AFGHANISTAN

Documents & Texts from America.gov

25 January 2008
NATO’s Stake in Afghanistan Is High, Shortfalls Must Be Met

By Jacquelyn S. Porth
Staff Writer

Washington -- If it takes a village to raise a child, so too will it take a significant contribution by the international community -- particularly a concerted, sustained push by NATO -- to ease Afghanistan along a path where it can meet expectations.

The coalition of U.S., NATO and Afghan forces has been working diligently to overcome the Taliban and promote security while fostering change in areas ranging from education to anti-corruption.

Coalition forces and nongovernment partners recognize that success in Afghanistan requires a complicated balance of security, development and good governance. The ultimate goal is a self-reliant nation committed to a representative government.

That is why the NATO Summit in Romania in April will include an expanded meeting on Afghanistan to examine successes, ways to address shortfalls and milestones to reach by 2013.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald Neumann told America.gov that summit leaders need to strive for consensus about the alliance’s purpose in Afghanistan and the means by which to achieve its objectives there. The president of the Washington-based American Academy of Diplomacy suggested the need for "a harmonizing approach."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says that neither the trans-Atlantic alliance nor the United States is performing perfectly. Alliance members have to level with their constituencies about the reality of war in Afghanistan, she said, including required sacrifices of time, treasure and blood. This is "not just a peacekeeping operation," she reminded the World Economic Forum January 23, "and the stakes could not be higher for the Afghan people, for our alliance and for international security."

In view of the alliance’s political commitment to success in Afghanistan, Neumann said, the outcome of that struggle "is going to have a very big effect on the future of NATO," adding, "It cannot afford to fail."

The United States has praised NATO partners for their contribution to Afghanistan’s recovery, and especially for their leadership via the 41,700-member International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). But there is still pressure for more combat troops, security trainers or in-kind services such as military equipment or logistics.

The U.S. ambassador to NATO recently pointed to allies such as Lithuania -- which is running a provincial reconstruction team in Ghor province -- as "really punching above their weight class." Still, Ambassador Victoria Nuland tackled the subject of burden sharing by saying, "We are concerned that defense budgets are declining across Europe at a time when the world needs more peacekeepers, more deployable capability for places like Afghanistan."

ISAF's mission is to provide security so that reconstruction and humanitarian efforts can be completed. Smaller NATO nations can make a great difference by offering expertise or delivering food.

Following the lead of Turkey, the Netherlands, Canada and the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic soon will send a team to Lowgar province to oversee reconstruction and stabilization efforts. The Czechs also have bolstered the Afghan Air Corps by providing helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, and now France also will supply airpower as well.

STREAMLINED STRATEGIC PLANNING NEEDED

But the need for additional NATO forces remains. The United States recently decided to deploy 3,200 Marines for seven months, but a gap remains, as thousands more police trainers are needed.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says NATO has to start thinking about how to backfill when those Marines depart. He also has alluded to the need for better alliancewide training in counterinsurgency operations, pointing to a specialized academy in Kabul as a partial solution.

Gates acknowledges the stresses that accompany an alliance at war, including combat losses, but he also says: "We must overcome, in good faith and mutual respect, the issues that provoke our alliance, and keep focused on the mission that unites us -- ensuring a free and secure Afghanistan."

A comprehensive ISAF strategic vision document is being drafted for endorsement by NATO Summit leaders in April. This document will take into account the progress NATO has achieved so far and set out measures of progress to enhance security and cooperation with other international organizations and the Afghan government.

Neumann says the documents also need to examine how allied political and diplomatic authorities resolve problems in Afghanistan because now some countries must appeal to home capitals for project decisions. Coordination must be made more effective, he adds, and resource allocation more flexible.

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