International Security Assistance Force

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Logo of ISAF. Persian writing: کمک و همکاری (Komak va Hamkari) means "Help and Cooperation".
Logo of ISAF. Persian writing: کمک و همکاری (Komak va Hamkari) means "Help and Cooperation".

International Security Assistance Force (10) (ISAF) is an international military force in Afghanistan led by NATO and consisting of about 32,000 personnel from 37 nations as of October 5, 2006.

Authorized by the United Nations Security Council (UNSCR 1386) on December 20, 2001, the ISAF was charged with securing Kabul and the surrounding areas from the Taliban, al Qaida and factional warlords, so as to allow for the establishment and security of the Afghan Transitional Administration headed by Hamid Karzai.[1].

Throughout the time, ISAF expanded the mission in four main stages over the whole of Afghanistan. Since 2006, ISAF has been involved in more intensive combat operations in southern Afghanistan.

Contents

[edit] Jurisdiction

A Slovenian army ISAF patrol in Afghanistan.
A Slovenian army ISAF patrol in Afghanistan.

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 (Resolution 1510). 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 were 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 at Kabul closed, and remaining Canadian assets have moved to Kandahar as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in preparation for a significant deployment in January 2006.

At July 31, 2006, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force assumed command of the south of the country, ISAF Stage 3, and by October 5 also of the east of Afghanistan, ISAF stage 4.

ISAF is mandated by the United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) 1386, 1413, 1444, 1510, 1563, 1623, 1659 and 1707. The last of these extended the mandate of ISAF to 13 October 2007. But the mandates the different governments are giving to their forces can differ from country to country.

[edit] Structure

The initial ISAF headquarters was based on 3rd UK Mechanised Division led at the time by Major General John McCall.

Until ISAF expanded beyond Kabul, the Force consisted of a roughly division-level headquarters and one brigade covering Kabul, the Kabul Multinational Brigade. The brigade was 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. As the area of responsibility was increased, ISAF also took command of an increasing number of Provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs), with the aim of improving security and to facilitate reconstruction outside Kabul. The first nine PRTs (and lead nations) were based at Baghlan (Netherlands, then Hungary at October 2006), Chaghcharan (Lithuania), Farah (U.S.), Fayzabad (Germany), Herat (Italy), Kunduz (Germany), Mazari Sharif (UK, then Denmark/Sweden), Maymana (UK, then Norway), Qala-e Naw (Spain).

Throughout the four different regional stages of ISAF the number of the teams was growing. The expansion of ISAF at October 2006 to all provinces of the country brought the total number of teams to 24. The teams are led by different members of the NATO-ISAF mission. A next new PRT at Wardak is installed which is led by Turkey in November, 2006. This brought the number at 25.

Dutch F-16 Falcon in Afghanistan.
Dutch F-16 Falcon in Afghanistan.
One of many ISAF's military bases in Afghanistan.
One of many ISAF's military bases in Afghanistan.
Construction at an unknown NATO base in Afghanistan.
Construction at an unknown NATO base in Afghanistan.

The overall NATO-ISAF mission is led by the Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, at Brunssum, the Netherlands. [2]

The HQ at Afghanistan is at Kabul, and there are 5 Regional Command Centers, with underneath them the Provincial Reconstruction Teams:

  • HQ ISAF at Kabul (Led by the UK)
  • Regional Command Capital (aprox strength 4700)
    • HQ RC(C) Kabul (France)
    • Kabul Multinational Brigade
    • Kabul International Airport (KAIA) (Czech)
  • Regional Command West (aprox 1900)
    • HQ Herat, Herat (Led by Italy)
    • PRT HERAT ,Italy
    • PRT FARAH , USA
    • PRT Qala-e Naw, Spain
    • PRT CHANGKHARAN, Lithuania
  • Regional Command East (aprox 10.500)
    • HQ in Bagram, Commander is Commander CJTF-76, Maj. Gen. Benjamin C Freakley
    • Task Force Spartan/rotating U.S. infantry brigade combat team
    • 11 PRTs in the East. A new PRT at Wardak, led by Turkey, brought this number at 12.

The strength of the ISAF forces as of February, 7, 2007. [3] The numbers are also reflecting the situation at the country. The north and west is relatively calm, while at the south and east ISAF and Afghan forces are almost under daily attack.


See also: Provincial Reconstruction Team and Afghanistan War order of battle

[edit] Security and reconstruction

Since 2006 the insurgency of the Taliban is intensifying, especially in the south of the country, where the Taliban came to rise at the early nineties.

Since NATO-ISAF took over command at the south at 31 July 2006, British and Canadian ISAF soldiers in the provinces of Helmand and Kandahar came under almost daily attack. British commanders said the fighting for them is the fiercest since the Korean War, 50 years ago. BBC reporter Alistair Leithead, embedded with the British forces, called it at an article "Deployed to Afghanistan's hell" [4].

Because of the security situation in the south, NATO-ISAF commanders are asking the member countries to send more troops. At October 19, for example, the Dutch government decided to send more troops, because of the many attacks by suspected Taliban on their Task Force Uruzgan, which makes it very difficult to do the reconstruction work where they were coming for.

[edit] Command

[edit] Overall 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 Teams" which were already active in trying to enforce security outside Kabul.

As of October 31, 2006, 24 Provincial Reconstruction Teams are active in the country and under the command of different NATO nations.

The history of ISAF command is as follows:

  • August 5, 2005: Italian general Mauro del Vecchio assumed command of the ISAF force in Afghanistan. During 2005 Italy commanded four multinational military operations: in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania.
  • May 4, 2006: United Kingdom Lieutenant General David Richards assumed command of the ISAF IX force in Afghanistan. The mission is led by the Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.
  • February 4, 2007: American four-star general, Army Gen. Dan K. McNeill, took charge of both U.S. and NATO forces.

[edit] Regional Command

[edit] Contributing nations

French deminers.
French deminers.

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.

ISAF is also being backed by 28,600 troops of the Afghan National Army and 30,200 Afghan policemen, whom are described by the British Ministry of Defence as "fully equipped and trained".

[edit] NATO nations

  • Flag of Belgium Belgium - 300 (October 2006). The mission is named BELU ISAF 12. The main task is to secure the airport of Kabul. The detachment at Kunduz is assisting in the north the PRTs of Kunduz and Mazari Sharif.
  • Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria - 150. In 2006 there are 150 Bulgarian troops as of OCTOBER. In 2007 Bulgaria will send 200 more soldiers.
  • Flag of Czech Republic Czech Republic - 67 (November 2006 [6]), in two Czech operations. At Kabul International Airport is a Czech ACR contingent deployed. The task of the ACR contingent is EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal). Keeping minefield awareness and anti-explosives protection of the KAIA International Airport in Kabul, and, second, the contribution of the Czech personnel to air traffic weather service. The Number of Czech military personnel on this operation is 17 (to 1 June 2006). The Czech 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion have been part of a provincial reconstruction team at Fayzabad, Badakshan province, since 9 March 2005. Their task is to support security in the area, to protect international units, and to cooperate with local people in reconstruction of their homeland. Czech scouts are assigned to the team of about 200 soldiers together with Danes and soldiers of the German Bundeswehr. The number of Czech military personnel on this operation is 83 (to 1 June 2006). [7] The number of troops is expected to rise to 150 by the end of the year when the Czechs take command of Kabul's airport. At the end of September 2006, the Czech Republic's defense ministry said, it plans to contribute up to 190 troops to the force next year. The move still must be approved by the government and parliament. [8] At the start of the Czech contribution 17.
  • Flag of Denmark Denmark - 389. Three were killed in an ordnance disposal explosion along with two Germans. Danish soldiers are attached to the German-led PRT at Fayzabad (Badakhshan) and British-led operations in Helmand. Denmark plans to increase its presence in Afghanistan to 600 troops.
  • Flag of Estonia Estonia - 130 (November 2006). The Estonian Defence Forces units are located primarily in the southern province of Helmand, together with armed forces of the United Kingdom and Denmark. By the end of 2006, Estonia plans to increase its presence in Afghanistan to 120 troops [9].
  • Flag of France France - 1,900 (September 2006). Once the fourth largest ISAF contingent. The current French Army detachment in Kabul, known as Pamir XIV, is on a five-month deployment that officially began August 6, 2006. Nine French soldiers have been killed as part of ISAF and OEF: 2 in a vehicle accident, and 7 in various ambushes and gunbattles.
  • Flag of Germany Germany - 2,750, which made Germany once the largest contributor to the ISAF (now the US and the UK are the largest contributors; 2006). The German soldiers are deployed in the north of the country. The task of the German ISAF contribution is to assist the Afghan central government at the four northern provinces of Kunduz, Taloqan (Is the capital of Takhar province (ed.)), Baghlan and Badakhshan. Germany is leading the Provincial Reconstruction Teams at Konduz and Badakhshan. [10] The mandate, given by the German Parliament, does only allow the Bundeswehr to take part in the battle against the Taliban insurgency in the south and east of Afghanistan in exceptional circumstances. 18 German soldiers have been killed: 7 in an accidental helicopter crash, 4 in accidental disposal explosions, one in a vehicle accident and 6 in ambushes and attacks.
  • Flag of Greece 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.
  • Flag of Italy Italy - 1950 . In February 2007, there are 1,950 Italian soldiers in Afghanistan. Nine have died under ISAF: three in vehicle accidents, one in an accidental civilian plane crash, one due to a heart attack and four in two roadside bombings.
  • Flag of Latvia Latvia - 40
  • Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg - 10. Luxemburg is working together with Belgium in BELU ISAF 12.
  • Flag of Norway Norway - 540 [14] - The Norwegian ISAF forces operate out of Kabul, Meymaneh and Mazar-e-Sharif. One Norwegian soldier was killed and another lightly wounded in a rocket propelled grenade attack on a convoy of four Norwegian Mercedes Geländewagen MB-290s 23 May 2004 while returning from a mission in the capital Kabul [15]. Several others were wounded in hostile and non-hostile acts spanning 2001-2006 (ISAF and OEF). Four Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16s operate from Kabul airport alongside Dutch F-16s in support of NATO ISAF forces in southern Afghanistan, 2006. [16] The detachment is know as the 1st Netherlands-Norwegian European Participating Forces Expeditionary Air Wing (1 NLD/NOR EEAW) [17]
  • Flag of Poland Poland - 100. Mostly deminers located in Bagram (an additional 1,200 troops due in February 2007)

The first unit was the 2nd Commando Company from August 2005 to February 2006, then the 1st Commando Company until August 2006, currently the 1st Paratrooper Company is deployed but its being replaced by the 2nd Commando Company (Special Forces) in February 2007. One commando was killed when his Humvee was struck by an IED during a patrol in the first tour of the 2nd Commando company. The Portuguese Air Force had one C-130H in Afghanistan from July 2004 until July 2005. Portugal was responsible for the Kabul International Airport from August 2005 until December 2005, the group was made of 37 military, 33 from the Air Force, 3 from the Army and one from the Navy.

  • Flag of Romania Romania - 750[18]. Four have been killed: One in a firefight which later claimed the life of another badly wounded soldier, one in a landmine explosion, and one in a roadside bombing which severely damaged a Romanian tank. Romania planned to send a battalion at October 2006.
  • Flag of Slovakia Slovakia - 57 Multifunctional engineer company located in Kabul International Airport, demining airport, building and repairing airports
  • Flag of Spain Spain – Approximately 800. 18 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. Two soldiers were killed in two different bombings.
  • Flag of Turkey Turkey – 825 ; (Once the third largest contingent) 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.
The UK was one of the first countries to join the US-led coalition into Afghanistan. As of February 2007 the number of UK troops killed in Afghanistan since 2001 was 48, 22 of which were from accidents, illness, or non-combat injuries.[20]
The RAF has numerous planes and helicopters positioned in the country, including C130 cargo planes, CH-47 heavy lift helicopters, Nimrod surveillance planes as well as a squadron of Harrier GR9 attack planes. The army air corps also provides a number of Westland Lynx and WAH-64 Apache helicopters
They are officially there to help train Afghan security forces, facilitate reconstruction, and provide security. But over 2006 the situation in the north of Helmand turned increasingly violent, with British troops involved in fierce fire fights against the Taliban and anti-coalition militia.
British troops have been involved in heavy clashes in the towns of Sangin, Musa Qaleh, Kajaki and Nawzad.
The article Q&A: UK troops in Afghanistan (BBC News) gives also a list of the British units which are taking part in the ISAF mission. [21]. According to this article, ISAF is also being backed by 28,600 troops of the Afghan National Army and 30,200 Afghan policemen, whom are described by the British Ministry of Defence as "fully equipped and trained".

[edit] Partner nations

ISAF observation group near Maymana in Northern Afghanistan.
ISAF observation group near Maymana in Northern Afghanistan.

[edit] Non-NATO / Non-EAPC nations

  • Flag of Australia Australia - 120 Special Forces of the Australian Special Air Service and 4 RAR, and 120 Australian Army Aviation personnel with two CH-47 "Chinook" helicopters. One SAS soldier has been killed in a landmine explosion. The core of the Australian troops are based at Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan, at Kamp Holland, with 360 personnel, together with the main Dutch contribution to ISAF. (October, 2006) The total troop deployment to Afghanistan is expected to be 700 personnel.
  • Flag of New Zealand New Zealand sent around 50 Special Air Service troops to southern Afghanistan during 2-3 deployments. A few were wounded. The country is leading the PRT at Bamian.

Egypt, and Jordan have contingents deployed to Afghanistan to provide humanitarian medical aid. The Republic of Korea also heads the PRT of Parwan province, as well as provides medical and engineering support.

[edit] Coalition casualties in Afghanistan

Main article: Coalition casualties in Afghanistan

[edit] Civilian casualties in Afghanistan

Main article: Civilian casualties of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Includes also the civilian casualties since NATO/ISAF.

[edit] Timeline

  • 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, NATO is taking command and co-ordination of ISAF. ISAF consisted of 5,000 troops from more than 30 countries. About 90% of the force were contributed by NATO nations. 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.
  • 13 October 2003: Resolution 1510 passed by the UNSC opened the way to a wider role for ISAF to support the Government of Afghanistan beyond Kabul.
  • As late as November, 2003, the entire ISAF force had three helicopters.
  • 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.
  • Stage 1 (North) was completed at October 2004 under the Regional Command of Germany.

[edit] ISAF Stage 2

  • In May 2005 ISAF Stage 2 took place, doubling the size of the territory ISAF was responsible for. The new area was the former US Regional Command West consisting of Badghis, Farah, Ghor, and Herat Provinces.
  • September 2005: ISAF Stage 2 was completed under the Regional Command of Italy.
  • On January 27, 2006, it was announced in the British Parliament that the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) would be replacing the U.S troops in Helmand province as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. The British 16th Air Assault Brigade would be the core of the force in Helmand Province.
  • In February 2006, the Netherlands decided to expand the troop contribution with an extra 1,400 soldiers [24].
  • On May 22, 2006, A British Army WAH-64 Apache gunship fired a hellfire missile to destroy a French armoured jeep that had been disabled during a firefight with Taliban forces in North Helmand province the previous day, as it was decided that attempting to recover the vehicle would have been too dangerous. This is the first time UK Apaches have opened fire in a hostile theatre and this would be, in a fashion, the WAH-64's first "combat kill".

[edit] ISAF Stage 3

Further information: Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2006
  • 31 July 2006, Stage 3 was completed: The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force also assumed command in six provinces of the south. Led by Canada, 8,000 soldiers are now positioned there. The Regional Command Centre is at Kandahar.
  • With the Taliban regrouping, especially in its birthplace of Kandahar province bordering Pakistan, NATO launched its biggest offensive against the guerrillas at the weekend of September 2 and September 3, 2006 (Operation Medusa). NATO says it has killed more than 250 Taliban fighters, but the Taliban says NATO casualty estimates are exaggerated.
  • On September 7, 2006, a British soldier was killed and six wounded when their patrol strayed into an unmarked minefield in Helmand, the major drug-growing province west of Kandahar.
  • On 28 September 2006, the North Atlantic Council gave final authorisation for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (NATO-ISAF) to expand its area of operations to 14 additional provinces in the east of Afghanistan, boosting NATO’s presence and role in the country. With this further expansion, NATO-ISAF will assist the Government of Afghanistan in providing security throughout the whole of the country. [25].

The expansion will see the NATO-ISAF controlling 32,000 troops from 37 countries, although the alliance is already struggling to find extra troops to hold off a spiralling Taliban-led insurgency in the volatile south.

[edit] ISAF Stage 4

  • 5 October 2006: NATO has also taken charge of Afghanistan's eastern provinces (NATO-ISAF stage 4), which have been under the control of US forces since the Taliban were ousted five years ago. (10,000 coalition troops more moved under NATO command. 31,000 ISAF troops are now in Afghanistan. 8,000 US troops continue training and counter-terrorism separately).
  • 21 October: The Canadian government is growing increasingly frustrated over the unwillingness of mainly European NATO members to deploy troops to help fight mounting Taliban resistance in the south. [26]
  • November: A study by the Joint Co-ordinating and Monitoring Board, made up of the Afghan government, its key foreign backers and the UN, suggests that more than 3,700 people have died so far in 2006. The majority of the dead appear to be insurgents, but it is estimated that 1,000 civilians have also been killed this year, along with members of the Afghan National Army, the NATO-led international security assistance force, and a separate US contingent of soldiers. [27]
  • 28-29 November 2006: NATO summit at Riga (Latvia). Combat curbs have been the most contentious issue at the two-day summit in Latvia, following tension over the reluctance of France, Germany, Spain and Italy to send their troops to southern Afghanistan. Countries agreeing to ease the restrictions on deployment against the Taliban insurgency include the Dutch, Romanians and smaller nations such as Slovenia and Luxembourg. France, Germany, Spain and Italy have said they will now send help to trouble zones outside their areas, but only in emergencies. Next to this the summit saw several countries offer additional troops and training teams. France agreed to send more helicopters and aircraft. NATO commanders say they believe they can move an extra 2,500 troops around the country now some smaller members have relaxed their mission conditions. [28]
  • Friday 15 December: ISAF is starting a new offensive, Operation Baaz Tsuka (Falcon's Summit), against the Taliban at the Panjaway Valley at the province Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.
  • Sunday 4 February: US General Dan McNeill replaced British General David Richards as commander of the NATO forces in Afghanistan. McNeill, one of 11 U.S. four-star generals, commanded U.S. troops here in 2002. He is expected to place a heavier emphasis on fighting than peace deals, analysts say. [29] Meanwhile observers and commanders are expecting a new Taliban "spring offensive", and NATO commanders are asking for more troops.
  • Tuesday 6 March: NATO-ISAF launched Operation Achilles, an offensive to bring security to northern Helmand and set the conditions for meaningful development that will fundamentally improve the quality of life for Afghans in the area. The operation will eventually involve more than 4,500 Nato troops and nearly 1,000 Afghan soldiers in Helmand province, according to the alliance.

It focuses on improving security in areas where Taliban extremists, narco-traffickers and other elements are trying to de-stabilize the Government of Afghanistan and to intend to empower village elders.

The overarching purpose is to assist the government to improve its ability to begin reconstruction and economic development in the area. Strategically, the goal is also to enable the government to begin the Kajaki hydro-energy project. [30], [31]

[edit] Further reading

  • Sean M. Maloney, Enduring The Freedom: A Rogue Historian In Afghanistan.(Dulles: Potomac Books, Incorporated, 2005)

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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