Nato in pledge on Afghan deaths

Reports of the the first visit to Afghanistan by the new Secretary General of NATO, Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, August 2009.

NATO’s main role in Afghanistan is to assist the Afghan Government in exercising and extending its authority and influence across the country, paving the way for reconstruction and effective governance. It does this predominately through its UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force.

Since NATO took command of ISAF in 2003, the Alliance has gradually expanded the reach of its mission, originally limited to Kabul, to cover Afghanistan’s whole territory. The number of ISAF troops has grown accordingly from the initial 5,000 to around 50.000 troops coming from 42 countries, including all 28 NATO members.

• Primary Source

NATO: Newsroom: News, 5.8.09: NATO Secretary General meets UN and Afghan officials in Afghanistan http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-11AA39B1-6C6AC7CC/natolive/news_56836.htm?

NATO: Topics: Nato's role in Afghanistan http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_8189.htm

Deutsche Welle, 5.8.09: Rasmussen in Afghanistan to stress importance of NATO mission http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4544433,00.html

---