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Nato to stay in Afghanistan as long as needed: ISAF
Kabul, Aug 03: Nato will stay in Afghanistan as long as it is needed following its takeover of command of the peacekeeping International Security Assistance Force on August 11, an ISAF spokesman said today.
Kabul, Aug 03: Nato will stay in Afghanistan as long as it is needed following its takeover of command of the peacekeeping International Security Assistance Force on August 11, an ISAF spokesman said today.
"The actual mandate of ISAF lasts until June 2004 according to the underlying political frame, which is the Bonn agreement, and Nato on the other hand is prepared to take over indefinitely as long as there will be a political need for ISAF," German Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Loebbering told reporters at a press conference.
Elections are due to be held by June 2004 under the Bonn agreement made following the fall of the Taliban in late 2001. Under its United Nations mandate, Isaf is responsible for security in Kabul and that will not change under Nato, Loebbering said.
"To give the whole thing a motto, it will be 'consistency and continuity' so there will be no change of the ISAF mandate due to the fact that Nato will take over the lead," he said.
"There will no longer be any search for a new lead nation every six months because that will be provided by Nato."
Since it was established in December 2001, command of ISAF has changed every six months.
The current joint German-Dutch term of command ends on August 11 when Nato takes over.
Bureau Report
Elections are due to be held by June 2004 under the Bonn agreement made following the fall of the Taliban in late 2001. Under its United Nations mandate, Isaf is responsible for security in Kabul and that will not change under Nato, Loebbering said.
"To give the whole thing a motto, it will be 'consistency and continuity' so there will be no change of the ISAF mandate due to the fact that Nato will take over the lead," he said.
"There will no longer be any search for a new lead nation every six months because that will be provided by Nato."
Since it was established in December 2001, command of ISAF has changed every six months.
The current joint German-Dutch term of command ends on August 11 when Nato takes over.
Bureau Report