One wonders if Nato is the right organisation for running an assistance operation like Isaf – particularly as well under a third of the alliance nations are prepared to employ arms to any effective purpose in the mission.
During the corps' deployment, IJC oversaw Milestone 13/Tranche 5 ceremony on June 18 , 2013 which marked the official transition of full responsibility for nation-wide security operations from ISAF to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).
"The downturn in the number of armed clashes and the impact of the harsh weather is much more likely to have an impact on Taliban operations than on government or ISAF operations," said Mr. Rodehaver, referring to the International Security Assistance Force.
With robust military contributions to the ISAF operation in Afghanistan for nearly a decade and to the 2011 Libya operation (surpassing those of many NATO members), Sweden has also taken many other steps towards partnering more closely with the alliance in recent years.
That is precisely why the ISAF operation in Afghanistan is the moment of truth for NATO.
When Dutch forces first looked at the situation in Uruzgan, they imposed a single condition for their participation in the NATO ISAF operation in Afghanistan: The sitting governor, the notoriously violent and criminal Jan Mohammad Khan (JMK for short), would have to be deposed.
As a result, Belgium's troop commitment to NATO ISAF operations in Afghanistan has increased from about 250 troops to nearly 540, with further increases, perhaps to 680, in the offing.
Thus while Germany spends less on defence as a proportion of GDP than France or the UK and contributes less to operations like the Isaf mission in Afghanistan, it sells more weapons than they do.
6. (SBU) CCM signature does not automatically result in restrictions on the plans and operations of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) or other organizations engaged in security operations in Afghanistan.
Mr Rasmussen said the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force was in the process of handing security operations to Afghan forces; Isaf's role was gradually shifting "from combat to support", he added.
