Stability and Support Operations în Afghanistan Today

1.Introduction

“Stability operations” means all actions, activities and measures prepared and deployed by Land Forces outside national borders, covering all external operations other than war, where the army has the key leading role, and its final target is realizing an international stabile environment, in order to promote peace interests, collaboration and understanding among nations.

The main types of stability operations in which Land Forces unit can take part in are: arms control; combating terrorism; support to counter-drug operations; humanitarian and civic assistance; assistance accorded to other nation; non-combatants evacuation; sanction enforcement; peace operations; show of force.

After the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States and their international partners toppled the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, ending years of brutal misrule and denying al Qaeda a safe haven from which to launch its attacks. The United States is committed to helping Afghanistan recover from decades of strife, and preventing it from ever again becoming a safe haven for terrorists. The American’s strategic goals and NATO as well, remain that Afghanistan is:

1) a reliable, stable ally in the War on Terror;

2) moderate and democratic, with a thriving private sector economy;

3) capable of governing its territory and borders;

4) respectful of the rights of all its citizens.

Achieving these goals requires the application of a whole-of-government approach, along multiple lines of operation, including security, governance, and development.

Although security remains fragile in many parts of Afghanistan, NATO’s counterinsurgency approach demonstrates how a combination of military and non-military resources can be integrated to create a stable and secure environment, and to connect the Afghan people with their government.

Khowst Province is an example. Khowst was once considered ungovernable and one of the most dangerous provinces in Afghanistan. Today, tangible improvements in security, governance, reconstruction, and development are being made. These improvements are achieved through the closely coordinated efforts of the local government, the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF), international organizations, as well as U.S. military, diplomatic, and development experts. Importantly, lessons learned from the successes in Khowst are being shared with all partners and applied elsewhere in the country.

Despite many positive developments, Afghanistan continues to face challenges. The Taliban regrouped after its fall from power and have coalesced into a resilient insurgency. It now poses a challenge to the Afghan Government’s authority in some rural areas. Insurgent violence increased in 2007, most visibly in the form of asymmetric attacks as Afghan and international forces’ relentless pressure forced the insurgents to shift the majority of its effort to

targeting police and civilians. More than 6,500 people died as a result of suicide attacks, roadside bombs, and combat-related violence.

Narcotics remain a significant challenge for Afghanistan and the international community. While progress has been made in some areas, overall counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan have not been successful. As Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated in his testimony to the House Armed Service Committee on December 11, 2007, “The drug trade continues to threaten the foundations of Afghan society and the young government of Afghanistan.” Opium production in Afghanistan increased substantially in 2007. The narcotics

trade dissuades work and investment in legitimate activities, provides the insurgents with a lucrative source of funding, and contributes heavily to heroin addiction in Central Asia, Europe and increasingly East Africa. Although counternarcotics (CN) efforts have resulted in gains over the past seven years, the battle against drug traffickers is ongoing, and will be for some time. In

conjunction with the Afghan Ministry of Defense (MOD), CSTC-A is assisting with the development and fielding of a new CN infantry kandak (battalion) for the purpose of providing force protection to poppy eradicators. This unit will shortly be put into action and will provide protection for eradication teams to complete their mandates.

2. Anti-Drug Operations in Afghanistan

The NATO and US forces battling Taliban and Al Qaeda insurgents in Afghanistan are on the verge of expanding their counterinsurgency efforts by getting more deeply involved in trying to suppress the country's booming opium trade. In so doing, they are stepping into tricky territory because they risk alienating large swathes of the population that are dependent on the trade to feed themselves and their families and driving them right into the tender embrace of the Taliban.