With a deteriorating security situation and no comprehensive
political outcome yet in sight, most observers view the war in
Afghanistan as open-ended. By early 2009, a growing number of
Members of Congress, Administration officials, and outside experts
had concluded that the effort-often called "America's other
war"-required greater national attention. For the Government of the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA), the war is both a struggle
for survival and an effort to establish sustainable security and
stability. For the United States, the war in Afghanistan concerns
the security of Afghanistan and the region, including denying safe
haven to terrorists and helping ensure a stable regional security
balance. For regional states, including India and Russia as well as
Afghanistan's neighbors Pakistan and Iran, the war may have a
powerful impact on the future balance of power and influence in the
region. For individual members of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO), the war may be about defeating terrorist
networks, ensuring regional stability, proving themselves as
contributing NATO members, and/or demonstrating NATO's relevance in
the 21st century.
Since 2001, the character of the war in Afghanistan has evolved
from a violent struggle against al Qaeda and its Taliban supporters
to a multi-faceted counterinsurgency (COIN) effort. In the
aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the
United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in order to
end the ability of the Taliban regime to provide safe haven to al
Qaeda and to put a stop to al Qaeda's use of the territory of
Afghanistan as a base of operations for terrorist activities. In
that first phase, U.S. and coalition forces, working with Afghan
opposition forces, quickly removed the Taliban regime.
After the fall of the Taliban, the character of the war shifted
to a multifaceted COIN effort aimed at smothering the diffuse
insurgency by shoring up GIRoA efforts to provide security,
governance, and economic development. The three areas are generally
viewed as interdependent and mutually-reinforcing-security is a
prerequisite for some governance and development efforts, and
longer-term, sustainable security requires both functional
governance and economic opportunity. As one pillar of the COIN
campaign in Afghanistan, the Afghan and international military
effort aims broadly at defeating the remnants of the Taliban and
other insurgents, securing the population, and helping extend the
reach of the Afghan government. The international military effort
includes both the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF), to which the United States contributes troops, and the
separate U.S.-led OEF mission.
In his December 3, 2009, speech President Obama identified
several objectives in Afghanistan and Pakistan: (1) disrupt,
dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda; (2) deny al Qaeda a safe haven; (3)
reverse the Taliban's momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow
the government; and (4) strengthen the capacity of the Afghan
security forces and government to better protect and serve
population centers. To accomplish this, President Obama ordered the
deployment of an additional 30,000 troops to the region, which will
bring the U.S. total to almost 100,000 troops. This deployment will
be staged over several months, with the full additional complement
being in-country by the end of the summer 2010. Noting that Afghan
operations continue to be an international effort, President Obama
expressed confidence that some of 42 coalition allies will also be
increasing their contributions. NATO Secretary-General Rasmussen
echoed this confidence, stating that he expects NATO allies to
contribute at least an additional 5,000 troops in 2010.
This report will be updated as events warrant.
General
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