ISAF (International Security Assistance Force)

On 20 December 2001 the UN Security Council authorised the establishment of an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, following the defeat of the Taliban in November 2001. ISAF was to assist the Afghan Interim Authority maintain security in Kabul and surrounding areas and to enable the Interim Authority and the UN to operate in a safe environment. Four NATO countries – the United Kingdom, Turkey, Germany and the Netherlands – provided most of the personnel for the first three rotations of ISAF, but this was not a NATO-led operation, and the burden of force generation proved very difficult for the countries involved.

In December 2002 Germany recommended that NATO assume command of ISAF IV, and the NAC agreed to this in April 2003. NATO then assumed command of ISAF on 11 August 2003. Subsequent additions to the ISAF OPLAN added Strategic Reserve Forces and then expanded ISAF’s mission beyond the Kabul area. Stage 1 Expansion began on 31 Dec 2003 when the German PRT in Kunduz transferred to ISAF Control. On 1 July 2004 nine provinces in Area North were added to ISAF’s area of operations. Stage 1 expansion was completed on 1 Oct 2004. Stage 2 expansion into the Central Region and Area West began in April 2005. Under Stage 3 ISAF assumed command of southern Afghanistan from the US-led coalition on 31 July 2006. The final phase of ISAF expansion was Phase 4 on 5 October 2006, which placed eastern Afghanistan under ISAF control, thus making ISAF responsible for all of Afghanistan.