| Ander Nieuws week 44 / nieuwe oorlog 2007 |
Only more manpower can overcome NATO disunity, poor strategy
The Ottawa Citizen
October 18, 2007
By Andrew Thomson
As the Conservative government announced plans this week for a military presence in Afghanistan at least two years beyond the current 2009 deadline, an influential British think-tank has warned that NATO needs more manpower to counterbalance a lack of coherent strategy and internal unity.
The Afghan mission appears locked in a "state of slow deterioration" and Afghan authorities are unprepared to assume core security functions by 2010, said a co-author of the briefing paper released by Chatham House, formally known as the Royal Institute for International Affairs.
Differing national interests among NATO members continue to threaten the mission -- especially in countries such as Canada and the Netherlands, perceived to be facing the brunt of military action, said Timo Noetzel, a Chatham House visiting fellow and German political scientist who co-authored the report.
NATO's consensus-based decision structure has also allowed insurgents to selectively target coalition members with wavering public support, he said yesterday from London. "Most member states are pulling in different directions," Mr. Noetzel said. "There's a lowest common denominator (on objectives), but there's no consensus."
The report specifically cited Operation Medusa, the Canadian-led operation to retake several areas of Kandahar province in September 2006.
"Canadian commanders asked at least four allied partners for relief, but were turned down on the basis that legal restrictions would not permit their forces to come to the Canadian Forces' assistance," the report said.
"As a result of such operational experiences, national caveats have become increasingly contentious among coalition members. ... The principle of alliance solidarity has been put on the line."
These problems have been exacerbated by the thin line of soldiers on the ground, Mr. Noetzel said, especially in southern Afghanistan where Canadian troops have endured fierce fighting. Attempts to control large regions are "bound to fail" without addressing manpower and equipment shortages, the report concluded.
Thirty-seven nations have contributed troops to the 41,100-member International Security Assistance Force, including 2,500 from Canada. Seventy-one Canadian troops and one diplomat have been killed.
The Chatham House analysis was released Tuesday, the same day the speech from the throne declared that Canada's military presence should extend to 2011, beyond the current limit of February 2009. The final decision rests with the House of Commons, though the Liberals, Bloc Québécois, and NDP have opposed a combat role extension.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has also announced a five-member panel, led by former Liberal foreign affairs minister John Manley, charged with advising the government on Canada's options after the current commitment expires.
(c) The Ottawa Citizen 2007
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