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15 July 2003

NATO Sets Up Peacekeeping Command in Afghanistan

Will lead ISAF force beginning August 11

More than 50 NATO troops arrived in Kabul July 12 to begin setting up a headquarters in preparation for the Alliance's takeover of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan August 11.

NATO will be responsible for the planning and command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which will continue to operate under the United Nations mandate and the ISAF banner.

This will be the first operation outside Europe in the Alliance's 54-year history, according to the following NATO press release:

(begin text)

NATO Update
12 July 2003

PREPARATIONS FOR AFGHANISTAN CONTINUE

On 12 July 2003, over 50 NATO troops arrived in Kabul as part of the continuing preparations for the Alliance's takeover on 11 August of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan.

The troops will begin setting up the headquarters, which as of 11 August will command the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The deployment follows the arrival of the first NATO troops in Kabul on 5 July.

NATO command

The North Atlantic Council, the Alliance's top decision-making body, agreed on 16 April 2003 to significantly expand NATO's support to ISAF.

The Alliance will be responsible for the planning and command of the peacekeeping force. This will include providing a force commander and headquarters.

This will be the first operation outside Europe in the Alliance's 54-year history.

Same name, same banner, same mission

Neither ISAF's name nor mission will change. The operation will continue to operate under the United Nations mandate and the ISAF banner, and the Alliance will continue to welcome non-NATO contributors.

The mission will assist the Afghan Transitional Authority headed by Hamid Karzai in maintaining security in Kabul and the surrounding area so that the Authority and United Nations personnel can carry out their work in a secure environment.

The operation will be conducted under the overall command of the Allied Command Operations and is run by NATO's regional headquarters Northern Europe (AFNORTH).

The deployed troops are from Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom, and the United States.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=July&x=20030715125547osnhojac0.5416834&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html