After 12 years, NATO passes security responsibility to Afghan forces
The formal transfer of Afghan forces into the lead of the fight in Afghanistan is raising questions about whether they're prepared to fight on their own.
The formal transfer of Afghan forces into the lead of the fight in Afghanistan is raising questions about whether they're prepared to fight on their own.
鈥� A daily summary of global reports on security issues.
NATO troops in Afghanistan officially passed security responsibility to national forces at a ceremony in Kabul today, marking an important transition in the country鈥檚 12-year war.
鈥淭oday is a historic day for Afghanistan,鈥� President Hamid Karzai said, standing alongside NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The transition began in July 2011, followed by three subsequent rounds of provincial handoffs, reports Reuters.
鈥淸NATO] will no longer plan, execute or lead combat operations," Mr. Rasmussen said, referring to the nearly 97,000 troops from NATO countries still stationed in Afghanistan. 鈥淏y the end of 2014 our combat mission will be complete.鈥� Until then, international troops will continue in a support role, providing training, intelligence, and ground forces as needed, reports the BBC.
Many at home and abroad harbor doubts that Afghan forces are prepared for the myriad security challenges that still exist. A December Pentagon report noted that 鈥渏ust one of the Afghan National Army's 23 brigades is capable of operating on its own without NATO support,鈥� reports Foreign Policy. The transition has placed an outsized burden on Afghan troops, according to Reuters: 鈥淚n one year, the Afghan state has lost more troops than NATO has across the entire war.鈥�
Issues of insufficient training and low morale plague the 350,000-strong Afghan national army, according to the Los Angeles Times:
Just 90 minutes before today鈥檚 ceremony in Kabul a bomb exploded killing three civilians and wounding at least 21 others, reports CNN. The bombing targeted parliamentarian Mohammad Mohaqiq, a senior member of the Afghan peace council. Mr. Mohaqiq survived the attack.聽
Just last week the Taliban launched an attack on the Kabul airport, where NATO has an base. According to the LA Times, today鈥檚 bombing was the fifth high-profile attack in Kabul in a month and a half.
Proving that Afghan troops are capable of tamping down Taliban violence is an immediate goal, but a full peace agreement was high on the mind today as the Taliban is expected to open a political office in Qatar. President Karzai announced he would send a team of peace negotiators from a council formed in 2010 to the Gulf state, reports Bloomberg.
An Afghan diplomatic source told Reuters that the Taliban would open an office in Qatar as early as today. "This will help start the peace talks again," the unnamed source said. Reuters reports: