International troops in Afghanistan get ready to hand over authority to local forces

[Adios Amigo]

International troops in Afghanistan get ready to hand over authority to local forces

15 March 2010

International coalition troops in southern Afghanistan are preparing to make way for national security forces and civilian authorities to strengthen local government as the NATO-led military operation mops up the remaining Taliban forces in the region, according to allied officials.

Around 10 per cent of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan – some 20,000 troops – is involved in Operation 'Moshtarak', which was launched in Helmand province on 13 February.

One issue is whether ISAF would have to keep a large force of its soldiers in the region on standby in case there is a resurgence of the Taliban, as the Afghan National Army (ANA) and police fan across Helmand.

NATO's newly appointed senior civilian representative in Afghanistan, Mark Sedwill, said that would not be necessary.

"Currently we have ISAF, ANA and special Afghan police forces in the territory. As security stabilises, the plan is to bring the local police back in – but not from the same district," he told reporters in Brussels on 10 March.

"The ANA will gradually draw down in the region too, but their main duty will provide the 'framework security' for the next few months. On the streets it will be police, while the perimeter security [around parts of Helmand province] will be [provided by] the ANA, with some support from ISAF," he added.

International troops in Afghanistan get ready to hand over authority to local forces

 

[Adios Amigo]

NATO mulls Afghan security transfer plan

23 March 2010

The 28 NATO nations will review a draft plan for transferring primary security to Afghanistan's military and police forces when allied defence ministers gather for two days of talks in late April in Tallinn, Estonia, according to NATO officials.

The plan will include a review mechanism for deciding when and how security will be "transitioned" province-by-province from international coalition forces to the Afghan government.

The transition of responsibility for the country's general security from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to Afghan forces "will dominate NATO's agenda in 2010", said Mihai Carp, deputy head of crisis management policy at NATO's Operations Division, at a policy workshop hosted by the German think tank, Hanns Seidel Stiftung, in Brussels on 16-17 March.

With ISAF and Afghan forces having largely ejected the Taliban insurgency from their stronghold province of Helmand in southern Afghanistan – following a major offensive in the region since February – Carp said the mood at NATO "is one of guarded optimism, but we have to see tangible results [of the intended transition strategy] by the end of this year".

Carp said NATO defence ministers are expected to review a draft of the multi-pronged security transition plan when they meet informally in Tallinn on 22-23 April.

NATO mulls Afghan security transfer plan