Afghanistan: NATO Secretary General Reaffirms Europe's Commitment to Atlantic Alliance

As the debate deepens in Washington over whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, one factor that American policy makers are trying to gauge is the level of commitment of US allies. NATO's secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, visited Washington recently to offer assurances that the resolve of European members of the Atlantic Alliance remains firm in Afghanistan.

"NATO will stay" in Afghanistan, "for as long as it takes to succeed," Rasmussen said in a September 28 speech delivered at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC. Among those in attendance was President Barack Obama's national security advisor, Gen. James L. Jones.

Rasmussen declined to endorse the recommendation of the top US commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, for yet another large increase in the number of American military personnel in the country. He argued that it was important to first reach a decision on the goals of the mission, and develop an effective plan for achieving them, before determining troop numbers. "Strategy first, resources second," he said.

The NATO secretary general did call for allocating more resources to support the allied training mission in Afghanistan, a mission that aims to rapidly improve the combat capabilities of Afghan security forces and thus reduce Kabul's dependence on NATO troops for security. "We have to do more now," he argued "if we want to be able to do less later."

On October 1, Rasmussen was in London, where he planned to give a speech that sought to promote US-European strategic cohesion within the NATO alliance. Also scheduled to be in London for a public appearance was Gen. McChrystal. No potential meeting between Rasmussen and McChrystal has been officially announced.

There are approximately 100,000 foreign soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan, drawn from more than 40 countries. Roughly, 60,000 soldiers are American. If Gen. McChrystal's request is approved by the Obama administration, the troop level in Afghanistan would rise to about 140,000.

As casualties have mounted amid an upsurge in Islamic militant activity in Afghanistan, speculation has risen that the political costs of Afghan democratization efforts are climbing too high for some European states to bear. Much attention has fallen on Germany, especially in the wake of recent Taliban threats to bring the war to the German homeland. These threats were clearly designed to undermine popular support in Germany for the continued presence of German troops in northern Afghanistan.

Rasmussen contended that the mood of solidarity among NATO allies remains strong concerning Afghan deployments. Although "the solidarity built up over 60 years is being strongly tested in Afghanistan," the alliance is "holding up over years, despite casualties and setbacks." He called this "a huge achievement and a precious asset," which he hoped was being "recognized here in the United States."

Rasmussen expressed concern that the United States was "losing sight of what NATO is" and ignoring the considerable alliance contribution to the Afghan campaign. He appreciated that many in Washington are frustrated by the restrictions many NATO countries impose on their force contributions in Afghanistan, but he argued that these hindrances are "far outweighed by the benefits" of European participation in alliance missions.

He stressed the fact that "all 28 NATO member countries are taking part" in the Afghan mission. In addition, 13 non-member states have placed their troop contingents under NATO command.

The financial contribution made by European states to Afghan democratization may not be receiving a proper share of appreciation in the United States, Rasmussen suggested. European allies provide hundreds of millions of dollars in development assistance as part of a "team effort to achieve a common goal" that is "all part of the same package," Rasmussen noted. "These are not costs that the United States can afford to pay alone."

Rasmussen cautioned that "talking down the European and Canadian contributions, as some here in the United States have done on occasion, can become a self-fulfilling prophesy." If European members of NATO continue to feel that their efforts are not valued, "they will be less inclined to make those efforts and those sacrifices [in the future]. And that is not in anyone's interest," he said.

The secretary general acknowledged that NATO strategy needed to be adjusted, including a need for a better communications strategy within NATO states. He said a public impression was spreading in the United States and Europe that "we aren't getting anywhere." To counter that, Rasmussen said member governments needed to figure out more effective ways to publicize "how much has been accomplished" in Afghanistan thanks to NATO's efforts. Governments also needed to find a way to connect Afghan democratization to homeland security, specifically reinforcing the notion that "territorial defense begins far away from our own borders."

"Al-Qaeda [now] has no safe haven, no training camps, no launch pads in Afghanistan" for conducting terrorist attacks against Western countries. "These are huge achievements in just eight years," Rasmussen insisted.