring the ANSF, ISAF nations provide donations to help equip the Afghan security forces. Equipment donations include individual equipment such as small arms, ammunition and uniforms, as well as larger equipment, such as tanks and helicopters.
An ANA Trust Fund covers the transportation and installation costs of equipment donations, the purchase of equipment, the purchase of services for engineering and construction projects, and training, both inside and outside Afghanistan.
Disarming illegally armed groups (DIAG)
ISAF collects illegal weapons, ordnance and ammunition from armed groups and individuals. Collected weapons are catalogued and safely destroyed so that they no longer represent a threat to the local population, ANSF or ISAF personnel.
Facilitating ammunition depots managements
NATO administers a Trust Fund Project aimed at enhancing physical security at ANA ammunition depots, and at supporting the development of the ANA’s ammunition stockpile management capabilities. The project was agreed by the Afghan government, ISAF contributing nations (including three lead nations – Belgium, Canada and Luxembourg) and the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) in 2008.
Providing post-operation assistance
An ISAF Post-Operations Emergency Relief Fund (POERF) was established in 2006 to provide quick humanitarian assistance in the immediate aftermath of significant ISAF military operations. Assistance includes the provision of food, shelter and medicines, as well as the repair of buildings or key infrastructure. Such assistance is provided on a short-term basis, and responsibility is handed over to civilian actors as soon as circumstances permit.
The fund, established under the auspices of the ISAF Commander (COMISAF), consists entirely of voluntary donations from ISAF troop-contributing nations. The NATO Senior Civilian Representative (SCR) in Afghanistan regularly updates the North Atlantic Council on use of the fund.
Reconstruction & Development
Through its Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), ISAF supports reconstruction and development (R&D) in Afghanistan, securing areas in which reconstruction work is conducted by other national and international actors.
Where appropriate, and in close cooperation and coordination with the Afghan government and representatives of the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), ISAF also provides practical support for R&D work, as well as support for humanitarian assistance efforts conducted by Afghan government organizations, international organizations and NGOs.
Providing security to permit reconstruction
Provincial Reconstruction Teams are at the leading edge of the Alliance’s commitment to R&D efforts in Afghanistan.
These teams of civilian and military personnel work together to help extend the authority of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan throughout the country by providing security and supporting the R&D activities of Afghan, international, national and non-governmental actors in the provinces.
In addition to providing area security, PRTs also use their diplomatic and economic capabilities to support security sector reform, encourage good governance and enable reconstruction and development.
While PRTs’ civilian components take the lead in political, economic, humanitarian and social aspects of PRTs’ work, military components focus on increasing security and stability in the area and building security sector capacity in support of the GIRoA’s national development priorities. PRTs’ military components are also in charge of directing assistance to the civilian elements, in particular at the levels of transport, medical assistance and engineering.
Overall, various kinds of projects are underway, facilitated by the PRTs: schools are being rebuilt with the mentoring or assistance of ISAF engineers, allowing children to resume their education; irrigation ditches, pipelines, reservoirs and wells are being constructed to bring water to the local population and farmers; infrastructure is being repaired and/or built to facilitate mobility and communication; and local people are provided with greater access to medical assistance.
Currently, 26 PRTs operate throughout the country. Each is led by a single ISAF nation. Some consist of military forces and civilian personnel from a single nation; others are multinational with contributions from several different countries(*). However, their military components come under the ISAF command and are coordinated by the related Regional Command.
Humanitarian Assistance
Upon request, Provincial Reconstruction Teams assist the Afghan government and international actors with humanitarian relief. In particular, ISAF soldiers have launched several relief missions, distributing medication, food and winter supplies to help Afghan villagers cope with severe weather conditions in different parts of the country.
Governance
ISAF, through its Provincial Reconstruction Teams, helps the Afghan authorities strengthen the institutions required to fully establish good governance and rule of law and to promote human rights. PRTs’ principal mission in this respect consist of building capacity, supporting the growth of governance structures and promoting an environment within which governance can improve.
This effort is reinforced by ISAF headquarters and the NATO Senior Civilian Representative, who works to facilitate unity among PRTs’ civilian efforts, generating greater coherence with Afghan provincial and national priorities.
Counter-Narcotics
When requested by the Afghan government, ISAF supports counter-narcotics efforts by sharing information, conducting an efficient public information campaign, and providing in-extremis support to the Afghan National Security Forces’ counter-narcotics operations.
ISAF also assists the training of ANSF personnel in counter-narcotics related activities and provides logistic support, when requested, for the delivery of alternative livelihood programmes.
As reflected in assessments by the United Nations and NATO’s own military commanders, there is a growing nexus between the narcotics industry and the insurgency in some parts of the country. As a result, the Afghan government formally requested that NATO-ISAF provide greater support in counter-narcotics efforts. The Allies agreed to do this at the NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Budapest on 10 October 2008.
This enhanced ISAF support includes the destruction of processing facilities, as well as action against narcotic producers if there is a clearly established link with the insurgency. Such action by ISAF forces can be taken only upon request of the Afghan government and with the consent of the national authorities of the forces involved.
ISAF Mandate
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has been deployed since 2001 under the authority of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which authorised the establishment of the force to assist the Afghan government in the maintenance of security in Kabul and its surrounding areas – in particular to enable the Afghan authorities as well as UN personnel to operate in a secure environment.
At that time, the operation was limited to the Kabul area, and its command was assumed by ISAF nations on a rotational basis.
In August 2003, upon request of the UN and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, NATO took command of ISAF . Soon after, the UN mandated ISAF’s gradual expansion outside of Kabul.
While not technically a UN force, ISAF has a peace-enforcement mandate under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Twelve UN Security Council Resolutions relate to ISAF, namely: 1386, 1413, 1444, 1510, 1563, 1623, 1707, 1776, 1833, 1817, 1890 and 1917 (on 22 March 2010).
A detailed Military Technical Agreement agreed between the ISAF Commander and the Afghan Transitional Authority in January 2002 provides additional guidance for ISAF operations.
The evolution of ISAF
Origin of ISAF
ISAF was created in accordance with the Bonn Conference in December 2001. Afghan opposition leaders attending the conference began the process of reconstructing their country by setting up a new government structure, namely the Afghan Transitional Authority. The concept of a UN-mandated international force to assist the newly established Afghan Transitional Authority was also launched at this occasion to create a secure environment in and around Kabul and support the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
These agreements paved the way for the creation of a three-way partnership between the Afghan Transitional Authority, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and ISAF.
NATO takes on ISAF command
On 11 August 2003 NATO assumed leadership of the ISAF operation, turning the six-month national rotations to an end. The Alliance became responsible for the command, coordination and planning of the force, including the provision of a force commander and headquarters on the ground in Afghanistan.
This new leadership overcame the problem of a continual search to find new nations to lead the mission and the difficulties of setting up a new headquarters every six months in a complex environment. A continuing NATO headquarters also enables small countries, less likely to take over leadership responsibility, to play a strong role within a multinational headquarters.
Expansion of ISAF’s presence in Afghanistan
ISAF’s mandate was initially limited to providing security in and around Kabul. In October 2003, the United Nations extended ISAF’s mandate to cover the whole of Afghanistan (UNSCR 1510), paving the way for an expansion of the mission across the country.
Stage 1: to the north
In December 2003, the North Atlantic Council authorised the Supreme Allied Commander, General James Jones, to initiate the expansion of ISAF by taking over command of the German-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Kunduz. The other eight PRTs operating in Afghanistan in 2003 remained under the command of Operation Enduring Freedom, the continuing US-led military operation in Afghanistan.
On 31 December 2003, the military component of the Kunduz PRT was placed under ISAF command as a pilot project and first step in the expansion of the mission.
Six months later, on 28 June 2004, at the Summit meeting of the NATO Heads of State and Government in Istanbul, NATO announced that it would establish four other provincial reconstruction teams in the north of the country: in Mazar-e-Sharif, Meymana, Feyzabad and Baghlan.
This process was completed on 1 October 2004, marking the completion of the first phase of ISAF’s expansion. ISAF’s area of operations then covered some 3,600 square kilometres in the north and the mission was able to influence security in nine Northern provinces of the country.
Stage 2: to the west
On 10 February 2005, NATO announced that ISAF would be further expanded, into the west of Afghanistan.
This process began on 31 May 2006, when ISAF took on command of two additional PRTs, in the provinces of Herat and Farah and of a Forward Support Base (a logistic base) in Herat.
At the beginning of September, two further ISAF-led PRTs in the west became operational, one in Chaghcharan, capital of Ghor province, and one in Qala-e-Naw, capital of Baghdis province, completing ISAF’s expansion into the west.
The extended ISAF mission led a total of nine PRTs, in the north and the west, providing security assistance in 50% of Afghanistan’s territory. The Alliance continued to make preparations to further expand ISAF, to the south of the country.
In September 2005, the Alliance also temporarily deployed 2,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to support the 18 September provincial and parliamentary elections.
Stage 3: to the south
On 8 December 2005, meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, the Allied Foreign Ministers endorsed a plan that paved the way for an expanded ISAF role and presence in Afghanistan.
The first element of this plan was the expansion of ISAF to the south in 2006, also known as Stage 3.
This was implemented on 31 July 2006, when ISAF assumed command of the southern region of Afghanistan from US-led Coalition forces, expanding its area of operations to cover an additional six provinces – Day Kundi, Helmand, Kandahar, Nimroz, Uruzgan and Zabul – and taking on command of four additional PRTs.
The expanded ISAF led a total of 13 PRTs in the north, west and south, covering some three-quarters of Afghanistan’s territory.
The number of ISAF forces in the country also increased significantly, from about 10,000 prior to the expansion to about 20,000 after.
Stage 4: ISAF expands to the east, takes responsibility for entire country
On 5 October 2006, ISAF implemented the final stage of its expansion, by taking on command of the international military forces in eastern Afghanistan from the US-led Coalition.
In addition to expanding the Alliance’s area of operations, the revised operational plan also paved the way for a greater ISAF role in the country. This includes the deployment of ISAF OMLTs to Afghan National Army units at various levels of command.
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