|
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement. It is engaged in the War in Afghanistan.ISAF was initially charged with securing Kabul and surrounding areas from the Taliban, al Qaeda and factional warlords, so as to allow for the establishment of the Afghan Transitional Administration headed by Hamid Karzai. In October 2003, the UN Security Council authorized the expansion of the ISAF mission throughout Afghanistan, and ISAF subsequently expanded the mission in four main stages over the whole of the country. Since 2006, ISAF has been involved in more intensive combat operations in southern Afghanistan, a tendency which continued in 2007 and 2008. Attacks on ISAF in other parts of Afghanistan are also mounting. Troop contributors include Denmark, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, Ireland, Poland and most members of the European Union and NATO also including Australia, New Zealand, Azerbaijan and Singapore. The intensity of the combat faced by contributing nations varies greatly, with the United States, United Kingdom and Canada sustaining substantial casualties in intensive combat operations. Jurisdiction
NATO troops and Afghan Border Police at Torkham crossing point between Afghanistan and Pakistan. For almost two years, the ISAF mandate did not go beyond the boundaries of Kabul. According to General Norbert Van Heyst, such a deployment would require at least an extra ten thousand soldiers. The responsibility for security throughout the whole of Afghanistan was to be given to the newly-reconstituted Afghan armed forces. However, on 13 October 2003, the Security Council voted unanimously to expand the ISAF mission beyond Kabul in Resolution 1510. Shortly thereafter, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said that Canadian soldiers (nearly half of the entire force at that time) would not deploy outside Kabul. On 24 October 2003, the German Bundestag voted to send German troops to the region of Kunduz. Around 230 additional soldiers were deployed to that region, marking the first time that ISAF soldiers operated outside of Kabul. After the Afghan National Assembly and Provincial Council elections in the fall of 2005, the Canadian base Camp Julien at Kabul closed, and remaining Canadian assets moved to Kandahar as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in preparation for a significant deployment in January 2006. At 31 July 2006, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force assumed command of the south of the country, ISAF Stage 3, and by 5 October also of the east of Afghanistan, ISAF stage 4.ISAF is mandated by the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1386, 1413, 1444, S/RES/1510, S/RES/1563, S/RES/1623, S/RES/1659, S/RES/1707, S/RES/1776(2007) (with an abstention from Russia due to the lack of clarity in the wording pertaining to the coalition Force's maritime interception component, which has not appeared in any of the Security Council's previous resolutions. and S/RES/1917(2010). The last of these extended the mandate of ISAF to 23 March 2011. The mandates the different governments give to their forces differ from country to country. Some governments wish to take a full part in counter-insurgency operations; some are in Afghanistan for NATO alliance reasons; some are in the country partially because they wish to maintain their relationship with the United States federal government, and, possibly, some are there for domestic political reasons. This means that ISAF suffers from a certain lack of united aims. History
The initial ISAF headquarters was based on 3rd UK Mechanised Division, led at the time by Major General John McColl. Until ISAF expanded beyond Kabul, the Force consisted of a roughly division-level headquarters and one brigade covering this capital, the Kabul Multinational Brigade. The brigade was composed of three battle groups, and was in charge of the tactical command of deployed troops. ISAF headquarters serves as the operational control center of the mission. As the area of responsibility was increased, ISAF also took command of an increasing number of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), with the aim of improving security and to facilitate reconstruction outside the capital. The first nine PRTs (and lead nations) were based at Baghlan (Netherlands, then Hungary at October 2006), Chaghcharan (Lithuania), Farah (U.S.), Fayzabad (Germany), Herat (Italy), Kunduz (Germany), Mazari Sharif (UK, then Denmark/Sweden, now Sweden and Finland), Maymana (UK, then Norway), Qala-e Naw (Spain).
Service in ISAF by NATO personnel from 1 June 2003 onward earns the right to wear the NATO Medal if a servicemember meets a defined set of tour length requirements.
Stage 1: to the north - completed October 2004 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 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. After the completion of Stage 1 the 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. Authorized by the United Nations Security Council (Resolution 1386) on 20 December 2001, eighteen countries were contributing to the force, which was expecting to grow to 5,000 soldiers In February 2002 South Korea sent a medical contingent of 99 soldiers. Between February and July 2002, Portugal sent a sanitary team and an air team to ISAF. In November 2002 ISAF, consisting of 4,650 troops from over 20 countries, was led by Turkey. Around 1,200 German troops were serving in the force alongside 250 Dutch soldiers operating as part of a German-led battalion. In March 2003 ISAF was composed of 4,700 troops from 28 countries. On 7 June 2003 in Kabul, a taxi packed with explosives rammed a bus carrying German ISAF personnel, killing four soldiers and wounding 29 others; one Afghan bystander was killed and 10 Afghan bystanders were wounded. The 33 German soldiers, after months on duty in Kabul, were en route to the Kabul International Airport for their flight home to Germany. At the time, Germans soldiers made up more than 40% of ISAF. A study by Care International in the summer of 2003 reported that Kosovo had one peacekeeper to 48 people, East Timor one for every 86, while Afghanistan has just one for every 5,380 people. August 2003, NATO is taking command and co-ordination of ISAF. ISAF consisted of 5,000 troops from more than 30 countries. About 90% of the force was contributed by NATO nations. 1,950 were Canadian, by far the largest single contingent. However, other reports suggested that about 2,000 German troops were involved. Romania had about 400 troops at the time. 13 October 2003: Resolution 1510 passed by the UNSC opened the way to a wider role for ISAF to support the Government of Afghanistan beyond Kabul. As late as November 2003, the entire ISAF force had three helicopters. In May 2004, Turkey sent three helicopters and 56 flight and maintenance personnel to work in ISAF. In July 2004, Portugal sent 24 soldiers and one C-130 Hercules cargo plane to assist ISAF. In August 2004, Britain announced that 6 Royal Air Force Harrier GR7 jets from No. 3 Squadron would deploy to Afghanistan, marking the first time RAF ground-attack jets have been deployed to the country. They fully arrived in September. In September 2004, a Spanish battalion (about 800 personnel) arrived to provide the ISAF Quick Reaction Force, and an Italian Army battalion (up to 1,000 troops) arrived to provide the in-theatre Operational Reserve Force. With a force of 100, Georgia became the first Commonwealth of Independent States country to send an operational force to Afghanistan. Stage 1 (North) was completed at October 2004 under the Regional Command of Germany.
Stage 2: to the west - completed September 2005
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. In May 2005 ISAF Stage 2 took place, doubling the size of the territory ISAF was responsible for. The new area was the former US Regional Command West consisting of Badghis, Farah, Ghor, and Herat Provinces. September 2005: ISAF Stage 2 was completed under the Regional Command of Italy. On 27 January 2006, it was announced in the British Parliament that the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) would be replacing the U.S. troops in Helmand province as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. The British 16th Air Assault Brigade would be the core of the force in Helmand Province. In February 2006, the Netherlands decided to expand the troop contribution with an extra 1,400 soldiers. On 22 May 2006, a British Army WAH-64 Apache gunship fired a Hellfire missile to destroy a French armored jeep that had been disabled during a firefight with Taliban forces in North Helmand province the previous day, as it was decided that attempting to recover the vehicle would have been too dangerous. This is the first time UK Apaches have opened fire in a hostile theatre and this would be, in a fashion, the WAH-64's first "combat kill".
Stage 3: to the south - completed July 2006
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. At the completion of this stage the 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. 31 July 2006, Stage 3 was completed: The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force also assumed command in six provinces of the south. Led by Canada, 8,000 soldiers are now positioned there. The Regional Command Center is at Kandahar. With the Taliban regrouping, especially in its birthplace of Kandahar province bordering Pakistan, NATO launched its biggest offensive against the guerrillas at the weekend of 2 September and 3 September 2006 (Operation Medusa). NATO says it has killed more than 250 Taliban fighters, but the Taliban says NATO casualty estimates are exaggerated. On 7 September 2006, a British soldier was killed and six wounded when their patrol strayed into an unmarked minefield in Helmand, the major drug-growing province west of Kandahar. On 28 September 2006, the North Atlantic Council gave final authorization for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (NATO-ISAF) to expand its area of operations to 14 additional provinces in the east of Afghanistan, boosting NATO's presence and role in the country. With this further expansion, NATO-ISAF will assist the Government of Afghanistan in providing security throughout the whole of the country. The expansion will see the NATO-ISAF controlling 32,000 troops from 37 countries, although the alliance is already struggling to find extra troops to hold off a spiraling Taliban-led insurgency in the volatile south.
Stage 4: ISAF takes responsibility for entire country - completed October 2006
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. 10,000 more coalition troops moved under NATO command. 31,000 ISAF troops are now in Afghanistan. 8,000 US troops continue training and counter-terrorism separately. 21 October 2006: The Canadian government grew increasingly frustrated over the unwillingness of mainly European NATO members to deploy troops to help fight mounting Taliban resistance in the south.
ISAF Post Stage 4: October 2006 to present
November 2006: A study by the Joint Co-ordinating and Monitoring Board, made up of the Afghan government, its key foreign backers and the UN suggests that more than 3,700 people have died so far in 2006. The majority of the dead appear to be insurgents, but it is estimated that 1,000 civilians have also been killed this year, along with members of the Afghan National Army, the NATO-led international security assistance force, and a separate US contingent of soldiers. 28–29 November 2006: NATO summit at Riga (Latvia). Combat curbs were the most contentious issue at the two-day summit in Latvia, following tension over the reluctance of France, Germany, Spain and Italy to send their troops to southern Afghanistan. Countries agreeing to ease the restrictions on deployment against the Taliban insurgency include the Dutch, Romanians and smaller nations such as Slovenia and Luxembourg. France, Germany, Spain and Italy have said they will now send help to trouble zones outside their areas, but only in emergencies. The summit also saw several countries offer additional troops and training teams. France agreed to send more helicopters and aircraft. NATO commanders say they believe they can move an extra 2,500 troops around the country now some smaller members have relaxed their mission conditions. 15 December 2006: ISAF starts a new offensive, Operation Baaz Tsuka (Falcon's Summit), against the Taliban in the Panjaway Valley in Kandahar province. 4 February: US General Dan McNeill replaced British General David Richards as commander of the NATO forces in Afghanistan. He is expected to place a heavier emphasis on fighting than peace deals, analysts say.[14] Meanwhile observers and commanders are expecting a new Taliban "spring offensive", and NATO commanders are asking for more troops. 6 March 2007: NATO-ISAF launched Operation Achilles, an offensive to bring security to northern Helmand and set the conditions for meaningful development that will fundamentally improve the quality of life for Afghans in the area. The operation will eventually involve more than 4,500 Nato troops and nearly 1,000 Afghan soldiers in Helmand province, according to the alliance. It focuses on improving security in areas where Taliban extremists, narco-traffickers and other elements are trying to destabilize the Government of Afghanistan and to intend to empower village elders. The overarching purpose is to assist the government to improve its ability to begin reconstruction and economic development in the area. Strategically, the goal is also to enable the government to begin the Kajaki hydro-energy project. As of January 2009[update] its troops number around 55,100. There are troops from 26 NATO, 10 partner and 2 non-NATO / non-partner countries, 27 April and 19 May 2009: ISAF launched Operations Zafar and Zafar 2 in the Helmand Province. Operation Zafar lasted one week and Operation Zafar 2 lasted four days. Both operations were preparing for Operation Panther's Claw. 29 May 2009: ISAF launched Operation Mar Lewe around the village of Yatimchay, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south of Musa Qaleh, Helmand Province. Operation Mar Lewe lasted three-days. "Mar Lewe" is Pashtu for "snake wolf." 19 June 2009: ISAF launched Operation Panther's Claw to secure control of various canal and river crossings in Helmand Province and to establish a lasting ISAF presence in an area described by Lt Col Richardson as "one of the main Taliban strongholds" ahead of the 2009 Afghan presidential election. 2 July 2009: ISAF launched Operation Strike of the Sword or Operation Khanjar in Helmand Province. This operation is the largest U.S. Marine offensive since the battle of Fallujah, Iraq - Operation Phantom Fury in 2004. Colombia had planned to deploy around 100 forces in Spring 2009. These forces were expected to be demining experts. General Freddy Padilla de Leon announced to CBS that operators of Colombia's Special Forces Brigade were scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan in either August or September 2009. However the Columbians are not listed as part of the force as of November 2010; it is not clear whether they were briefly deployed. Three NATO states have announced withdrawal plans: Canada in 2011, Poland in 2012, and the United Kingdom in 2015. The United States said it would end combat operations in Afghanistan in mid July 2011. This would not involve a total withdrawal; combat operations in Iraq ended, but sizable advisory forces remained. In any case, the deadline has now been extended to 2014.
Security and reconstruction
Since 2006 the insurgency of the Taliban has been intensifying, especially in the southern Pashtun parts of the country, areas that were the Taliban's original power base in the Afghan Civil War. Since NATO-ISAF took over command of the south on 31 July 2006, British, Dutch, Canadian and Danish ISAF soldiers in the provinces of Helmand, Uruzgan and Kandahar have come under almost daily attack. British commanders say the fighting for them is the fiercest since the Korean War, fifty years ago. BBC reporter Alistair Leithead, embedded with the British forces, called it in an article "Deployed to Afghanistan's hell". Because of the security situation in the south, NATO-ISAF commanders have asked member countries to send more troops. On 19 October, for example, the Dutch government decided to send more troops, because of the many attacks by suspected Taliban on their Task Force Uruzgan, which makes it very difficult to complete the reconstruction work they came to accomplish.
ISAF and the illegal opium economy
Prior to October 2008, ISAF had only served an indirect role in fighting the illegal opium economy in Afghanistan through shared intelligence with the Afghan government, protection of Afghan poppy crop eradication units and helping in the coordination and the implementation of the country's counter narcotics policy. Dutch ISAF forces have, for example, used military force to protect eradication units that came under attack. Crop eradication often affects the poorest farmers who have no economic alternatives on which to fall back. Without alternatives, these farmers can no longer feed their families, causing anger, frustration and social protest. Thus, being associated with this counterproductive drug policy, the ISAF soldiers on the ground find it difficult to gain the support of the local population. Though problematic for NATO, this indirect role has allowed NATO to avoid the opposition of the local population who depend on the poppy fields for their livelihood. In October 2008, NATO altered its position in an effort to curb the financing of insurgency by the Taliban. Drug laboratories and drug traders became the targets, and not the poppy fields themselves. In order to appease France, Italy and Germany, the deal involved the participation in an anti-drugs campaign only of willing NATO member countries, was to be temporary, and was to involve cooperation of the Afghans. On 10 October 2008, during a news conference, after an informal meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Budapest, Hungary, NATO Spokesman James Appathurai said:
with regard to counternarcotics, based on the request of the Afghan government, consistent with the appropriate UN Security Council Resolutions, under the existing operational plan, ISAF can act in concert with the Afghans against facilities and facilitators supporting the insurgency, subject to the authorization of respective nations.
Structure
Commanders
U.S. Army ISAF soldier in Kunar Province. ISAF command originally rotated among different nations on a 6-month basis. However, there was tremendous difficulty securing new lead nations. To solve the problem, command was turned over indefinitely to NATO on 11 August 2003. This marked NATO's first deployment outside Europe or North America. The history of ISAF command is as follows: -
December 2001: Major-General John McColl, United Kingdom. -
June 2002: Major General Hilmi Akin Zorlu, Turkey. During this period, Turkish troops increased from about 100 to 1,300. -
10 February 2003: Lieutenant General Norbert van Heyst, on behalf of Germany and the Netherlands. His Deputy was Brigadier General Bertholee of the Netherlands. The mission HQ comprises the multinational NRDC, HQ 1st German/Netherlands Corps (1GNC), including staff from the UK, Italy, Turkey and Norway amongst others. -
11 August 2003: The first ISAF-mission under the command of NATO, led by NATO Lieutenant General Goetz Gliemeroth, Germany, with Canadian Army Major General Andrew Leslie as his deputy. Canada had been originally slated to take over command of ISAF on 11 August. -
9 February 2004: Lieutenant General Rick Hillier, Canada, with Major General Werner Korte of Germany as deputy. During this timeframe, Canada was the largest contributor to the ISAF force, contributing 2,000 troops. -
7 August 2004: General Jean-Louis Py, commander of Eurocorps, a multinational rapid reaction force composed by units from France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg. Canada reduces its forces to about 800 personnel. -
February 2005: General Ethem Erdagi, Turkey -
5 August 2005: Italian General Mauro del Vecchio assumed command of the ISAF force in Afghanistan. During 2005 Italy commanded four multinational military operations: in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania. -
4 May 2006: United Kingdom General David Richards assumed command of the ISAF IX force in Afghanistan. The mission is led by the Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. -
4 February 2007: General Dan K. McNeill, US Army, assumed command of NATO forces. -
2 June 2008: General David D. McKiernan, US Army, assumed command of NATO forces. -
15 June 2009: General Stanley A. McChrystal, US Army, assumed command of NATO forces. -
23 June 2010: Lieutenant General Sir Nick Parker, British Army, former deputy commander of ISAF, assumes interim command after -
resignation of General McChrystal.
4 July 2010: General David Petraeus, US Army, assumed command of NATO forces; Petraeus was formally approved by the US Senate to replace McChrystal on 30 June 2010.
ISAF command structure as of 2010
Throughout the four different regional stages of ISAF the number of Provincial Reconstruction Teams began growing. The expansion of ISAF, during October 2006, to all provinces of the country brought the total number of teams to twenty-four. The teams are led by different members of the NATO-ISAF mission. Another new PRT at Wardak was installed in November 2006, which is led by Turkey. This brought the number to 25. The overall NATO-ISAF mission is led by the Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, at Brunssum, the Netherlands. The main HQ at Afghanistan is located in the capital city of Kabul. There are six (6) Regional Commands, each with subordinate Task Forces and Provincial Reconstruction Teams (as of October 2010):The lower strength numbers of the ISAF forces are as of 6 October 2008. The numbers also reflect the situation in the country. The north and west are relatively calm, while ISAF and Afghan forces in the south and east are almost under daily attack. - HQ ISAF at Kabul (Composite)
Commander ISAF directs three subordinate formations after a 2009 reorganisation. The Intermediate Joint Command (sometimes reported as ISAF Joint Command) has been established to run the tactical battle, on the lines of Multi-National Corps Iraq. Lieutenant General David Rodriguez commands the IJC. V Corps is being deployed from Germany to provide the IJC headquarters. Commander ISAF also supervises the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan and Special Operations Forces.
The command of this region is rotating among Turkey, France and Italy. At the moment, November 2009, Turkey is the leading nation in this region. The headquarters is in Kabul. On 31 October 2009 the Turkish Brigadier General Levent ÇOLAK took over command from a French Brigadier General. Most of the French forces in Afghanistan are in RC-C. Strength in 2010 appx. 6,150, including three battalions in Kabul. Nearly all of the more than forty contributors have troops deployed to Kabul. The city has been under joint Afghan/coalition control since 2002 but came repeatedly under attacks of insurgent fighters. Kabul International Airport KAIA (Hungary, previously Belgium)
HQ RC(N), Camp Marmal, HQ Mazar-e-Sharif, Balkh province RC-N is led by Germany. Since 30 November 2009 the German Brigadier General Frank Leidenberger took over command of RC-North. Strength: appx. 5,750, to be raised. Other forces in RC-N include units from the United States of America, Croatia, Norway, Belgium, Sweden and Hungary et al. The situation in RC-N as deteriorated. Hotspots include Kunduz in northern Afghanistan and Faryab in the northwest. Manoeuvre battalions, including QRF Task Force 47 PRT MAZAR-E-SHARIF in Balkh province (Sweden and Finland) PRT FEYZABAD (DEU) in Badakhshan province (Germany) PRT KONDUZ in Kunduz province (Germany) PRT POL-E KHOMRI in Baghlan Province (Hungary) PRT Meymaneh in Faryab Province (Norway)
- HQ RC(W) in HERAT, Herat province (Italy)
Commander as of May 2010 Brig.Gen. Claudio Verto (ITA). Strength: appx 4,440 Forward Support Base HERAT (Spain) Manoeuvre elements, Task Force 45 (special forces task force) PRT HERAT in Herat province (Italy) PRT FARAH in Farah province (USA) PRT QALA-E-NOW in Badghis province (Spain, soon reinforced by Colombia PRT CHAGHCHARAN in Ghor province (Lithuania)
HQ RC(S) at Kandahar Airfield in Kandahar Province (Netherlands) (rotates Canada, Netherlands, UK) Forward Support Base Kandahar (Multinational) Task Force Kandahar (Canadian Forces in Kandahar City and western Kandahar Province) Task Force Stryker (U.S. forces in the remainder of Kandahar Province. U.S. and Romanian Forces in Zabul Province) Task Force Uruzgan (Dutch forces in Uruzgan Province, departed since 1 August, 2010) Kandahar PRT in Kandahar City (Canada)[36] Uruzgan PRT in Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan Province (Netherlands, Australia) Zabul PRT in Qalat, Zabul Province (USA, Romania)[38] Regional Command South also includes the provinces of Nimruz and Daykundi
Apart from additional manoeuvre elements, RC-E heads 13 Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) in the eastern and central provinces of Afghanistan. The headquarters is located in Bagram. Other forces in RC-E include units from France, Turkey, New Zealand, Poland and the Czech Republic et al. The province has been a staging ground for costly engagements. Hotspots include Kapisa, Nurestan and Konar. Current commander is Maj. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti (USA). The commander also directs the U.S. national force Combined Joint Task Force 82. Lead nation and main contributor is the United States. Strength: appx. 23,950, to be raised. Task Force Whte Eagle (Polish forces in Ghazni Province) Forward Support Base BAGRAM (USA) PRT LOGAR in Logar Province (Czech Republic) PRT SHARANA in Paktika province (USA) PRT KHOST in Khost province (USA) PRT METHER LAM in Laghman province (USA) PRT BAMYAN in Bamyan province (New Zealand) PRT PANJSHIR in Panjshir province (USA) PRT JALALABAD in Nangarhar province (USA) PRT GHAZNI in Ghazni province (Poland, USA) PRT ASADABAD in Kunar province (USA) PRT PARWAN (ROK) PRT NURISTAN (USA) PRT WARDAK (Turkey) PRT GARDEZ in Paktia province (USA)
Regional Command Southwest was established in July 2010. It is responsible for security in the Helmand and Nimroz provinces in southwestern Afghanistan. Along with the Afghan government and security forces, seven other nations contribute to RC (SW) to bring security to the region. Those nations include the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Georgia, The Kingdom of Denmark, The Kingdom of Bahrain, and the Republic of Estonia. Marine Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills, the commander of RC (SW), made history by being the first U.S. Marine to command a NATO regional command in combat. Task Force Helmand (U.K. forces in central and northeast Helmand Province)
Task Force Leatherneck (U.S. Marines in southern and western Helmand Province)
Helmand PRT in Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province (UK, Denmark, Estonia)
Contributing nations
All NATO members have contributed troops to the ISAF, as well as some other partner states of NATO. The numbers are based in part from the NATO when more recent numbers are available they are given.
Foreign troop commitments in Afghanistan (Reuters) - British troops could start withdrawing from Afghanistan as early as 2011, Prime Minister David Cameron has said on an unannounced visit to the country. NATO leaders agreed at a summit in Lisbon last month to begin transferring security responsibility in some areas to Afghans from mid-2011 and hand over control of the whole country by the end of 2014, allowing foreign troops to withdraw. Here are some facts about troop commitments from the main contributing nations in Afghanistan: - The United States has by far the most troops in Afghanistan, its force of 95,000 three times as large as it was when President Barack Obama took office in January 2009. Some of those extra troops were sent by former President George W. Bush; 22,000 were sent by Obama in his first months in office. In December 2009, the Democratic president ordered an additional 30,000 troops, the last of who arrived over the summer. While Washington has said it hopes to begin drawing down its force starting in July 2011, details of that drawdown have not yet been announced. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has suggested the pace of any reduction may not be entirely decided until shortly before it begins. Opponents of the 2011 date, mainly among rival Republicans, say it has emboldened militants. While U.S. public support for the war has steadily waned, a Reuters/Ipsos poll in October found that Americans rated Afghanistan bottom of a list of seven issues that the U.S. Congress should deal with in 2011. The war, which as of mid-2010 had racked up at least $345 billion in costs for U.S. taxpayers, is another strain as the Obama administration struggles to turn around a faltering economy. With at least 1,417 troops killed since the war started in 2001, the United States has also suffered the most casualties among the NATO members in Afghanistan. - Britain has the second-biggest foreign troop contingent in Afghanistan with around 9,500 troops, the bulk of which are based in southern Helmand province, one of the most violent areas in the country and a Taliban stronghold. Cameron has said British troops could start withdrawing as early as 2011 and that he wants British combat troops out of Afghanistan in five years. Cameron has suggested, however, 1,000 British trainers could stay beyond 2015. The war is becoming increasingly unpopular in Britain, especially after a spike in casualties this summer. Since 2001, more than 345 British troops have been killed.
|
