Analysis: NATO Takes Over in Afghanistan
Council on Foreign Relations
July 27, 2006
Prepared by: Esther Pan
The U.S. military is preparing to hand over military duties in Afghanistan's violence-plagued south to NATO by the end of July. U.S. forces, along with some of their NATO allies and thousands of newly trained Afghan troops, have stepped up operations before the handover, killing nearly 600 militants since June 10 (AP) in the largest military operation since a U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban-led government in 2001. The coalition mission, outlined in this new Backgrounder, comes as the Taliban has stepped up its activity in the region, killing hundreds of Afghans in shootings, suicide attacks, and roadside bombings. The group even raided a police station in western Afghanistan (BBC). Taliban insurgents are growing bolder, often moving into smaller towns in southern Afghanistan and taking them over until U.S. air strikes drive them out (RFE/RL).
The U.S. military operation, known as Operation Mountain Thrust, is laying the groundwork for the handover to NATO. But the latest battles shed doubts on the defense alliance's ability to control the region after the Americans leave. Lt. Gen. David Barno, the former commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, tells CFR.org the United States will make sure its NATO allies are able to handle the task. "The United States will not do the handoff to the NATO forces unless they are fully capable of taking on the same area with the same mission capabilities," he says.
Read the rest of this article on the cfr.org website.
Copyright 2006 by the Council on Foreign Relations. This material is republished on GlobalSecurity.org with specific permission from the cfr.org. Reprint and republication queries for this article should be directed to cfr.org.
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