Afghanistan's transition: isaf's stabilisation role?

Abstract

The International Security Assistance Force (isaf) deployed in Afghanistan has played a critical role in that country's transition. Without its security and peace-stabilising contributions, the government of President Hamid Karzai and its international supporters would, arguably, not have been able to move Afghanistan on a path of stabilisation and reconstruction. Yet the isaf has also suffered from certain shortcomings, arising mainly from policy differences and tensions between the USA and some of its nato allies. Even so, the isaf model is worth studying closely for future international deployments in other conflict zones.

Notes

1 For a discussion of a disrupted state, see Amin Saikal, ‘Dimensions of state disruption and international responses’, Third World Quarterly, 21 (1), 2000, pp 39 – 49.

2 For details, see Amin Saikal, Modern Afghanistan: A History of Struggle and Survival, London: IB Tauris, 2004.

3 Ibid, ch 9.

4 William Maley, The Afghanistan Wars, London: PalgraveMacmillan, 2002, pp 268 – 275.

5 For a detailed discussion, see Sean M Malony, ‘The International Assistance Security Force: the origins of a stabilisation force’, Canadian Military Journal, Summer 2003, pp 3 – 11.

6 For the full text of Geoff Hoon's statement to the House of Commons on 19 December 2001, see ‘International Security Assistance Force for Kabul’, at http://news.mod.uk/news/press/news_notice.asp?newsItem_id=1336.

7 See Ahmed Rashid, ‘Still waiting to be rescued’, Far Eastern Economic Review, 21 March 2001; and Elizabeth Oslon, ‘UN official calls for larger international force in Afghanistan’, New York Times, 28 March 2002.

8 Amin Saikal, ‘Struggle for the global soul’, The World Today, 60 (8/9), 2004, pp 7 – 10.

9 For details, see ‘International Security Assistance Force—isaf’, 17 January 2004, at http://www.afnorth.anto.int/ISAF/Background/BackWhatisISAF.htm; ‘isaf VI Structure’, 6 February 2005, at http://www.isaf6.eurocorps.org/structure.php; and ‘nato in Afghanistan’, 20 January 2005, at http://www.nato.int/issues/afghanistan.

10 Peter Forster & Michael Smith, ‘Kabul deal leaves peace force crippled’, Daily Telegraph, 1 January 2001.

11 For a former US government insider's view of the situation, see Richard A. Clarke, Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror, New York: Free Press, 2004, esp pp. 274 – 283

12 In 2004 Afghanistan produced about 90% of the world's opium. BBC News, 18 May 2005. See also Paul Watson, ‘The lure of opium wealth is a potent force in Afghanistan’, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2005.

13 See undp, Afghanistan National Human Development Report 2004, New York: United Nations, 2005.

14 BBC News, 6 October 2005.

15 For details, see Tim Golden, ‘In US report, brutal details of 2 Afghan inmates' deaths’, New York Times, 20 May 2005.

16 For a recent discussion of the issue, see Sarah Chays, ‘With a little help from our friends’, New York Times, 26 May 2005.