NATO mission in Afghanistan?

NATO is an inter-governmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on April 4, 1949. The organisation constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party. ‘Attack on one will be considered attack on all’. It was an exclusively Anglo-US military alliance with the express objectives to contain the communism in Europe and to provide security guarantee to its member countries. But with the integration of Soviet Union there was a serious doubt on its role and functions. In the post-cold war era with the independence of Central Asian Republics the NATO’s role redefined and a global NATO started coming into effect. But as compared to post-cold war era NATO expanded its military role into economic, social and cultural instrument of conflict resolution. Now it assumed peacekeeping role in some places together with reconstruction work by developing inter-governmental and non-governmental partnership. The first time in NATO’s history that it took charge of a mission outside the north Atlantic area. So on April 16, 2003 NATO agreed to take command of the International security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. NATO’s main role in Afghanistan is to assist the Afghan Government in exercising and extending its authority and influence across the country, paving the way for reconstruction and effective governance. It does this predominately through its UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force. NATO’s ISAF is helping to bring the Afghan National Army up to operating capability and also providing support to the Afghan National Police. In 2004 and 2005 ISAF started expanding its mission. Today ISAF comprises 36 nations of nearly 35,000 troops out of which 20,000 are only US forces. Now US want to reduce the troops but it cannot be possible because of high risk combat. ISAF is not a UN force but it is organised under the UN Security Council. ISAF led by European countries volunteered by such countires as UK, Turkey, Germany and Netherlands etc. NATO has set up Provisional Reconstruction Team (PRT) across Afghanistan, which has combined military and civilian personnel to coordinate security and reconstruction efforts for the designated provincial area. Reconstruction and security sectors are not up to the level; behind this there are some other reasons which are lack of communication between civilian and military and NATO countries have failed to fulfill the financial needs of PRTs that’s why it failed in its mission. Under the Bonn agreement, concluded in December 2001, US had taken the responsibility of developing army for post-Taliban Afghanistan. The target goal for ANA as established in Afghanistan National Compact (ANC) will provide 62,000 fully trained and well equipped servicemen in March 2009, and to be fully operational by March, 2011. NATO faced heavy loses in Afghanistan in the shape of suicide attacks, bomb blasts, kidnapping, opium cultivation and direct fighting etc. Afghanistan produced 92% of the world’s opium, 80,000 tons in 2007 with this opium’s money Afghans started militancy against foreign troops. NATO also faced many challenges like insufficient troops that are not enough to control the rising insurgency in Afghanistan. Afghan Population is also too much in order to control the situation that’s why ISAF forces realised the need of air power. Due to NATO’s air strikes many innocent people were killed in it that’s why people are against NATO’s forces and its mission. NATO’s performance in Afghanistan is mixed sort of; in some field it is successive. NATO has not been able to tackle the basic problems of poverty but has been able to control sectarian conflicts in Afghanistan. NATO has failed in its primary mission of securing and reconstructing Afghanistan. Many reasons of mission’s failure as explained by scholars are: Shortage of troops, Afghanistan’s difficult mountainous terrain, local sympathizers of the Taliban, support to Taliban from Pakistan. But I disagree with these scholars. If with these lack of troops US started operation in Afghanistan then why they could not succeed in its primary mission of reconstructing Afghanistan and if they attacked Afghanistan in its difficult mountainous terrain with advanced technology why they failed? Support to Taliban from Pakistan is the reason of NATO’s failure but I think it is not true because Pakistan is not supporting Taliban but suppose that Pakistan is supporting Taliban then Pakistan is only one but NATO has also alliances and their support then why it has failed. US leaders blame Pakistan that it is not doing enough to prevent Taliban regrouping in its tribal regions. Since the last year Pakistan has started operation in its tribal region then why NATO mission in Afghanistan is failing. NATO forces are more involved in offensive military operations rather than reconstruction efforts. NATO is not fair and sincere in its primary mission of reconstructing and securing. This mission is seen as a US mission rather than NATO. It is difficult to see how NATO can succeed in stabilizing Afghanistan unless they are fair and sincere in its mission of reconstructing and securing Afghanistan. There is a need of better coordination between NATO and US forces. There is also need of NATO’s enlargement of forces they should include other alliace’s forces to control the insurgency. NATO should invest money in the form of establishing industries. NATO”S forces should place great emphasis on reconstruction and rehabilitation of Afghanistan. They should pay attention on building of roads, dams, bridges, schools, hospitals, power houses. Now no one can dominate the world through military power there is dire need of soft power so NATO should try to win the hearts and minds of Afghans. They should try to enhance its image in Afghanistan through public diplomacy. NATO needs to convince all of its members to lift respective restrictions imposed on their operational role in Afghanistan. NATO-ISAF command in Afghanistan also has to realise that the battle against Taliban and their extremist affiliates cannot be won by military means alone. NATO should negotiate with those Taliban who are willing to compromise for the sake of legitimate political and economic benefits. Afghanistan’s NATO-led security sector needs reforms, including the expansion of Afghan National army and police and realisation of Afghan reconstruction goals, depend upon how quickly the manifold causes of Afghanistan insecurity dilemma are addressed effectively. NATO cannot win in Afghanistan, unless this reality is understood and action is taken promptly, the future of Afghanistan is bleak, with regional and global impact. NATO forces should focus on a year-round campaign aimed at winning the support of the people, by protecting them from insurgency coercion and intimidation. NATO would require patience and commitment to handle the problems. Counter-insurgency campaigns are won not by body counts, but by the absence of killing and satisfying citizens’ hopes. The Commander of ISAF argues that success in Afghanistan is possible if all members of NATO sign up to the goals of the mission and commit to the political and economic dimensions of security and stability. While the reconstruction of Afghanistan remains achievable, NATO and the international community must coordinate their efforts, or risk strategic failure.

Source:thefrontierpost.com/