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| Afghanistan |
| NATO to establish new command structure within ISAF |
| 2009-06-14 |
| BRUSSELS, June 12 (Xinhua) -- NATO defense ministers agreed on Friday to establish a new command structure to oversee day-to-day operations of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, said the alliance. "We have agreed in principle to create a new military headquarters within ISAF at the level of a three-star general to oversee day-to-day operations," NATO Secretary-general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told reporters at the end of a NATO defense ministers' meeting. The new command structure is necessary as the current Command ISAF cannot cope with the many tasks, explained de Hoop Scheffer. ISAF is now 60,000-strong and growing. There is increasing requirement for coordination between ISAF and the Afghan government and international actors in the country. The alliance has also decided to establish a NATO training mission for Afghan National Army and police. "Command ISAF cannot do this all," said de Hoop Scheffer. The ministers decided to set up a uniform NATO training mission that will move training from American umbrella to NATO training command. De Hoop Scheffer said the training mission will help train and mentor both the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, including gendarmerie training. NATO's existing equipment donation scheme for the Afghan National Army will now be expanded to police as well. The ministers on Friday also agreed to deploy Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft in Afghanistan to support ISAF operations. Three to four AWACS aircraft will be deployed to provide air traffic control in Afghanistan, said de Hoop Scheffer. He said the ministers managed to get extra troops to support Afghan presidential and provincial council elections scheduled for Aug. 20. Eight battalions -- between 8,000 and 10,000 soldiers -- will be deployed through out Afghanistan to provide so-called "third-line security" for the elections -- primary responsibilities will be with the Afghan police and army. Both de Hoop Scheffer and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates stressed the importance of reducing civilian casualties in Afghanistan. Gates said civilian casualties are "one of our greatest strategic vulnerabilities in Afghanistan." "Every civilian casualty, however caused, is a defeat for us and a setback for the Afghan government," Gates told reporters. "We need to make more changes in the way we conduct our operations to overcome ... civilian casualties." Gates said he has told Gen. Stanley McChrystal, whom he has hand-picked to command both ISAF and American troops in Afghanistan, to take the reduction of civilian casualties as one of his highest priorities. Gates presented Gen. McChrystal to NATO defense ministers. "I assure you that I take the responsibility very, very seriously," McChrystal told the ministers. Gates said he wanted better intelligence, more precise targeting and ground operations to lessen dependence on air power, which has led to heavy civilian casualties. "As we get more forces on the ground in the country, my hope would be that the need for that (air power) would be reduced," said Gates. The American troop level is expected to surge to 68,000 by yearend, doubling the number of troops committed to ISAF by allies and partner countries. |
| Posted by:Steve White |