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Sunday, July 19, 2009

Q&A: Isaf troops in Afghanistan

A US soldier with Afghan National Army troops in Helmand, Afghanistan (05 February 2009)
Isaf aims to bring stability and long-term peace to Afghanistan

The majority of foreign troops in Afghanistan are under the command of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf).

Established by the UN Security Council in December 2001, its stated role is to promote security and development.

It is also involved in training the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP).

Who are the main contributors to Isaf and what is its mandate?

The launch of Isaf was Nato's first and largest ground operation outside Europe. As of June 2009, Isaf had 61,130 personnel from 42 different countries including the US, European countries, Australia, Jordan and New Zealand.

The largest contributing nations are the US and Britain. They provide around 28,850 and 8,300 troops respectively.

A French Caracal helicopter takes off near Kabul (14 May 2009)
Troops from 42 countries are taken part in the Isaf operations

Isaf's mission was initially limited to Kabul, but on 13 October, 2003, the UN Security Council authorised it to expand its operation to other parts of the country. Since October 2006 it has operated in all the provinces of the country.

Barack Obama, who became US president in January, pledged to send an additional 21,000 troops to Afghanistan, many of them redeployed from operations in Iraq, amid concerns about the resurgence of the Taliban and warnings from military advisers that the situation was quickly destabilising.

Some of the new troops will help with training Afghan security forces and others are involved in tackling the insurgency.

Isaf is currently in charge of a major operation in Helmand province involving 4,000 Marines, aimed at breaking the Taliban's hold over the region and restoring order.

Isaf's stated role is to help the government of Afghanistan maintain security across the country by conducting operations in co-ordination with the Afghan army. It also mentors and supports efforts by them to disarm illegal militias.

Nato says that the long-term aim is to help establish conditions in which Afghanistan can enjoy a stable and representative government.

With presidential and provincial elections scheduled to take place in August, Isaf partners have agreed to send an additional 10,000 personnel to assist the ANA and ANP with security.

Who commands Isaf and how often is the leadership rotated?

Until August 2003, command of Isaf rotated among different nations on a six-month basis. But because of difficulties in finding new lead nations, Nato took over responsibility for appointing commanders.

Since then, Isaf has been commanded by generals from Germany, Canada, Turkey, Italy, Britain and the US who have been in charge for between six months to a year.

The last three commanders have been Americans. The latest, Gen Stanley McChrystal, has also been charged with overseeing President Obama's strategy of increasing troop numbers.

What is the state of relations between countries contributing to and working with Isaf?

Isaf is backed by the Afghan National Army, numbering about 89,500 in June 2009, and about 80,000 Afghan policemen, who are described by the British Ministry of Defence as "fully equipped and trained".

Afghan policemen receive training from a Czech Provincial Reconstruction Team in Logar province, Afghanistan (19 May 2009)
Isaf hopes to train an Afghan army of 89,500 personnel by 2011

The coalition is aiming to build and train an Afghan army of 134,000 personnel by 2011 and to train 82,000 Afghan police officers. Isaf says 90% of its operations are now conducted in conjunction with the ANA.

The US and senior Nato officials have appealed to Nato members to send more troops to boost combat operations in Afghanistan.

Germany, which has the third largest presence in Isaf, had been unwilling to send more troops, but it is increasing its troop numbers from 3,380 to 4,400 by the end of the year.

The UK is also boosting its troop numbers to cover the election period.

Some critics have argued that communication between Isaf and thousands of American troops - including special forces - serving with OEF is not as strong as it should be.

They argue this is particularly the case when it comes to civilian casualties, when Isaf and OEF have been accused of issuing contradictory accounts of the number of people killed and the circumstances of the attack.

The US has pledged to improve training of its personnel to help avoid more civilian casualties.

Where is Isaf deployed in Afghanistan and what are its armaments?

The bulk of Isaf's forces are in the insurgency-wracked south and east of the country, especially in the provinces of Helmand and Kandahar.

Elsewhere, Isaf troops are engaged more in peacekeeping and reconstruction than in fighting.

The US also has troops under Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - mostly in the east of Afghanistan on the border with Pakistan - that are not under Isaf's command. In December 2008 they numbered 17,100.

The division of responsibilities is the result of decisions by national governments to keep their own troops away from major combat.

This has resulted in a list of caveats which prevent their troops from being deployed in certain areas and circumstances.

Isaf has access to a wide range of weaponry from tanks and armoured personnel carriers to air support from the US and British air forces.

But military analysts say that it can be difficult to use this weaponry effectively because clashes with the Taliban tend to take place in remote and inhospitable areas where much of the fighting is at close quarters.

Is Isaf's role purely a military one?

Isaf officials often say that development without security is unachievable, and security without development is meaningless.

A US Isaf soldier guard the delivery of construction supplies to a village in Paktiki province, Afghanistan (24 April 2009)
Isaf has construction teams to help rebuild infrastructure

It says that its mission in Afghanistan is to bring lasting peace and stability, and while that primarily involves the use of military personnel to secure the country, it also requires reconstruction and development initiatives.

It says that its activities in these fields include rebuilding damaged schools and hospitals, restoring water supplies and damaged infrastructure and supporting mediation and local governance.

In order to so, Isaf has deployed 26 Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in different parts of the country.

What view do ordinary Afghan civilians take of Isaf?

A poll commissioned by the BBC in December 2007 across all of Afghanistan's 34 provinces revealed that most Afghans supported the presence of overseas troops, and opposed the Taleban.

Around 71% of respondents said they supported or strongly supported the presence of US military forces in Afghanistan, with 67% supporting or strongly supporting the Isaf peacekeeping mission.

Overall, the figures indicated that the peaceful north of Afghanistan was significantly more satisfied than the troubled south. Most dissatisfaction was found in the south-west, where the Taliban are most active.

The poll suggested that despite another year of conflict, confidence and hope in the future were only slightly dented

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