We Stay Until Afghanistan Is Secure

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, The Times January 28, 2010

International conferences are ten a penny; many deliver little more than long communiqués and longer speeches. Today, almost 70 world leaders will meet in London to take forward the international effort to bring peace to Afghanistan — and this conference must and will be different. It must deliver results.

The urgency is clear. A few weeks ago 36 countries in the Nato-led Isaf (International Security Assistance Force) mission agreed to send 37,000 more forces, on top of the 80,000 soldiers in Afghanistan. Right now thousands of international forces are flowing in. This is an important demonstration of solidarity with the Afghan people, and a strong rebuttal to anyone who suggests that our nations are looking for the door. It is already allowing Isaf to conduct big operations that would have been impossible with the troop levels of last year. The Taleban will feel the effect.

But the effort and sacrifice of our soldiers alone will not be enough to turn the corner in Afghanistan. It will have to be matched by a clear political “road map”. The London conference will help to set that out.

In London, the Afghan Government will unveil plans to improve governance, fight corruption and bring Taleban fighters back into society if they are ready to lay down their arms. It is clear to everyone that improvements in all these areas are essential. Indeed, it is clear, first and foremost to the Afghan people, who rate governance and corruption as bigger problems than security.

The plans being presented by President Karzai are realistic and achievable, but implementing them will require determined leadership, as well as international support. I believe that at the London conference those plans will get the support they need, including the financial means. Then it will be up to the Afghan Government.

We will also discuss how to transfer the lead in security operations to Afghan forces. Two important decisions have just been taken. First, the Afghan Government and the international community have agreed to increase the Afghan security forces to 171,600 soldiers and 134,000 police officers by 2011.

Second, Nato has just launched the military planning to take forward the process by which responsibility will be handed over to Afghan forces, province by province, where conditions allow, based on the military advice of the commander of the Nato-led mission and the political advice of my senior civilian representative in the country.

Two days ago I selected the British Ambassador in Afghanistan, Mark Sedwill, to be my new senior civilian representative in Afghanistan. Mr Sedwill is eminently qualified — he knows the country, the people and the Afghan Government well. He also knows the region, having been the British Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan. He is fully dedicated to the international mission and to the Afghan people. He has my full confidence; he will have my full support.

Mr Sedwill takes up his post at a critical time. In 2010 there will be new momentum in the international effort to help Afghanistan to find its feet and provide its own security. As the Nato-led military mission to protect the Afghan people ramps up, the civilian effort is ramping up as well. Co-ordination of that civilian effort will be more important — and more challenging — this year than ever. That is the job I have given Mr Sedwill, which he will carry out in co-operation with the UN mission and the Afghan Government, to help to support the overall transition to the Afghans taking the lead.

Transition is not a code word for “exit”. This mission will continue until the Afghans are capable of securing the country themselves. But, of course, we want to bring this forward as much as possible. That is why I will be pressuring the allies and our partners to contribute much more to the Nato training mission in Afghanistan. Trainers are an investment with an almost immediate payback: capable Afghan forces that can take the lead from our soldiers. We all want that. We need to make it happen.

Some might look at the terrorist attacks in Kabul last week and ask if it is realistic to talk about transition to an Afghan lead. Don’t be fooled.

Militants may try to make a propaganda success out of this, but it was a military failure. They did not enter any of the government buildings targeted; the only building they penetrated was a shopping centre. Afghan forces, which have taken the lead for security in Kabul since 2008, countered the attacks and established order on their own, without any help from the Nato-led mission. Afghan forces can stand on their own feet. They will do that more and more in 2010.

The London conference should also take steps to improve the co-ordination of the civilian effort in Afghanistan. A huge amount of aid and other assistance goes into Afghanistan; not enough is co-ordinated, either with the Afghan Government’s priorities or between donors. We can, and must do better. The UN, the Afghan Government, Nato/Isaf and donors must enhance their execution and co-ordination of civilian assistance.

In 2009 there was a lot of reflection in many countries on how best to take this mission forward. That phase is complete — 2010 is about implementation: with clear Afghan plans to improve governance, a more focused civilian effort, and a substantially stronger military mission. There is new momentum in this mission and it is gathering pace. The London conference will give it another boost.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen is Secretary-General of Nato

Order By:

Would you like to post a comment? Please register or log in

function blogURL(bUrls) { window.location=bUrls; } fieldset { float:left; width:165px; border:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px; } OUR COLUMNISTS

Columnists

Select David Aaronovitch Simon Barnes Camilla Cavendish Jeremy Clarkson Giles Coren Robert Crampton Bill Emmott Daniel Finkelstein Michael Gove Anatole Kaletsky India Knight Dominic Lawson Leo Lewis Rod Liddle Magnus Linklater Ben MacIntyre Bronwen Maddox Minette Marrin Carol Midgley Caitlin Moran Richard Morrison Matthew Parris Michael Portillo Libby Purves William Rees-Mogg Melanie Reid Peter Riddell Hugo Rifkind Sathnam Sanghera Frank Skinner Graham Stewart Andrew Sullivan Rachel Sylvester Janice Turner Guest contributors

Blogs

Select Alpha Mummy Archive Blog David Aaronovitch Asia Exile Baby Barista Blockbuster Buzz Charles Bremner Big Brother Mary Beard Comment Central Cricket Blog Faith Central Formula One Ruth Gledhill Inside Iraq Ariel Leve India Knight Money Rafael Nadal News Blog William Rees-Mogg Rugby Sinofile Mick Smith Sports Commentary Irwin Stelzer Peter Stothard Technology Travel Urban dirt Wimbledon

Cartoon More cartoons Peter Stothard

The Editor of the TLS writes on books, people and politics

A Don's Life

Mary Beard of Cambridge and the TLS on culture ancient and modern

John Cleese explains: everything you need to know about the brain Comment Central MOST READ MOST COMMENTED MOST CURIOUS Most Read Skip Most Read Today The secret lives of married men Scientists in stolen e-mail scandal hid... Manchester City’s hearts broken by... Apple aims to bridge gap between laptop and... MOST COMMENTED Skip Editor's Pick Today if(isArticle == "true" && articleHeadlines.length!=0){ for(var j=0; j=45){ headline = articleHeadlines[j].substring(0,44)+"..."; } document.write(""+headline +""); } }else{ fSubmitMostCommented('http://community.timesonline.co.uk/ver1.0/Direct/Process'); } MOST CURIOUS Skip Most Curious Today Infrastructure Planning Commission will... Steven Spielberg got it wrong – he... Tourists ‘bribe their way out of... Dunno Y . . . Na Jaane Kyun promises... Focus Zone Need to Know:

Industry sectors news at a glance. Interactive heatmap, video and podcast

Winter Sports:

Get ready for the winter sports season, with our resort guides and snow reports

Mapping Business:

We are backing British business, what is the confidence of the nation and what businesses are succeeding?

More reports:

Enjoy further reading from Travel to Fashion, Business to Sport, discover more

Need to Know Winter Sports Mapping Business More reports Births, deaths, marriages

Place your announcement

Free credit report

Online credit history with CreditExpert from Experian

Crossword Club

Free CV Review

Sell yourself! Have your CV reviewed by experts

Announcements

Search The Times Births, Marriages & Deaths

Online Sudoku with daily prizes Find a Lawyer

Cut your legal costs

Classifieds Cars Jobs Property Travel Cars Skip Cars of the Week Land Rover Range Rover

59/10 £87,990 West Yorkshire

Ferrari Enzo Coupe

2007 £POA Surrey

Car Insurance The best policy at the

best price Be Wiser Insurance Be Wiser Insurance

Great car insurance deals online

Car Insurance

Search for more cars and bikes Jobs Skip Jobs of the Week LEP GENERAL MANAGER

£COMPETITIVE Transformation Learning Partnership Six-figure package

Head of Democratic and Partnership Services

£82,000 Calderdale Council North East

Assistant Director – North

£60K - £70K Turning Point Yorkshire, North East, North West

Head of Business Finance – Centrica Energy Upstream

up to £120,000 Centrica Scotland

Search more Jobs Properties Vitet, St.Barth�lemy

Tranquil setting in the hills of Vitet and spectacular views. € 4.200.000 EUR

Bridges Wharf, Battersea

Award-winning riverside development, SW11. Luxury apartments for sale from £350,000.

Mayfield Grange, Sussex

Find out more about our luxurious apartments and houses for sale�in the heart of Sussex.

Looking for a Mortgage?

See your free Experian credit report beforehand

Search for more properties Holidays Skip Travel of the Week £159 – 4* Jersey spa hotel inc FREE car hire and ferry

Includes 3nts at the Hotel de France Hotel & Spa with breakfast, car hire and ferry travel. Same break by air costs £235. Valid for travel until 31 Mar 10.

Royal Caribbean January Dubai�Ultimate Sale

New Dubai & Emirates Cruises with extra free nights in the Traders Hotel Dubai on selected cruises from £799pp!

The ultimate holiday cottage experience.

Enjoy a break in�Dorset�from only £30 pp/pn

Celebrity Eclipse - Cruises from Southampton.

Pay for an Ocean Viewand receive a Free Upgrade to a Balcony stateroom + up to $200 Free Onboard Spend! Book Now!

Search for more holidays Place your advert now

Search Ad Reference:

Where am I?

Home Comment Columnists Guest contributors Contact us Back to top NewsCommentBusinessMoneySportLife & StyleTravelDrivingArts & EntsArchive Times Online Times Archive Google TLS Archive

Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times, or place your advertisement.

News International associated websites: Globrix Property Search | Milkround

This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69.