Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

NATO’s Shifting Attitude to the Mission in Afghanistan

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NATO’s Shifting Attitude to the Mission in Afghanistan

The German government has pledged to maintain its military presence in northern Afghanistan in 2016 as part of the Resolute Support Mission. The decision comes while the country’s original plan was to drastically reduce number of its forces stationed in Afghanistan. German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told reporters that the talks among officials of the other 20 countries involved in the operation in northern Afghanistan had yielded “a very good result,” with all partner countries committing “to continue to provide the necessary forces and capabilities”. She stressed that the contributing countries want “to send a strong signal of reliability to the Afghan people that we are standing by their side”. Afghan defense officials have welcomed Germany’s decision to bolster the country’s military presence in Afghanistan.  The decision by Germany and its partner countries to strengthen the Resolute Support mission in northern Afghanistan is signaling a visible shift of attitude among NATO members towards security developments in Afghanistan and the region. With Afghanistan grappling growing insurgency, NATO member countries are realizing the need to reset its exit strategy from Afghanistan and adjust it based on the ground situation in Afghanistan. Led by the US, NATO members initially had plans to drastically decrease number of forces in Afghanistan. However, with the deteriorating security condition, the United States considered a ‘pause’ to its speedy exit strategy from Afghanistan. In response to the growing insurgency, the United States agreed last year to slow down withdrawal of its troops and keep a larger portion of its forces in Afghanistan.

It is a long time that the facts on the ground in eastern and northern Afghanistan have come as an alarm for the NATO-led alliance. However, there has been a visible lack of action and willingness from NATO members to tackle the emerging threats with speedier and rigorous military action. The Western powers who dominate the international military efforts in Afghanistan are grappling with various crises such as the conflicts in the Middle East. This leaves the international mission in Afghanistan particularly vulnerable to the rising threats which also stems from the regional and global political and security developments. The fall of Kunduz province to the Taliban came as a wake-up call for the NATO members to modify their approaches to the forgotten mission.

The worsening situation in Afghanistan’s northern provinces, where German forces were stationed for more than a decade, has convinced the German government to do more to salvage what is seen as the country’s legacy. The future security of northern provinces will continue to face serious challenges from the spectrum of the insurgent groups in the upcoming years. Currently various militant groups are actively operating in many different provinces in north, while the Afghan government has been unable to tackle the resurgence of the insurgency. The Afghan government has seen many setbacks in leading the campaign to cleanse the Northern provinces from the insurgent groups.

There are potential factors for a continued instability in different provinces of Afghanistan including the north.. Government’s failure to lead an effective military campaign against the various insurgent groups is one of the key factors for a prolonged insurgency in the north. On the other hand, various active militant groups operating in northern provinces will mean that the spectrum of the extremists in the area will turn some remote parts of the North into a safe haven of extremist groups where they can recruit, train and equip fighters to mobilize forces and extend the insurgency in the once secure part of the country.

The Germany’s refocus on securing northern Afghanistan is indicating the realization of the potential threats by the NATO members that could result to an even worse security setback in the northern part of Afghanistan. The shift of attitudes among the NATO members particularly the US and Germany is coming as a crucial help for the embattled Afghan government which is struggling to cope with the rising threats from the extremist groups in different parts of the country. The Resolute Support mission and the Germany’s role will help prevent further military setbacks and even a complete failure of the anti-insurgency campaign. The German government’s decision to bolster NATO Afghan mission is coming as a crucial development for Afghanistan’s anti-insurgency campaign in northern part of the country.

The Afghan government has been leading a lackluster campaign against the aggressive insurgency throughout Afghanistan.  The Western powers cannot ignore the fact that the Afghan conflict has become their conflict, and that there is no alternative for winning the war against the Taliban. The intensifying operation by Taliban and like minded groups in different parts of the country mean that the country will continue to remain a hotbed of insurgency, and a major concern for the West who has sacrificed immensely in treasure and human lives. The growing activities of the Islamic State and other militant groups are throwing a dark shadow over the future of Afghanistan.  Given the ground for increased militancy in Afghanistan and the region, it is highly probable that the security deterioration would continue in the upcoming years. If that happens, and if the Afghan government fails to tackle with the reshaped insurgency, Afghanistan could become a new concern for the Western powers. The growing militancy in the Middle East and the South Asia region seem to be directing Afghanistan into unforeseen crises. This requires particular attention from the international community to change strategy in Afghanistan and help the country’s anti-insurgency campaign. The new commitments from Germany and other NATO members are promising but insufficient for resetting the NATO exit strategy from Afghanistan.

Abdul Ahad Bahrami is the permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at ahad.bahrami@gmail.com

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