Last updated: 05 Jan. 2015 16:53

NATO and Afghanistan

NATO commanded the United Nations-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan from August 2003 to December 2014. Its mission was to enable the Afghan authorities to provide effective security across the country and ensure that it would never again be a safe haven for terrorists. ISAF helped build the capacity of the Afghan national security forces. As these forces grew stronger, they gradually took responsibility for security across the country before the completion of ISAF’s mission. A new NATO-led mission (called Resolute Support) to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces and institutions was launched in January 2015. NATO Allies and partners are also helping to sustain Afghan security forces and institutions financially, as part of a broader international commitment to Afghanistan. The NATO-Afghanistan Enduring Partnership provides a framework for wider political dialogue and practical cooperation.

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Publications

- NATO and Afghanistan - Questions & Answers 01 Sep. 2012 This brochure is intended to answer several important and frequently asked questions about NATO's role in Afghanistan.
- NATO Rule of Law Field Support Mission (NROLFSM) 01 Jun. 2011 On 9 June 2011, the Defence Ministers from the 48 nations of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) endorsed the NATO Rule of Law Field Support Mission (NROLFSM).
- Helping secure Afghanistan's future 25 Jun. 2008 As part of wider international efforts, NATO-led forces are working to help secure Afghanistan's future and prevent the country from being used as a base for terrorists again.
- Afghanistan Report 2009 02 Apr. 2009 This Annual Report offers a general look at progress in each of the three main lines of effort in which NATO-ISAF is involved, directly or in a supporting role: security, governance and development. And it goes beyond setting out only what NATO-ISAF has done; it attempts to provide the reader with a broader and more balanced picture, including both elements of progress and those areas in which more needs to be done.
- Afghanistan Progress Report 02 Apr. 2008 The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has been operating in Afghanistan for several years, and this report offers a snapshot of progress in the main areas where the international community provides support to the Afghan Government.

Libguides

NATO Review

- Standing by Afghanistan: the strategic choice 04 May. 2016 Afghan forces have proved to be fierce fighters against terrorists and insurgents but they still need support – and it is in our interest to provide it.
- Afghanistan: how it was and how it is 18 Dec. 2014 Afghanistan’s history did not start 30 years ago when it plunged into a prolonged period of war. But this period has had a profound effect on not just the country, but the world. NATO Review looks at some of the iconic images of the country’s path, as NATO ends its combat mission in the country.
- Afghanistan post-2014: what's Russia's view? 28 Feb. 2014 Russia's interest in what happens in Afghanistan and Central Asia is well known. What isn't is how they see their involvement in the region after 2014, after the ISAF operation in Afghanistan ends. NATO Review asks what the Russian approach will be and what issues are of most interest to them.
- Ahmed Rashid: It's about ballots, not boots 09 Aug. 2013 In Afghanistan in 2014, the drawdown of international forces will be the key. Wrong, says Ahmed Rashid. The elections are the one single event that will have the most important effect on the future of the country, he argues.
- Afghanistan snapshot: how the experts see it 15 May. 2012 Four prominent Afghans give their views on the country’s elections, priorities, women’s rights and fight against corruption.
- Teaming, Transparency, and Transition in Afghanistan 19 Oct. 2011 Trainers play the central role in transition to Afghans leading Afghan security. Lieutenant General William Caldwell was the first man to head up the training mission designed to give Afghan trainers the skills they need. As he prepares to leave his post, he gives an assessment of what's been achieved - and what remains to be done.
- Afghanistan's story in pictures 19 Oct. 2011 Afghanistan is a photojournalist's paradise. The light and colours make for great photos. The people make for engaging subjects. And the country's stories make for a gripping tale. Here, we publish some of the most striking images.
- My journey, my country 19 Oct. 2011 First, I fled Taliban brutality. Then I spent time in refugee camps in Iran and Pakistan. Finally, I found myself working in Dubai. I heard one evening BBC Radio announcing the assassination of the Northern Alliance commander Ahmad Shah Massoud by two Arabs. Two days later, I was watching CNN when I saw a plane crash into the World Trade Center. I thought it was a movie. But then I switched over to Al Jazeera and the BBC. I realised it was real.
- Double vision - an Afghan-American view 19 Oct. 2011 Imagine being an Afghan-American in September and October 2001. Both your countries were attacked. One by the other. How did Afghan-Americans react? Where were their allegiances? And what could they do to help both countries? We asked an Afghan-American how he dealt with this dilemma.
- 2014: New Afghanistan's year zero? 14 Nov. 2011 2014 promises to be one of the most important years for Afghanistan in decades. As the country prepares to take the full lead for its own security following the draw down of international forces, NATO Review asks three experts about how pivotal they see the year.
- Enduring Partnerships: is corruption now Afghanistan's main battlefield? 14 Apr. 2011 NATO has started an 'Enduring Partnership' with Afghanistan. As the transition to an Afghan lead in security begins, NATO Review asks if the fight against corruption in the country will become a key theme of this new partnership. What would failing to beat corruption mean - for Afghanistan and NATO?
- Archive of NATO Review articles on Afghanistan 15 Oct. 2012 All articles from the NATO Review related to Afghanistan