NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NATO-ISAF mission in Afghanistan

The purpose of NATO-ISAF’s presence in Afghanistan is to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a haven for terrorists and to help build security and contribute to a better future for the Afghan people.

• ISAF’s tasks

  To carry out its mission, ISAF conducts a population-centric Counter-Insurgency (COIN) strategy in partnership with Afghan National Security Forces¹ . Its key priorities are to:

  • Protect the population
  • Neutralise insurgent networks
  • Develop the Afghan National Security Forces
  • Promote effective governance and supporting socio-economic development

  NATO-ISAF also provides support to the Afghan Government and the International Community in Security Sector Reform, including mentoring, training and operational support to the Afghan National Security Forces.

  Protecting the population

  The Afghan people are at the heart of NATO-ISAF mission in Afghanistan. As a result, NATO-ISAF takes the suffering of the Afghan people extremely seriously and makes every effort to minimize the risk of any damage, injury or loss of life to civilians.

  NATO-ISAF constantly reviews the way it conducts military operations and in order to prevent civilian casualties to the maximum extent possible. A series of measures have been taken by successive ISAF Commanders in this regard. These include the issuing of the Tactical Directive; in June 2007 and its subsequent revisions since then. ^2,3,4

  Furthermore, an ISAF Post-Operations Emergency Relief Fund (POERF)⁵ was established in 2006 to provide quick humanitarian assistance to the local population affected by ISAF military operations. Assistance includes the provision of food, shelter and medicines, as well as the repair of buildings or key infrastructure. Such assistance is provided on a short-term basis, and responsibility is handed over to civilian actors as soon as circumstances permit.

  More recently, NATO nations have agreed on a set of non-binding policy guidelines to deal with cases of civilian combat-related casualties ^6.

  Building the capacity of the Afghan National Security Forces

  Helping Afghans to have the means and capacities to defend and secure themselves is at the heart of NATO-ISAF mission in Afghanistan and in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.

  Enabling the Afghan National Security Forces to secure and stabilize their country themselves. NATO training efforts in Afghanistan focus on developing professional and self-sustaining forces in order gradually to hand over lead responsibility for security to the Afghans^7. 

  With the creation of NATO’s Training Mission- Afghanistan (NTM-A), NATO expanded ISAF’s mission to oversee higher-level training for the Afghan National Army (ANA) and training and mentoring for the Afghan National Police (ANP)⁸.

  As the Afghan National Security Forces grow in size steadily, NTM-A’s focus is shifting to the professionalisation of these forces so that they are capable of protecting their people and country.

  In addition to training and mentoring, ISAF nations provide donations to help equip the Afghan security forces. Equipment donations include individual equipment such as small arms, ammunition and uniforms, as well as larger equipment, such as tanks and helicopters. ⁹

  The NATO ANA Trust Fund covers the transportation and installation costs of equipment donations, the purchase of equipment, the purchase of services for engineering and construction projects, and training, both inside and outside Afghanistan ¹⁰.

  Neutralizing insurgent networks

  Ridding Afghanistan from insurgent activity is the prerequisite to the establishment of lasting and sustainable security, local governance and economic progress.

  In line with its Counter-Insurgency strategy, ISAF’s main campaign effort in 2010 has been focusing on the southern Helmand and Kandahar provinces, where population concentration is high and heavily affected by the persisting presence of insurgent sanctuaries.

  The security operations carried out by NATO-ISAF forces and the Afghan National Security Forces are complemented by a series of Afghan-led efforts aimed at improving the delivery of basic services to the Afghan people. As insurgent activity is curtailed, NATO-ISAF supports the Afghan Government’s efforts to reintegrate the reconcilable militants into Afghan society.

  The evident nexus between the narcotics industry and the insurgency in some parts of the country has prompted NATO-ISAF to enhance its support to the Afghan Government’s counter-narcotics efforts.

  Direct support notably includes: information sharing; training of Afghan counter-narcotics forces; the provision, when requested of logistic support for the delivery of alternative livelihood programmes; as well as the provision of in-extremis support to the Afghan National Security Forces’ counter-narcotics operations.

  Since the October 2008 Defence Ministers’ meeting in Budapest ¹¹, following a request by the Afghan Government, ISAF’s support also includes, conditionally, the destruction of processing facilities, as well as action against narcotic producers if there is a clearly established link with the insurgency.

  Pakistan’s support and cooperation with NATO-ISAF and Afghan forces remains crucial to the success of the mission ¹². Military coordination is primarily pursued through the Tripartite Commission, which comprises senior military representatives from all three parties and focuses on intelligence sharing, border security, countering improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and information operations initiatives. The Joint Intelligence Operations Centre (JIOC), as well as the Border Coordination Centres along the Afghan-Pakistani border complement these efforts.

  Enable delivery of stronger governance and development

  The establishment of good governance and the provision of sustainable development are key pillars to the Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS). NATO-ISAF plays a supporting role, assisting the Afghan Government in carrying out its efforts.

  The NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan ¹³ participates in the coordination of these efforts with the Afghan Government and other international partners, including the United Nations Assistance to Afghanistan (UNAMA), the World Bank, the European Union and the development community. He also works to facilitate unity among PRTs’ civilian efforts, generating greater coherence with Afghan provincial and national priorities.

  Through its Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), ISAF supports the Afghan Government in the provision of good governance and reconstruction and development (R&D) in Afghanistan. There are now 27 PRTs operating across the country, working through and with the Afghan local authorities in developing the capacities of Afghan sub-national institutions and businesses.

  While each PRT is led by a single ISAF “Lead Nation”, PRT staff can be multinational with contributions from several countries. Most of the PRTs have a military component and include diplomatic personnel from ISAF contributing nations, police trainers as well as civilian experts for development and governance.

  While the PRT military staff falls under the ISAF’s command and are coordinated by the related Regional Command. The PRT civilian personnel reports to the PRT Lead Nation that works in close coordination with the NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Kabul.

  PRTs’ principal mission consists of building capacity, supporting the growth of governance structures and promoting an environment within which governance can improve.

  As the transition process starts, PRTs will gradually evolve towards a more supportive and greater civilian role.

  Sources:

  1. COMISAF COIN Guidance
  2. General Petraeus issues updated Tactical Directive: emphasizes "Disciplined Use of Force" - ISAF - 4 Aug. 2010
  3. Tactical Directive - ISAF - 6 July 2009 (PDF)
  4. Tactical Directive - ISAF - 30 December 2009 (PDF)
  5. POERF Fact Sheet (PDF)
  6. NATO Nations Approve Civilian Casualty Guidelines
  7. Media backgrounder: Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) - 26 October 2010 (PDF)
  8. Media backgrounder: NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan (NTM-A) (PDF)
  9. Fact sheet - Equipping and Sustaining the Afghan National Security Forces - NATO Equipment Donation Support Programme - April 2010 (PDF)
  10. Fact sheet ANA Trust Fund - Oct. 2010 - (DOC)
  11. NATO steps up counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan - 10 Oct. 2008
  12. NATO cooperation with Pakistan
  13. NATO's Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan

• The evolution of ISAF

  Origin of ISAF

  ISAF was created in accordance with the Bonn Conference in December 2001. Afghan opposition leaders attending the conference began the process of reconstructing their country by setting up a new government structure, namely the Afghan Transitional Authority. The concept of a UN-mandated international force to assist the newly established Afghan Transitional Authority was also launched at this occasion to create a secure environment in and around Kabul and support the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

  These agreements paved the way for the creation of a three-way partnership between the Afghan Transitional Authority, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and ISAF.

  NATO takes on ISAF command

  On 11 August 2003 NATO assumed leadership of the ISAF operation, turning the six-month national rotations to an end. The Alliance became responsible for the command, coordination and planning of the force, including the provision of a force commander and headquarters on the ground in Afghanistan.

  This new leadership overcame the problem of a continual search to find new nations to lead the mission and the difficulties of setting up a new headquarters every six months in a complex environment. A continuing NATO headquarters also enables small countries, less likely to take over leadership responsibility, to play a strong role within a multinational headquarters.

  Expansion of ISAF’s presence in Afghanistan

  ISAF’s mandate was initially limited to providing security in and around Kabul. In October 2003, the United Nations extended ISAF’s mandate to cover the whole of Afghanistan (UNSCR 1510), paving the way for an expansion of the mission across the country.

  • Stage 1: to the north

  In December 2003, the North Atlantic Council authorised the Supreme Allied Commander, General James Jones, to initiate the expansion of ISAF by taking over command of the German-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Kunduz. The other eight PRTs operating in Afghanistan in 2003 remained under the command of Operation Enduring Freedom, the continuing US-led military operation in Afghanistan.

  On 31 December 2003, the military component of the Kunduz PRT was placed under ISAF command as a pilot project and first step in the expansion of the mission.
  
  Six months later, on 28 June 2004, at the Summit meeting of the NATO Heads of State and Government in Istanbul, NATO announced that it would establish four other provincial reconstruction teams in the north of the country: in Mazar-e-Sharif, Meymana, Feyzabad and Baghlan.

  This process was completed on 1 October 2004, marking the completion of the first phase of ISAF’s expansion. ISAF’s area of operations then covered some 3,600 square kilometres in the north and the mission was able to influence security in nine Northern provinces of the country.

  • Stage 2: to the west

  On 10 February 2005, NATO announced that ISAF would be further expanded, into the west of Afghanistan.

  This process began on 31 May 2006, when ISAF took on command of two additional PRTs, in the provinces of Herat and Farah and of a Forward Support Base (a logistic base) in Herat.

  At the beginning of September, two further ISAF-led PRTs in the west became operational, one in Chaghcharan, capital of Ghor province, and one in Qala-e-Naw, capital of Baghdis province, completing ISAF’s expansion into the west.
  
  The extended ISAF mission led a total of nine PRTs, in the north and the west, providing security assistance in 50% of Afghanistan’s territory. The Alliance continued to make preparations to further expand ISAF, to the south of the country.
  
  In September 2005, the Alliance also temporarily deployed 2,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to support the 18 September provincial and parliamentary elections.

  • Stage 3: to the south

  On 8 December 2005, meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, the Allied Foreign Ministers endorsed a plan that paved the way for an expanded ISAF role and presence in Afghanistan.

  The first element of this plan was the expansion of ISAF to the south in 2006, also known as Stage 3.

  This was implemented on 31 July 2006, when ISAF assumed command of the southern region of Afghanistan from US-led Coalition forces, expanding its area of operations to cover an additional six provinces – Day Kundi, Helmand, Kandahar, Nimroz, Uruzgan and Zabul – and taking on command of four additional PRTs.

  The expanded ISAF led a total of 13 PRTs in the north, west and south, covering some three-quarters of Afghanistan’s territory.

  The number of ISAF forces in the country also increased significantly, from about 10,000 prior to the expansion to about 20,000 after.

  • Stage 4: ISAF expands to the east, takes responsibility for entire country

  On 5 October 2006, ISAF implemented the final stage of its expansion, by taking on command of the international military forces in eastern Afghanistan from the US-led Coalition.

  In addition to expanding the Alliance’s area of operations, the revised operational plan also paved the way for a greater ISAF role in the country. This includes the deployment of ISAF OMLTs to Afghan National Army units at various levels of command.

• ISAF objectives

  NATO-ISAF, as part of the overall International Community effort, and as mandated by the United Nations Security Council, is working with Afghanistan to create the conditions whereby the Government of Afghanistan is able to exercise its authority throughout Afghanistan.

  Transition

  Transition – Inteqal in dari and pashtu - is the process by which responsibility for Afghanistan will be gradually handed over to the Afghan leadership ¹.

  At the London Conference in January 2010, the Afghan Government and the International Community pledged to the development of a plan for transition, which they later endorsed at the follow-up Kabul Conference in July 2010.

  Implementation of this plan is scheduled to start in the spring of 2011 and it is expected that, by the end of 2014, the Afghan authorities will have taken the lead throughout the country. As Afghan leadership expands, NATO-ISAF’s presence in Afghanistan will evolve progressively from a mentoring to an enabling and sustaining role, beyond 2014, until that time whereby the Afghan leadership is capable of taking full responsibility for its country.

  Sources:

  1. Transition backgrounder - Nov. 2010 (PDF)

• History of ISAF

  Origin of ISAF

  ISAF was created in accordance with the Bonn Conference in December 2001. Afghan opposition leaders attending the conference began the process of reconstructing their country by setting up a new government structure, namely the Afghan Transitional Authority. The concept of a UN-mandated international force to assist the newly established Afghan Transitional Authority was also launched at this occasion to create a secure environment in and around Kabul and support the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

  These agreements paved the way for the creation of a three-way partnership between the Afghan Transitional Authority, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and ISAF.

  NATO takes on ISAF command

  On 11 August 2003 NATO assumed leadership of the ISAF operation, turning the six-month national rotations to an end. The Alliance became responsible for the command, coordination and planning of the force, including the provision of a force commander and headquarters on the ground in Afghanistan.

  This new leadership overcame the problem of a continual search to find new nations to lead the mission and the difficulties of setting up a new headquarters every six months in a complex environment. A continuing NATO headquarters also enables small countries, less likely to take over leadership responsibility, to play a strong role within a multinational headquarters.

  Expansion of ISAF’s presence in Afghanistan

  ISAF’s mandate was initially limited to providing security in and around Kabul. In October 2003, the United Nations extended ISAF’s mandate to cover the whole of Afghanistan (UNSCR 1510), paving the way for an expansion of the mission across the country.

  • Stage 1: to the north

  In December 2003, the North Atlantic Council authorised the Supreme Allied Commander, General James Jones, to initiate the expansion of ISAF by taking over command of the German-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Kunduz. The other eight PRTs operating in Afghanistan in 2003 remained under the command of Operation Enduring Freedom, the continuing US-led military operation in Afghanistan.

  On 31 December 2003, the military component of the Kunduz PRT was placed under ISAF command as a pilot project and first step in the expansion of the mission.

  Six months later, on 28 June 2004, at the Summit meeting of the NATO Heads of State and Government in Istanbul, NATO announced that it would establish four other provincial reconstruction teams in the north of the country: in Mazar-e-Sharif, Meymana, Feyzabad and Baghlan.

  This process was completed on 1 October 2004, marking the completion of the first phase of ISAF’s expansion. ISAF’s area of operations then covered some 3,600 square kilometres in the north and the mission was able to influence security in nine Northern provinces of the country.

  • Stage 2: to the west

  On 10 February 2005, NATO announced that ISAF would be further expanded, into the west of Afghanistan.

  This process began on 31 May 2006, when ISAF took on command of two additional PRTs, in the provinces of Herat and Farah and of a Forward Support Base (a logistic base) in Herat.

  At the beginning of September, two further ISAF-led PRTs in the west became operational, one in Chaghcharan, capital of Ghor province, and one in Qala-e-Naw, capital of Badghis province, completing ISAF’s expansion into the west.

  The extended ISAF mission led a total of nine PRTs, in the north and the west, providing security assistance in 50% of Afghanistan’s territory. The Alliance continued to make preparations to further expand ISAF, to the south of the country.

  In September 2005, the Alliance also temporarily deployed 2,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to support the 18 September provincial and parliamentary elections.

  • Stage 3: to the south

  On 8 December 2005, meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, the Allied Foreign Ministers endorsed a plan that paved the way for an expanded ISAF role and presence in Afghanistan.

  The first element of this plan was the expansion of ISAF to the south in 2006, also known as Stage 3.

  This was implemented on 31 July 2006, when ISAF assumed command of the southern region of Afghanistan from US-led Coalition forces, expanding its area of operations to cover an additional six provinces – Daikundi, Helmand, Kandahar, Nimroz, Uruzgan and Zabul – and taking on command of four additional PRTs.

  The expanded ISAF led a total of 13 PRTs in the north, west and south, covering some three-quarters of Afghanistan’s territory.

  The number of ISAF forces in the country also increased significantly, from about 10,000 prior to the expansion to about 20,000 after.

  • Stage 4: ISAF expands to the east, takes responsibility for entire country

  On 5 October 2006, ISAF implemented the final stage of its expansion, by taking on command of the international military forces in eastern Afghanistan from the US-led Coalition.

  In addition to expanding the Alliance’s area of operations, the revised operational plan also paved the way for a greater ISAF role in the country. This includes the deployment of ISAF OMLTs to Afghan National Army units at various levels of command.