By Halil Chihan Ergul
Since January 2002, the United Nations mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan has been demonstrating NATO’s strong perspective in the war against terrorism by providing a safe and secure environment conducive to free and fair elections, the spread of the rule of law, and the reconstruction of the country. First in Kabul and now in the process of expanding the mission to cover other parts of the country, the NATO alliance under the command of Turkey continues to help the Afghan Transitional Authority in rebuilding the country.
The ISAF was created by the United Nations and NATO formally took command of ISAF two years ago. Today, NATO-led ISAF operates in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and is currently executing the alliance’s first mission beyond the Euro-Atlantic area.
The military component of the war on terrorism has had some significant success in the region, as ISAF continues to improve the capability of Afghan police and armed forces. But as the NATO expansion heads to the eastern parts of the country, the alliance will most likely face the factional infighting that is taking place wherever Taliban and Al-Qaeda activities are persistent.
On Sept. 12 2001, less than 24 hours after the terrorist attacks against the United States, the alliance declared the plane crashes to be attacks against all of the 19 NATO member countries. As an extension of that reaction, the ISAF today operates in a region whose state of wealth is the most important factor to today’s global security crisis. At this point, the main weaknesses of the country are the poor state of the local infrastructure, the drug trade and organized crime.
In the wake of the ouster of the Taliban, Afghanistan was one of the poorest countries in the world as a result of more than two decades of fighting, repressive rule and the aftermath of war. According to the U.N. Development Program, 70 percent of Afghanistan’s 22 million inhabitants are malnourished and life expectancy is around 40. The World Bank estimates annual per capita GDP to be about $200. Afghanistan is also a major starting point of drug trade path that ends in Western Europe and America.
Organized crime on a tribal level, which is also closely associated with the drug trade, is another threat against the initiative toward security and authority at a national level. Tribes are controlling different parts of the country and this gives them an almost autonomous sovereignty in those certain regions. The mountainous geography of the region causes a real cut-off between certain regions of the country and any operation in Afghanistan requires maximum military capacity.
In addition to some physical and economical factors mentioned above, there are social factors affecting the foundation of the new Afghanistan. For example, the term “Afghan” doesn’t really represent an ethnic identity. Instead, the society in Afghanistan is a multi-ethnic one, which is concentrated on three groups (Pashtun 44 percent, Tajik 25 percent, Hazara 10 percent). This also probably explains why the new establishment in the government preferred a religion based identity which can play the role of a unifying factor in the future. In light of these figures and facts, it is almost impossible for the Afghan Transitional Authority to fight against terror without the help of a strong international commitment. Therefore, NATO’s presence is highly beneficial to the stability of everything from reconstruction efforts to overall security.
Today, the alliance’s operational capability in the region is leaning toward relying on Afghanistan’s own military units. This means the alliance has shifted to playing the role of a facilitator. What will determine Afghanistan’s security, on the other hand, is really dependent on the success of the new Afghan National Army and the national police. On the political level, the alliance’s assistance should be continuously supported by the greater global community in order to bring peace and stability to this country.