|
 Afghanistan
A
New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan
•
White Paper of the Interagency Policy
Group's Report on U.S. Policy toward
Afghanistan and Pakistan
Quick Facts
Source:
CIA The
World Factbook
• Capital: Kabul
• Form of government: Islamic Republic
• Area: 647,500 square miles (slightly smaller than Texas)
• Arable land: 12.1 percent
• Population: 33 million (2008 estimate)
• Life expectancy at birth: 44.2 years
• Per capita GDP: $800
• Literacy: 28 percent
• Ethnic groups: Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%,
Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%
• Religions: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1%
• Opium production: Afghanistan is the largest supplier in the world.
Did
you Know?
ISAF: NATO deployed its first troops
to Afghanistan in 2003. Known as the
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF),
the coalition’s role is to assist the Afghan
government in maintaining security,
reconstructing the country, training the
national police and army, and providing a
lawful environment for free and fair
elections. The building blocks for this
civil-military partnership are the
Provincial Reconstruction Teams, or PRTs:
http://www.nato.int/isaf/index.html
United Nations Mission in Afghanistan:
Since 2002, the UN’s mandate is to manage
all humanitarian relief, reconstruction,
recovery and development activities with the
government:
http://www.unama-afg.org/
USAID/Afghanistan: The United States
has spent more than $4 billion in
development aid to Afghanistan since 2002,
with USAID providing the largest amount in
civilian assistance for rural, regional,
governmental,. and infrastructure
development:
http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/index.aspx
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers
Europe: Based in Mons, Belgium, SHAPE is
one of NATO’s two military strategic
commands, and is responsible for all
Alliance operations, ranging from the Arctic
to Afghanistan:
http://www.nato.int/shape/graphics/isaf/isaf.htm
United States Central Command or CENTCOM:
In addition to ISAF forces, the United
States has significant troop numbers
deployed in Afghanistan under Operation
Enduring Freedom, commanded by CENTCOM:
http://www.centcom.mil/en/topics/significant-operations/operation-enduring-freedom/
The Afghan Women’s Mission: An
organization working with Afghan women
dedicated to peace, freedom, democracy and
women’s rights:
http://afghanwomensmission.org/index.php
Independent Election Commission of
Afghanistan: As part of Afghanistan’s
growth towards democracy, the IEC is an
independent organization that promotes free
and fair elections. The next presidential
election will take place in August 2009:
http://www.iec.org.af/search.asp?searWords=peo
Update on U.S. State Dept. Anti-Narcotics
Policy: The illegal drug trade in
Afghanistan is a strong source of revenue to
the violent Taliban insurgency, and the U.S.
government has pledged to work with the
Afghan government to sever this link:
http://www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2008/August/20080828171311xjsnommis0.1912042.html
|
|
|
The International Security
Assistance Force is a multinational force formed in 2001 to
help stabilize Afghanistan. Though initially established by
the United Nations, NATO has increasingly played a more
significant role in ISAF. In early 2003, the North Atlantic
Council decided to expand NATO’s role in ISAF; NATO took
over command and coordination of ISAF in August of that
year. At the Bucharest Summit in 2008, the Alliance adopted
a new Comprehensive Strategy for Afghanistan. Currently,
there are troops from 41 nations serving in ISAF.
After decades of war and persecution, NATO is helping the
Afghan people rebuild a society in the face of continuing
attacks by Taliban extremists who seek to reimpose their
brutal rule on the country. Progress has been made in many
areas, including government, education and health. In
September 2005, Afghanistan held its first parliamentary
elections in 30 years. Until 2001, during the Taliban’s
rule, it was forbidden for girls to attend school. By 2008,
over 2 million girls were enrolled in school in Afghanistan.
In the field of health, there has been a 26% drop in child
mortality since 2002, and over 670 clinics have been
constructed or rehabilitated.
 NATO
in Afghanistan
Slideshow
NATO’s mission in Afghanistan is much more than a military
operation. It involves a wide range of initiatives aimed at
helping Afghans rebuild their country after decades of war.
To illustrate this variety of roles, USNATO has produced a
slideshow, “From Guardian to Friend: The Many Faces and
Roles of NATO in Afghanistan”.
• View “From
Guardian to Friend: The Many Faces and Roles of NATO in
Afghanistan” slideshow |
ISAF Placemat:
Valid as of
22 December 2009 (PDF) - Source: ISAF |
