|
| A joint UK/Romanian ISAF patrol in Kabul |
After successfully leading ISAF for six months, the UK handed over this role to Turkey on 20 June 2002. Germany and the Netherlands assumed joint leadership after Turkey in February 2003. NATO subsequently took over responsibility on 11 August 2003. This was a welcome indication of continued commitment to ISAF and helped to ensure its sustainability. The UK has consistently supported ISAF and on 4 May 2006 the UK-led Headquarters Group of NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps assumed overall command of the Force for 9 months.
Originally created to provide for the security of Kabul, ISAF has been extending its operations across Afghanistan at the request of the Afghan Government and the UN. It took over responsibility for the North of the country from the US-led coalition in summer 2004 and the West in spring 2005. Stage 3 of ISAF expansion taking place this summer has seen the Force head in to the South. Many countries are involved in this operation. The UK, Canada, the Netherlands, the US, Denmark, Estonia, and Romania are all contributing significant military task forces to the region. As part of this expansion the UK has taken over the PRT in Helmand in this broad-based regional effort, designed to bring sufficient security for Afghan Government agencies and development partners to work.
The UK PRT in Helmand’s provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, is supported by a 3,600 strong UK Task Force. We also have six RAF Harrier GR7s based in Kandahar until the end of March 2007, to support both the Coalition and ISAF operations. Along with the some 1,300 troops serving in Kabul these deployments take the number of UK Service personnel presently in Afghanistan to around 4,900.
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PTRs)
UNSCR 1510, adopted in October 2003, authorised ISAF to operate beyond Kabul in the form of Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRTs) and on temporary deployments. The PRT concept is central to the Afghan Government's wish to see ISAF influence extended beyond Kabul. These bring together civilian and police experts, under the security unbrella provided by the military, to help extend the authority of the Afghan central government and help to facilitate development and reconstruction. PRTs also aim to support the reform of the Afghan security sector - disarmament and demobilisation of militias; building an accountable national army and national police force under government control; stamping out the drugs trade; and help build a legal system.
In early 2003, the PRTs began deployment with US-led teams in Gardez, Bamian (now run by New Zealand) and Kunduz (now run by Germany). The first UK-led PRT deployed to Mazar-e-Sharif on 10 July 2003 (and handed over to Sweden in March 2006). A total of 23 PRTs are currently established across Afghanistan.
With the adoption of UNSCR 1510 ISAF began to extend its reach into the regions in a staged process. The Kunduz PRT, led by Germany, transferred to ISAF control on 30 December 2003. Following the NATO Istanbul Summit in June 2004, the two UK-led teams in Mazar-e Sharif and Meymana transferred to ISAF control along with the associated Forward Support Base (FSB) on 1 July 2004. The establishment of a German team in Feyzabad and a Dutch-led PRT in Pol-e Khumri in September 2004 completed Stage 1 (North) of the expansion of ISAF.
Following a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in February 2005, NATO announced Stage 2 (West) of ISAF expansion. This initially involved bringing the existing OEF PRTs in Farah and Herat under ISAF control. The US continues to lead in Farah, while Italy has taken over in Herat. Spain established a PRT in Qal'eh-ye Now and Lithuania a PRT in Chagcharan, completing Stage 2. Italy and Spain jointly provide the FSB for the West, also based in Herat.
ISAF Stage 3 expansion has seen additional PRTs established in southern Afghanistan. The UK has taken on the PRT in Helmand, with Canada taking responsibility in Kandahar, the Netherlands in Oruzgan (at Tarin Kowt) and the US in Zabul (at Qalat). Denmark and Estonia are providing military and civilian resources to the British PRT, Australia is helping the Dutch, and Romania the US.
The final stage of ISAF expansion, Stage 4, will see additional PRTs established under ISAF in the east of Afghanistan. A number of PRTs already operate in these areas as part of the US-led Coalition and some of these may transfer to ISAF as planning develops.
UK's contribution to ISAF's expansion to the South (Hansard website)
Security Sector Reform
The solution to Afghanistan’s security problems must lie in building up indigenous security and law enforcement forces capable of addressing the sources of instability and allowing the central government to project its authority in the regions. The UK sees Security Sector Reform (SSR) (demobilising and disarming illegal militias; building an accountable national army and national police force under democratic control; stamping out the drugs trade; and building a legal system) as the best way of establishing stability outside Kabul in the long term. We are working with the Afghan Government and international partners to ensure that swift progress is made on SSR.
Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration
Japan and the UN jointly co-ordinate international assistance on disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR). The UK contributed over £12 million to the UN Afghanistan New Beginnings DDR Programme, which has been responsible for disarming and demobilising former soldiers and channelling them into the ANA or civilian life. The UN has reported that the DDR process was successfully completed on time and on target with over 62,000 militiamen having passed through by the end of June 2005. This is a considerable achievement. Kabul was declared free of heavy weapons on 1 September 2004 whilethe number of heavy weapons nation-wide removed from militia control has long since exceeded the total number the UN expected to process. The DDR programme was succeeded in June 2005 by the Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups (DIAG) process, which the UK actively supports, providing £1.5 million towards the programme in Financial Year 2005/06. To date over 22,000 weapons and over 200,000 items of ammunition have been collected, with over 1,000 groups engaged in the scheme.
Police Reform
Germany leads co-ordination of international assistance to police reform. The UK contribution to Police reconstruction to date has included the creation of a Crime Scene Investigation Unit, training in the UK for senior Afghan police officers and the provision of training mentors for the US-led basic Police training programme in Kabul and at the Regional Training Centre in Mazar-e Sharif. All UK training includes an awareness of both human rights and gender issues.
In July 2004 the UK added international Police Advisers to the PRTs in Mazar-e-Sharif and Maimana. The UK, through the PRTs, has also provided some local police forces with equipment, uniforms and transport. In addition, the UK has helped to rebuild a number of police stations in the provinces, and to build and equip police checkpoints on one of the main highways. We have also contributed over £1 million towards reform of the justice sector.
Further information can be found on the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Ministry of Defence websites:
|
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) |
|
|
Ministry of Defence (MOD) |