Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

12 August 2003

ISAF

NATO’s takeover of ISAF continues to generate high interest. Gen. Jones’ statement that the Alliance is moving from the “20th-century defensive bipolar world into a multipolar world requiring a flexible and rapid response to new threats,” and his characterization of NATO’s takeover as “a signal moment in the history of the Alliance,” received wide echo. Gen. Jones’ remarks enhanced the media’s perception that the Alliance is adapting to the post-Cold War situation.

The change of command ceremony, attended by Gen. Jones and President Karzai, signaled how fundamentally the world has changed since the Cold War, which brought NATO into existence, says the New York Times. “The new mission reflects how far afield NATO now perceives the threats to its members, and its recognition of Washington’s desires that it responds to those threats to remain relevant. The moment stood in marked contrast to the strains that erupted within NATO over the war in Iraq,” says the newspaper, which echoes Gen. Jones’ remarks.

Based on an AP dispatch, the Washington Times stresses that NATO’s takeover of ISAF is the clearest sign yet that the world’s most powerful military alliance is adopting new strategies in the global war on terror. “Gen. Jones said (Monday’s) handover marked an evolution from the Cold War era when NATO’s primary goal was to prevent the former Soviet Union from invading Western Europe,” adds the newspaper. The article, titled, “NATO takes command of the security,” also quotes a NATO spokesman saying: “What we saw on Sept. 11 was that the most powerful member of the Alliance was attacked by a threat which emanated from Afghanistan. So the traditional concept of defense needed to be revised. NATO has to be prepared to go to where the problem was, rather than wait for the problem to come to them.”

The Independent notes Gen. Jones’ remarks, stressing, however, that the Alliance’s role in Afghanistan is at present limited. Military power in Afghanistan resides with the Americans whose 10,000 troops are trying to crush an assortment of armed anti-government opponents in the countryside, who range from an apparently rebounding Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters to supporters of an ex-prime minister, writes the daily.

The decision to take on the UN-authorized mission in Afghanistan indicates that NATO sees the borderless war against terrorism as one of the greatest concerns to its members, writes USA Today. The newspaper adds that speaking on his way to Monday’s handover ceremony in Kabul, Gen. Jones said the terrorism threat requires a proactive approach. “There is an increasing realization you have choices you can make to respond to the threats you see as you see them, before they get large,” Gen. Jones is quoted saying.

The BBC World Service remarked: “In a world of globalized threats from terrorism, NATO officials say the Alliance must act to counter those threats wherever it sees them. Helping to prevent Afghanistan from collapsing into a failed state is therefore an appropriate task for the new NATO.”

Interest in ISAF’s mandate, specifically its possible expansion to Afghanistan’s provinces, continues to grow.
Le Monde, which expects an intensification of the debate on the issue, writes that NATO’s arrival has generated high hopes within Afghanistan that ISAF’s role will be extended beyond Kabul in order to put an end to the worsening of the security situation. While quoting a NATO spokesman saying that for the time being, the question is “premature,” the daily expects that pressure is bound to increase ahead of the 2004 general elections.

With violence and instability pervading Afghanistan, the West is coming under growing pressure to commit more troops to secure the country for reconstruction in coming elections, writes the Wall Street Journal. “As President Karzai struggles to keep the country whole and diminish the influence of powerful provincial governors and warlords, a wide array of voices are calling for an expansion of peacekeeping operations. NATO officials refrain from making promises about expanding the force beyond Kabul. First, they want to consolidate their grip on the capital. There is also the practical problem of where troops for an expansion—10,000 by some estimates—would come from,” adds the article.

The Daily Telegraph highlights that establishing a presence outside Kabul would require a huge financial commitment. The article also stresses that soldiers would face much more difficult conditions outside Kabul, as warlords are not disarming as promised.

AFP reports meanwhile that the Deputy Commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, Canadian Maj. Gen. Leslie, insisted Monday that there were no plans—at least yet—for ISAF to expand its role in Afghanistan beyond the Kabul region. According to the dispatch, in a teleconference call from Kabul with Canadian reporters, Gen. Leslie agreed that there was pressure from Afghan authorities and from the UN for ISAF to expand its operations beyond the capital. But so far, he said, “there is not yet a proposal to expand the current ISAF operations.” In any case, he reportedly added, “It’s too early to enter a rational discussion” about future NATO operations.