The International Security Assistance Force ('''ISAF''') is an international stabilization force in Kabul , Afghanistan consisting of about 9000 personnel. Authorized by the United Nations Security Council in December 2001 , the ISAF was charged with securing Kabul and its nearby Bagram Air Base from Taliban and Al Qaida elements and factional warlords, so as to allow for the establishment and security of the Afghan Transitional Administration headed by Hamid Karzai .
Jurisdiction
For almost two years, the ISAF mandate did not go beyond the boundaries of Kabul. According to General Norbert Van Heyst , such a deployment would require at least an extra ten thousand soldiers. The responsibility for security throughout the whole of Afghanistan was to be given to the newly-constituted Afghan National Army . However, on October 13 , 2003 , the Security Council voted unanimously to expand the ISAF mission beyond Kabul. Shortly thereafter, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said that Canadian soldiers (nearly half of the entire force at that time) would not deploy outside Kabul.
On October 24, 2003, the German Bundestag voted to send German troops to the region of Kunduz . Around 230 additional soldiers are deployed to that region, marking the first time that ISAF soldiers operated outside of Kabul.
After the Afghan National Assembly and Provincial Council elections in the fall of 2005, the Canadian base Camp Julien closed and remaining Canadian assets have moved to Kandahar as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in preparation for a significant deployment in January 2006.
Structure
ISAF Troops deployed within Kabul are designated as the Kabul Multinational Brigade. The brigade is composed of three battle groups, and is in charge of the tactical command of deployed troops. ISAF headquarters serves as the operational control center of the mission.
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Command
ISAF command rotated among different nations on a 6-month basis. However there was tremendous difficulty securing new lead nations. To solve the problem, command was turned over indefinitely to NATO on August 11 , 2003 . This marked NATO's first deployment outside Europe or North America . That day, Nicholas Burns , the U.S. ambassador to NATO wrote in the Wall Street Journal that the mandate of ISAF should be expanded beyond the capital Kabul. One option he suggested would be for NATO to participate in U.S.-led " Provincial Reconstruction Team s" which were already active in trying to enforce security outside Kabul.
As of June 30 2005 , many Provincial Reconstruction Team s are active in the country and under the command of different NATO nations.
The history of ISAF command is as follows:
- December , United Kingdom
- June , Turkey . During this period, Turkish troops increased from about 100 to 1,300.
- , on behalf of Germany and the Netherlands . His Deputy was Brigadier General Bertholee of Netherlands .
- , Germany , with Canadian Army Major General Andrew Leslie as his deputy. Canada had been originally slated to take over command of ISAF on August 11.
- , Canada , with Major General Werner Korte of Germany as deputy. During this timeframe, Canada was the largest contributor to the ISAF force, contributing 2,000 men.
- , commander of Eurocorps , a multinational rapid reaction force composed by units from France , Germany , Spain , Belgium and Luxemburg . Canada reduces its forces to about 800 men
- February , Turkey
- , Bosnia , Kosovo and Albania .
Contributing nations
The following NATO and non-NATO nations are contributing troops to the ISAF. The numbers are based in part from here ; when more recent numbers are available they are given.
NATO nations
- Belgium - 616
- Bulgaria - 37
- Canada - 85 (plus 2000 in Kandahar as part of Operation Enduring Freedom ). Four Canadian soldiers were killed as part of ISAF.
- Czech Republic - 17
- Denmark - 122. Three were killed in an ordnance disposal explosion along with two Germans.
- Estonia - 10
- France - 742 ; the fourth largest ISAF contingent. Four French soldiers have been killed: two in a vehicle accident, one in a roadside bomb attack, and one in a firefight with guerillas.
- Germany - 3,000, making Germany the largest contributor to the ISAF. 18 have been killed: 7 in an accidental helicopter crash, 4 in ordnance disposal explosions, one in a vehicle accident and 6 in ambushes and attacks.
- Greece - 171, some stationed at Kabul airport and others at hospitals. There are around 130 soldiers and 45 air force personnel. At least two were wounded in a suicide attack in November 2005 .
- Hungary - 159
- Iceland - 20
- Italy - 506. Three have died: one in a vehicle accident, one as a result of an accidental weapon discharge, one in an accidental civilian plane crash.
- Latvia - 9
- Lithuania - 115
- Luxemburg - 10
- Netherlands - 311
- Norway - 450 - 1 Norwegian soldier killed in an ambush in Kabul, 2004. Several others wounded in hostile and non-hostile acts spanning 2001-2006 (ISAF and OEF ).
- Poland - 5
- Portugal - 21. One soldier was killed when his vehicle was struck by an exploding roadside bomb.
- Romania - 72. Three have been killed: One in a firefight which later claimed the life of another badly wounded soldier, and one in a landmine explosion.
- Slovakia - 17
- Slovenia - 58 (December 2005)
- Spain – Approximately 800. 17 died in a Helicopter crash in August 2005 , while 62 Spanish soldiers were killed in May 2003 when their plane crashed in Turkey as it was returning home.
- Turkey – 825 ; the third largest contingent and the only Muslim country in the ISAF. Turkey's responsibilities include providing security for Kabul and western regions of the country, as well as providing reconstruction teams.
- United Kingdom – 461. The UK was one of the first countries to join the US-led coalition into Afghanistan. Seven soldiers have been killed: one committed suicide, one was murdered by a comrade, one died in a vehicle accident, one was killed in an accidental weapon discharge, one in an undisclosed incident, and two in ambushes by guerillas.
- United States - 89
Partner nations
- Albania - 22
- Austria - 3
- Azerbaijan - 22
- Croatia - 45
- Finland - 61
- Macedonia – 20
- Ireland - 10
- Sweden - 85 soldiers. One soldier from an elite unit was killed in an attack on 25 November, 2005; while a seriously wounded comrade died of his wounds several days later. The Swedish parliament voted in the beginning of December 2005 to double the force.
- Switzerland - 4
Non-NATO / Non- EAPC nations
Timeline
- In February 2002 South Korea sent a medical contingent of 99 soldiers.
- Between February and July 2002, Portugal sent a sanitary team and an air team to ISAF.
- In November, 2002 ISAF, consisting of 4,650 troops from over 20 countries, was led by Turkey . Around 1,200 German troops were serving in the force alongside 250 Dutch soldiers operating as part of a German-led battalion.
- In March, 2003 ISAF was comprised of 4,700 troops from 28 countries.
- On June 7 , 2003 in Kabul , a taxi packed with explosives rammed a bus carrying German ISAF personnel, killing four soldiers and wounding 29 others; one Afghan bystander was killed and 10 Afghan bystanders were wounded. The 33 German soldiers, after months on duty in Kabul, were en route to the Kabul International Airport for their flight home to Germany. At the time, Germans soldiers made up more than 40% of ISAF.
- A study by Care International in the summer of 2003 reported that Kosovo had one peacekeeper to 48 people, East Timor one for every 86, while Afghanistan has just one for every 5,380 people.
- August, 2003, ISAF consisted of 5,000 troops from more than 30 countries. About 90% of the force were contributed by NATO countries. 1,950 were Canadian , by far the largest single contingent. However, other reports suggested that about 2,000 German troops were involved. Romania had about 400 troops at the time.
- As late as November, 2003, the entire ISAF force had three Helicopter s.
- In May 2004 , Turkey sent three helicopters and 56 flight and maintenance personnel to work in ISAF.
- In July 2004, Portugal sent 24 soldiers and one C-130 Hercules cargo plane to assist ISAF
- In August 2004, Britain announced that 6 Royal Air Force Harrier GR7 jets from No. 3 Squadron would deploy to Afghanistan, marking the first time RAF fighter jets have been deployed to the country. They fully arrived in September.
- In September 2004, a Spanish Battalion (about 800 men) arrived to provide the ISAF Quick Reaction Force, and an Italian battalion (up to 1,000 troops) arrived to provide the in-theatre Operational Reserve Force. With a force of 100, Georgia became the first Commonwealth Of Independent States country to send an operational force to Afghanistan.
- In May 2005 ISAF Stage II took place, doubling the size of the territory ISAF was responsible for. The new area was the former US Regional Command West consisting of Bagdis, Farah, Ghor, and Herat Provinces.
- In March 2006 , the Netherlands sent troops after a long dispute in parliament. The PvdA finally agreed, on the condition that prisoners would not be handed over to the US troops because of the risk of them being tortured. However, protests by other opposition parties continue because there are not enough guarantees that the Netherlands will not be implicated in such violations of human rights issues. This makes the continued presence of Dutch troops uncertain.
Further reading
- Sean M. Maloney, ''Enduring The Freedom: A Rogue Historian In Afghanistan.''(Dulles: Potomac Books, Incorporated, 2005)
See also
External links
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