The Lingering Nato Presence In Afghanistan: Understanding The Ongoing Military Commitment

NATO troops are no longer in Afghanistan. In April 2021, NATO foreign and defence ministers decided to withdraw all Allied troops from Afghanistan by September 2021. This decision was made after the United States and the Taliban signed an agreement on the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan by May 2021.

NATO troops were in Afghanistan for nearly 20 years under a United Nations (UN) Security Council mandate. They went in after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States to ensure that Afghanistan would not become a safe haven for international terrorists to attack NATO member countries.

In August 2021, following the collapse of the Afghan government and the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, NATO focused on ensuring the safe departure of personnel from Allied and partner countries, and NATO-affiliated Afghans. Over 120,000 people were evacuated from Kabul airport as part of the Allied airlift.

NATO's involvement in Afghanistan was not a nation-building mission

NATO's involvement in Afghanistan was prompted by the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. In the aftermath of the attacks, NATO invoked Article V of its founding treaty, which states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. This marked the first and only time this clause has been invoked in NATO's history.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was established in December 2001 under a United Nations mandate to assist the Afghan government in maintaining security in Kabul and its surrounding areas. In August 2003, NATO took command of ISAF, marking the alliance's official entry into Afghanistan.

While NATO's involvement in Afghanistan evolved over time, its primary focus remained on security and counterterrorism rather than nation-building. ISAF worked to create the conditions for the Afghan government to exercise its authority throughout the country and build the capacity of the Afghan national security forces. This included training and mentoring the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police, as well as supporting security operations and counterinsurgency efforts.

ISAF also contributed to reconstruction and development efforts through Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), which were led by individual ISAF nations and worked to secure areas for reconstruction and development. These teams conducted a range of humanitarian activities and built infrastructure such as roads, schools, and medical clinics.

However, ISAF's role in nation-building was limited, and its primary focus remained on security and counterterrorism. The expansion of ISAF's mandate beyond Kabul and the increasing involvement of NATO forces in combat operations reflected this shift in focus.

In 2015, NATO launched the Resolute Support Mission (RSM) to provide further training, advice, and assistance to the Afghan security forces and institutions. This mission was also focused on counterterrorism and security rather than nation-building.

While there were aspects of nation-building in NATO's involvement in Afghanistan, such as the establishment of PRTs and support for governance and socio-economic development, the primary objective of NATO's mission was to enable the Afghan government to provide security and counter terrorist threats.

NATO's role in Afghanistan was to deny international terrorist networks the ability to organise and launch attacks on member countries

In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, NATO Allies went into Afghanistan to ensure that the country would not become a safe haven for international terrorists. This was the original guiding mandate of the mission, and it was accomplished.

However, the terrorist challenge has evolved significantly since NATO and its international partners first went into Afghanistan. This shift in the challenge international terrorism poses to Allies and their forces was a key justification for the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and it has driven the shift in tactics and focus of the Alliance’s terrorism policy.

During their years in Afghanistan, Allies and partners engaged in a range of political and military efforts, from combat operations to cooperative security outreach to humanitarian development projects. These initiatives strove to allow the Afghan government to exercise its authority over all Afghan territory and build the capacity of the Afghan national security forces and, eventually, to create a strong and stable government capable of guaranteeing peace and stability for all Afghans.

In February 2020, the United States and the Taliban signed an agreement on the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan by May 2021. In April 2021, NATO foreign and defence ministers decided to withdraw all Allied troops from Afghanistan within a few months.

In summer 2021, following the collapse of the Afghan government and the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, NATO focused on ensuring the safe departure of personnel from Allied and partner countries, and NATO-affiliated Afghans. In August 2021, more than 120,000 people were evacuated in the Allied airlift from Kabul airport as part of the coalition effort.

NATO forces were deployed to Afghanistan under a UN mandate in 2001

ISAF was established by the UN Security Council Resolution 1386, which was adopted unanimously on 20 December 2001. The resolution authorized the establishment of ISAF for an initial period of six months to assist the Afghan Interim Authority in maintaining security in Kabul and its surrounding areas. The United Kingdom took the lead in organizing and commanding ISAF, with support from other member states that contributed personnel, equipment, and resources.

The primary objective of ISAF was to enable the Afghan government to provide effective security across the country and develop new Afghan security forces. ISAF also supported the Afghan government in security sector reform, including mentoring, training, and operational support for the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police.

ISAF's presence gradually expanded beyond Kabul to cover the whole of Afghanistan by the second half of 2006. The number of ISAF troops grew to more than 130,000 from 51 NATO and partner nations.

In August 2003, NATO took command of ISAF, bringing an end to the six-month national rotations. This new leadership improved coordination and planning, and allowed smaller countries to play a stronger role within the multinational headquarters.

While ISAF made significant contributions to security and stability in Afghanistan, it also faced challenges and criticisms. Some argued that ISAF's efforts in nation-building and reconstruction were ineffective due to a lack of coordination and a disconnect between the mission and local cultural and technological realities.

ISAF's mission in Afghanistan concluded in 2014, with Afghan forces assuming full security responsibility. A new, smaller non-combat mission, "Resolute Support", was launched in 2015 to provide further training and assistance to the Afghan security forces and institutions.

The US and the Taliban signed an agreement on the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan by May 2021

On February 29, 2020, the US and the Taliban signed the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan, commonly known as the Doha Accord, to end the 2001-2021 war in Afghanistan. The agreement was negotiated for the US by Zalmay Khalilzad for the Trump administration and did not involve the then Afghan government.

The agreement stipulated fighting restrictions for both the US and the Taliban and provided for the withdrawal of all NATO forces from Afghanistan by May 2021 in return for the Taliban's counter-terrorism commitments. The US agreed to an initial reduction of its force level from 13,000 to 8,600 within 135 days, followed by a complete withdrawal within 14 months if the Taliban kept its commitments. The US also committed to closing five military bases within 135 days and ending economic sanctions on the Taliban by August 27, 2020.

The intra-Afghan negotiations were scheduled to begin on March 10, 2020, in Oslo, Norway. However, the composition of the Afghan government negotiating team was not determined, as the results of the 2019 Afghan presidential election were disputed. The deal required the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners by the start of the talks, in exchange for 1,000 government soldiers held by the Taliban.

On April 14, 2021, the US announced that it would not withdraw the remaining soldiers by May 1, but would do so by September 11, 2021. On August 30, 2021, the last US military planes left Kabul airport, marking the end of the US and NATO's 20-year war in Afghanistan.

NATO's lessons from Afghanistan include the need to choose enemies carefully and keep eyes on the prize

Lesson #1: Choose your enemies carefully

Afghanistan was never of vital interest to the US or any NATO ally. It is an austere, landlocked, and poor nation. Following the 9/11 attacks, the US had to respond to the Taliban providing a safe haven for al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. However, the response should have been metered as the threat to allied territory was minimal. The Taliban was not an international terrorist organization and was focused on a long-term insurgent strategy to regain control of the nation. The real enemy in Afghanistan were international terrorists like al-Qaeda, and the US and its allies could have fought them without occupying the country.

Lesson #2: Keep your eyes on the prize

The initial United Nations mission in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks was modest, with a few thousand troops and diplomats. However, Western leaders sought to turn Afghanistan into a democracy, and when NATO assumed control of the mission in 2003, it began pursuing increasingly unrealistic goals. The period between 2003 and 2010 provides a case study in "mission creep." During those years, the mission grew geographically to include all of Afghanistan, troop strength spiked from less than ten thousand to more than one hundred thousand, and social goals were expanded. Hundreds of billions of dollars were spent, but ultimately, these resources were wasted in a place that did not matter to vital US and allied interests.

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