Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

NATO Post-2016 Military-Civilian Mission

By Abdul Ahad Bahrami

NATO foreign ministers agreed on a framework to continue its military-civilian presence in Afghanistan after the alliance’s ongoing Resolute Support mission ends in 2016. Speaking after a meeting of the NATO foreign ministers in Turkey’s Antalya attended by Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenbergsaid that despite that the presence will be a civilian-led mission it will have a military component as well. The alliance’s current Resolute Support mission aims to train and equip Afghan National Security Forces in order to make it sustainable in dealing with the country’s ongoing and foreseeable security challenges. The mission began in January this year after the US-led NATO combat mission ended last December. The decision taken by NATO members is aimed at preserving the achievements of the past fourteen years of NATO efforts in Afghanistan and continuing a security and civilian partnership with the country beyond 2016.

The agreement is coming as a major development for ensuring a long-term security – as well as civilian – partnership between Afghanistan and NATO member countries. The decision is coming at a time when Afghanistan is struggling to contain a resurgence of the long-lasting insurgency in the country, which has become further complicated with the rising of Islamic State group as a new player in the field. In recent months, Afghanistan has witnessed a stiff insurgency as the militant groups have launched a deadly spring offensive in the country. The exacerbation of security situation across the country and the gains made by the militants in a number of provinces has sparked widespread concerns that the ANSF may be fighting a dead-end war with the Taliban.

Given the security prospect of the country, Afghanistan still needs substantial support from the US and NATO to contain the insurgency and lead a successful anti-insurgency campaign in the years to come.

Afghanistan needs to ensure it will be provided with long-term security support in forms of weaponry, logistics, intelligence and training by its international backers such as the United States and its allied countries in NATO. For this, Afghanistan needs robust, extensive and long-term security deal with the United States and the NATO. The decision made by NATO member countries to have a military mission as part of its mainly civilian presence after 2016 is coming a major breakthrough for ensuring long-term security support to Afghanistan after current Resolute Support mission ends by end of next year.

The decision for some sort of prolonged presence of NATO in Afghanistan is a result of a shift in approaches by both the government of Afghanistan and the United States as well as its allies in NATO after the National Unity Government came to power in Afghanistan. Former President Hamid Karzai’s approach towards the West particularly the United States was mostly unstable and erratic, and his unwillingness to secure a robust and long-term security deal with the Western powers was a major disappointment for many in Afghanistan.

Karzai refused to sign the bilateral security agreement with the United States, which was approved by the Afghan Mishrano Jirga, until his term was over. He also repeatedly criticized the United States and NATO for their handling of the war and recent the peace affairs with the Taliban.

This led to a visible and increasing frustration of the United States and its allied nations in NATO with the Afghan government. Despite that Afghan and American negotiators had agreed on a ten-year security agreement and long-term security partnership, the United States surprisingly announced last year that it was planning for a complete withdrawal by end of 2016 except remaining a small contingent for diplomatic premises in Kabul and elsewhere. The decision by Washington was a major setback for a long-term security partnership between Afghanistan and the United States. This was a heavy blow for the 14-year long US-led NATO mission in Afghanistan.

Since coming to power, the unity government of Afghanistan has taken concrete measures to undo the harms done to the relations between Afghanistan and its Western supporters. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani immediately signed the bilateral security agreement with the United States signaling its reliability to the US and other NATO nations.

During their visit to Washington, the leaders of the National Unity Government urged US president Barack Obama to backtrack his announcement of complete withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan by end of 2016. The United States responded to Afghanistan’s demand for reconsideration of the withdrawal and keeping troops beyond 2016. The NUG’s new approach towards NATO and the US has considerably helped the relations between Afghanistan and its major international backers.

NATO military presence after 2016 will mean a stronger partnership between Afghanistan and the West. The United States already provides a large portion of Afghanistan’s national budget and funding necessary for its military. In absence of a military role of the US and NATO, the financial support that Afghanistan receives from its major donors will decline considerably. In absence of domestic revenue alternatives, such a decline in international funding for Afghanistan could be the beginning of major challenges in areas of security and development. Afghanistan needs a sustainable funding from the world until it improves its domestic revenue base and substitute with donor aid.

Afghanistan and its Western supporters in NATO need to realize that the past achievements in military and development areas must be preserved. And the only way for this is to secure a long-term and robust partnership in security as well as economic and development areas.