The Complex Question Of Afghanistan's Nato Membership

Afghanistan is not a member of NATO. However, NATO allies and partner countries had military forces deployed in Afghanistan under a United Nations (UN) mandate following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. The goal was to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for international terrorists to attack NATO member countries.

In 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 ministers decided to withdraw all Allied troops from Afghanistan within a few months. The evacuation of personnel from Allied and partner countries, and NATO-affiliated Afghans, was completed in August 2021.

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

NATO's involvement in Afghanistan was driven by the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. NATO's 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.

NATO's mission in Afghanistan was to enable the Afghan government to provide effective security across the country and develop new Afghan security forces to ensure Afghanistan would never again become a safe haven for terrorists. From 2011, responsibility for security was gradually transitioned to Afghan forces, which took the lead for security operations across the country by summer 2013. The transition process was completed and Afghan forces assumed full security responsibility at the end of 2014, when the ISAF mission was completed.

NATO's role in Afghanistan was to support the Afghan government and international community in security sector reform, including mentoring, training and operational support to the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP). The aim was to build professional, independent and sustainable forces that were able to provide security to the Afghan people throughout the country.

NATO's role in Afghanistan was to facilitate multinational collaboration

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a unique alliance in that it is both a treaty-based agreement among member states and an international organization with a highly institutionalized character. NATO's integrated joint multinational military structure is a key innovation, with no equivalent among other alliances or international organizations.

NATO's role in Afghanistan was guided by the collective defense provision—Article 5—of its founding treaty, which was invoked for the first and only time after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. NATO allies went into Afghanistan to ensure that the country would not become a safe haven for international terrorists to attack member countries.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a NATO-led mission in Afghanistan that began in 2003 and ended in 2014. ISAF aimed 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.

The Resolute Support Mission (RSM) was a follow-on NATO-led non-combat mission launched in 2015 to train, advise, and assist Afghan security forces and institutions.

Throughout its involvement in Afghanistan, NATO facilitated multinational collaboration by providing a structured forum for strategy-making and political consultation. NATO's institutions, including committees, foreign and defense minister meetings, and summits, provided a structure for deliberation and routine political accountability.

Additionally, NATO's role in Afghanistan extended beyond security and included humanitarian development projects, such as establishing Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) to conduct humanitarian activities and build local infrastructure.

Overall, NATO's role in Afghanistan was critical in facilitating multinational collaboration and coordination among allies. The alliance's established processes and standards allowed countries with limited resources to fully contribute to the mission.

NATO's withdrawal from Afghanistan was not hasty or precipitous

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. This decision was made in a joint meeting of foreign and defence ministers, where Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin briefed NATO allies on the withdrawal plans.

The withdrawal was not hasty or precipitous because it had been in the works since the February 2020 Doha agreement. President Biden announced in early April 2021 that the US would complete its military exit from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The withdrawal was also not abrupt, as NATO allies had been in discussions about the decision since at least March 2021.

The withdrawal was also not a surprise to NATO allies. In fact, most European allies had been quietly removing their forces from Afghanistan since April 2021. Spain completed its troop withdrawal in May, and several other allies, including Germany, Italy, Norway, and Romania, completed their withdrawals in June, weeks before the US accelerated its troop pullout.

The withdrawal was also not unilateral on the part of the US. While the US did make the initial decision to withdraw, the actual withdrawal of troops was a coordinated effort between the US and its NATO allies. The US needed its NATO allies to get their troops and personnel out of Afghanistan, as it did not "own" any air assets beyond those provided by the alliance.

NATO's training mission in Afghanistan did not solve the problem

NATO's training mission in Afghanistan was part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and later the Resolute Support Mission (RSM). The training mission was aimed at developing the capabilities of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to enable a successful transition of security responsibility. While the training mission made significant contributions, it did not solve the problem of insecurity in Afghanistan. Here are four to six paragraphs discussing this issue:

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The training mission faced several challenges that hindered its effectiveness. One of the main issues was the lack of a unified strategy among NATO allies. Each contributing country had its own priorities and interpretations of the mission, leading to a lack of coordination and coherence in the training efforts. This was further exacerbated by short tour lengths and frequent changes in commanders, which resulted in a lack of continuity and consistency in the training programs.

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The training mission also struggled with the complex and dynamic nature of the conflict in Afghanistan. The insurgency and terrorist groups were constantly evolving their tactics, making it difficult for the training programs to keep up. Additionally, the Afghan security forces faced challenges such as poor leadership, weak command and control, inadequate logistics, and low morale, which affected their ability to effectively combat the insurgency.

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The training provided by NATO focused primarily on higher-level training for the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP). However, basic literacy and education levels among the recruits were low, making it difficult for them to fully benefit from the training. The lack of a strong NCO corps within the ANSF also hindered the effectiveness of the training, as the officers were often not empowered to take initiative or make decisions.

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The equipment and resources provided to the ANSF were often insufficient or unsuitable for the local conditions. While NATO provided significant amounts of military equipment and vehicles, the ANSF struggled to maintain and sustain them due to a lack of technical expertise and poor logistics systems. This led to high attrition rates and equipment breakdowns, further hindering the effectiveness of the security forces.

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The training mission also faced challenges in coordinating with other organizations involved in Afghanistan, such as the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), non-governmental organizations, and local actors. The complex web of relationships and competing priorities made it difficult to align efforts and ensure a cohesive approach to security sector reform.

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Despite the efforts of the training mission, the security situation in Afghanistan remained precarious. The Taliban remained a potent force and was able to exploit the weaknesses of the ANSF, such as low morale and poor leadership. Additionally, the withdrawal of NATO forces in 2021 left a security vacuum that the ANSF struggled to fill, ultimately leading to the collapse of the Afghan government and the return of the Taliban to power.

NATO's withdrawal from Afghanistan has damaged its reputation

Lack of consultation and planning

Many European allies were unhappy with the US withdrawal decision, with some, such as the UK and Germany, making their unease public. The German Bundestag had only recently agreed to extend the mandate of German troops in northern Afghanistan. NATO allies were concerned that the withdrawal gave the Taliban little incentive to negotiate a power-sharing deal with the Afghan government and every reason to believe they could gain power by winning on the battlefield.

There was a sense among European allies that the US was too slow in drawing up a comprehensive evacuation plan for Western nationals and Afghan civilians who worked for the alliance's military forces. The evacuation started after nearly all troops had left Afghanistan, meaning that NATO countries had to suddenly send troops back to Kabul to organise the flights out of the country. This improvisation led to scenes of chaos during several days at Kabul International Airport.

During a special NATO foreign ministers meeting on 20 August, many European allies asked the US to extend the evacuation operation beyond 31 August, but the US rejected these appeals, wanting to keep to Biden's schedule of full departure by that date. Given the scale and urgency of the evacuations, many allies did not understand the logic of abandoning Bagram Airfield already a month beforehand.

Lack of strategic thinking

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan, without suffering a military defeat, has inevitably raised questions about the solidity of the US commitment to its international security role. Biden has contributed to this unease by framing the withdrawal as the US turning its back on overseas nation-building and stabilisation roles in general.

Failure to achieve objectives

NATO's deployment in Afghanistan grew over the years, eventually involving close to 50 nations. The mission, which had been pitched as one of reconstruction and peace, turned into a combat mission as the Taliban regrouped and rearmed to wage a full-blown insurgency.

NATO's efforts in Afghanistan failed to achieve their objectives. The country has not found peace and has deep social and economic divisions, as much of the aid has only reached the urban elites. More than half the population continues to live in abject poverty.

Strengthening of rivals

The Taliban's victory in Afghanistan has strengthened the group's position and encouraged jihadists everywhere. Recruitment will be easier, and Western security officials are anticipating an increase in the terrorist threat to Europe within a few years.

The withdrawal has also been seen as a victory for Russia and China, who have reacted more positively to the return of the Taliban and have opened good channels of communication with its leadership.

Damage to NATO's credibility

The chaotic and undignified NATO withdrawal from Kabul has damaged the alliance's reputation for strategic competence and thus its credibility. The European allies will be anxious that this damage does not undermine the seriousness of the US commitment to Europe in the eyes of Russia or the allies themselves.

Impact on future operations

After Afghanistan, NATO is less likely to take on any new role in the Asia-Pacific. Sticking to core, treaty-based commitments in Europe and not investing in risky nation-building deployments far from home is likely to be its mantra.

Impact on transatlantic relations

The withdrawal has harmed NATO's image and reputation and strained transatlantic relations, both in public and private.

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