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NATO flag lowered in Afghanistan as combat mission ends

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Afghan and International Security Assistance Force officials mark the end of the American-led coalition combat mission in Afghanistan. (Reuters)

KABUL The 13-year NATO combat mission in Afghanistan formally ended Sunday with a ceremonial retirement of its green flag and a pledge by top officials of the U.S.-led coalition to remain reliable partners in Afghanistans unfinished war against the Taliban and other militant groups.

Scores of Afghan and foreign officials gathered to witness the symbolic shift to a new, much smaller NATO assistance and training mission. The event was held in a basketball gym inside NATO headquarters here in the Afghan capital and accompanied by a brass band and a color guard.

Our commitment to Afghanistan endures.... We are not walking away, promised Gen. John F. Campbell, the U.S. commander of the outgoing International Security Assistance Force mission. He will lead the new NATO support mission, which technically begins at midnight Dec.31.

Campbell and other Western officials stressed that their chief function under the new mission, named Resolute Support, will be to advise, train and assist Afghan security forces. They said, however, that a separate non-NATO contingent of U.S. forces will participate in force protection, logistical support and counterterrorism activities.

The Taliban responded to the transition event with glee. In a lengthy statement issued Sunday night by a Taliban spokesman, the insurgent group gloated at the final departure of a haughty superpower that thought it had already won the war and that the Mujaheddin would never . . . think of putting up a fight.

Security is tight on the streets of Kabul ahead of a ceremony to mark the end of NATO combat missions in Afghanistan. (Reuters)

The statement said the NATO withdrawal was proof that the infidel powers who thought they would turn Afghanistan into their strategic colony had been pushed to the brink of defeat.

The total number of international troops here, which peaked in 2009 at about 142,000, has gradually shrunk to about 17,000. Under Resolute Support, officials said, 12,500 to 13,500 NATO forces will remain in 2015, including about 5,000 American troops. Twenty-eight NATO allies and 14 partner nations will contribute in different ways, the alliance said. Officials said about 5,500 U.S. forces will be part of the second contingent, which will be based in Kabul.

Western and Afghan officials at the event described the shift in upbeat terms. They praised the dedication and bravery of Afghan security forces, now numbering about 350,000, and predicted that the Afghans will continue to wage a strong fight on their own against Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgents.

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NATO flag lowered in Afghanistan as combat mission ends

NATO flag comes down in Afghanistan as combat mission ends

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Pull back: A soldier for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) salutes during a ceremony at the ISAF headquarters in Kabul. Photo: AP

Kabul: The 13-year NATO combat mission in Afghanistan formally ended with a ceremonial retirement of its green flag and a pledge by top officials of the United States-led coalition to remain reliable partners in Afghanistan's unfinished war against the Taliban and other militant groups.

Scores of Afghan and foreign officials gathered to witness the symbolic shift to a new, much smaller NATO assistance and training mission. Sunday's event was held in a basketball gym inside NATO headquarters in the Afghan capital and accompanied by a brass band and colour guard.

"Our commitment to Afghanistan endures ... we are not walking away," promised General John Campbell, the US commander of the outgoing International Security Assistance Force combat mission. He will lead the new NATO support mission, which technically begins at midnight on December 31.

Ceremonial exit: US General John Campbell (right), commander of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Photo: Reuters

General Campbell and other Western officials stressed that their chief function under the new mission, named Resolute Support, will be to advise, train and assist Afghan security forces. They said, however, that a separate "non-NATO" contingent of US forces will participate in force protection, logistical support and activities.

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The Taliban responded to the transition event with glee. In a lengthy statement issued by a Taliban spokesman on Sunday night, the insurgent group gloated at the final departure of a "haughty" superpower that "thought it had already won the war and that the Mujaheddin would never ... think of putting up a fight."

The statement said the NATO withdrawal was proof that "the infidel powers who thought they would turn Afghanistan into their strategic colony" had been "pushed to the brink of defeat".

The total number of international troops here, which peaked in 2009 at about 142,000, has gradually dwindled to about 17,000. Under Resolute Support, officials said, 12,500 to 13,500 NATO forces will remain in 2015, including thousands of American troops. The alliance said 28NATO allies and 14 partner nations will contribute in different ways. Officials said about 5,500 US forces will be part of the second contingent, which will be based in Kabul.

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NATO flag comes down in Afghanistan as combat mission ends

Nato ends combat operations in Afghanistan

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The Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, came to power in September and faces the challenge of tackling insurgents without Nato military assistance. Photograph: Aref Karimi/AFP/Getty Images

After 13 years of war, Nato formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan on Sunday, leaving the Afghan army and police in charge of security in a country plagued by continued fighting, a ferocious insurgency and a rising tide of both military and civilian casualties.

Against a backdrop of violent clashes in a number of provinces and several weeks of deadly attacks on the capital, military leaders lowered the flag of a mission conceived in 2001, and hoisted the colours of a new one under which Natos role will largely be restricted to training, advising and assisting the local army and police.

Our Afghan partners can and will take the fight from here, said General John F Campbell, the commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) at a ceremony in the capital.

As insurgent attacks have increased in many parts of the country in 2014, Afghan forces have already been leading the fight in recent months but at a high price.

More than 5,000 local security forces have been killed this year alone, the highest toll since the war began. In comparison, the international coalition has suffered a total of 3,485 deaths since 2001.

The Afghan national security forces had to suffer losses this year that are too high, ISAFs deputy commander Lieutenant General Carsten Jacobson said, speaking to reporters after the ceremony. Now that [the Afghan forces] have taken over the tactical fight, losses lie on them.

Between 17,000 and 18,000 international troops will remain in Afghanistan after 2014, of which 12,000 - including approximately 470 British troops - will form part of the new Nato mission, named Resolute Support.

An additional 5,500 US soldiers will perform different roles, including counterterrorism and logistical assistance. At their peak in 2011, international forces numbered close to 150,000.

The international coalitions biggest achievement has been to help build a 350,000-strong security force in Afghanistan from scratch. But they are still ill-equipped, particularly when it comes to air support and intelligence gathering.

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Nato ends combat operations in Afghanistan

New Russian military doctrine names NATO as No. 1 threat (+video)

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Moscow Russia identified NATO as the nation's No. 1 military threat and raised the possibility of a broader use of precision conventional weapons to deter foreign aggression under a new military doctrine signed by President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

NATO flatly denied it is a threat to Russia, and accused Moscow of undermining European security.

The new doctrine, which comes amid tensions over Ukraine, reflected the Kremlin's readiness to take a stronger posture in response to what it sees as U.S.-led efforts to isolate and weaken Russia.

The paper maintains the provisions of the previous, 2010 edition of the military doctrine regarding the use of nuclear weapons.

It says Russia could employ nuclear weapons in retaliation for the use of nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction against the country or its allies, and also in the case of aggression involving conventional weapons that "threatens the very existence" of the Russian state.

But for the first time, the new doctrine says Russia could use precision weapons "as part of strategic deterrent measures." The document does not spell out when and how Moscow could resort to such weapons.

Examples of precision conventional weapons include ground-to-ground missiles, air- and submarine-launched cruise missiles, guided bombs and artillery shells.

Among other things, the paper mentions the need to protect Russia's interests in the Arctic, where the global competition for its vast oil and other resources has been heating up as the Arctic ice melts.

Russia has relied heavily on its nuclear deterrent and lagged far behind the U.S. and its NATO allies in the development of precision conventional weapons. However, it has recently sped up its military modernization, buying large numbers of new weapons and boosting military drills. It has also sharply increased air patrols over the Baltics.

Earlier this month, Russia flexed its muscle by airlifting state-of-the art Iskander missiles to its westernmost Kaliningrad exclave bordering NATO members Poland and Lithuania. The missiles were pulled back to their home base after the drills, but the deployment clearly served as a demonstration of the military's readiness to quickly raise the ante in a crisis.

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New Russian military doctrine names NATO as No. 1 threat (+video)

Ukraine to seek NATO membership and step up military presence in war-torn east – Video

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Ukraine to seek NATO membership and step up military presence in war-torn east
Ukraine #39;s parliament has voted to drop its official neutrality in international relations. President Petro Poroshenko pledged on Tuesday to seek NATO membership although it is not clear how...

By: euronews (in English)

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Ukraine to seek NATO membership and step up military presence in war-torn east - Video

Kremlin Slams Ukraine NATO Move: Ukraine parliament votes to drop non-bloc status – Video

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Kremlin Slams Ukraine NATO Move: Ukraine parliament votes to drop non-bloc status
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called Ukraine #39;s renunciation of its neutral military and political status a "counterproductive" step that would o...

By: UKRAINE TODAY

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Kremlin Slams Ukraine NATO Move: Ukraine parliament votes to drop non-bloc status - Video

Russia Slams Ukraine NATO Plans: Ukrainian parliament votes to drop non-bloc status – Video

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Russia Slams Ukraine NATO Plans: Ukrainian parliament votes to drop non-bloc status
In today #39;s press review, Ukraine Today correspondent Peter Byrne will take a look at several articles examinging the fall-out from the decision of Ukraine #39;s ...

By: UKRAINE TODAY

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Russia Slams Ukraine NATO Plans: Ukrainian parliament votes to drop non-bloc status - Video

Ukraine’s NATO Choice: Stoltenberg says Ukraine has a lot of work to do to join NATO – Video

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Ukraine #39;s NATO Choice: Stoltenberg says Ukraine has a lot of work to do to join NATO
The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has said that the Brussels-based military bloc has no plans to admit Ukraine as a member in the near future. In an interview...

By: UKRAINE TODAY

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Ukraine's NATO Choice: Stoltenberg says Ukraine has a lot of work to do to join NATO - Video

Ukrainian NATO bid ‘poses threat to EU security’: Russian FM Lavrov warns of Kremlin response – Video

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Ukrainian NATO bid #39;poses threat to EU security #39;: Russian FM Lavrov warns of Kremlin response
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow would view Ukraine #39;s membership to NATO as a direct military threat. He added that the US and EU was using Kyiv #39;s prospective bid...

By: UKRAINE TODAY

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Ukrainian NATO bid 'poses threat to EU security': Russian FM Lavrov warns of Kremlin response - Video

Russias new military doctrine lists NATO, US as major foreign threats – Video

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Russias new military doctrine lists NATO, US as major foreign threats
Russia has adopted an updated version of its military doctrine, which reflects the emergence of new threats against its national security. NATO military buildup and American Prompt Global Strike...

By: RT

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Russias new military doctrine lists NATO, US as major foreign threats - Video

Russia’s new military doctrine names NATO build-up as main threat – Video

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Russia #39;s new military doctrine names NATO build-up as main threat
Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a revised military doctrine that names NATO #39;s military build-up near Russia #39;s border as its main military threat. NATO said it had evidence that...

By: euronews (in English)

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Russia's new military doctrine names NATO build-up as main threat - Video

New Russian military doctrine names NATO as No. 1 threat

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Moscow Russia identified NATO as the nation's No. 1 military threat and raised the possibility of a broader use of precision conventional weapons to deter foreign aggression under a new military doctrine signed by President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

NATO flatly denied it is a threat to Russia, and accused Moscow of undermining European security.

The new doctrine, which comes amid tensions over Ukraine, reflected the Kremlin's readiness to take a stronger posture in response to what it sees as U.S.-led efforts to isolate and weaken Russia.

The paper maintains the provisions of the previous, 2010 edition of the military doctrine regarding the use of nuclear weapons.

It says Russia could employ nuclear weapons in retaliation for the use of nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction against the country or its allies, and also in the case of aggression involving conventional weapons that "threatens the very existence" of the Russian state.

But for the first time, the new doctrine says Russia could use precision weapons "as part of strategic deterrent measures." The document does not spell out when and how Moscow could resort to such weapons.

Examples of precision conventional weapons include ground-to-ground missiles, air- and submarine-launched cruise missiles, guided bombs and artillery shells.

Among other things, the paper mentions the need to protect Russia's interests in the Arctic, where the global competition for its vast oil and other resources has been heating up as the Arctic ice melts.

Russia has relied heavily on its nuclear deterrent and lagged far behind the U.S. and its NATO allies in the development of precision conventional weapons. However, it has recently sped up its military modernization, buying large numbers of new weapons and boosting military drills. It has also sharply increased air patrols over the Baltics.

Earlier this month, Russia flexed its muscle by airlifting state-of-the art Iskander missiles to its westernmost Kaliningrad exclave bordering NATO members Poland and Lithuania. The missiles were pulled back to their home base after the drills, but the deployment clearly served as a demonstration of the military's readiness to quickly raise the ante in a crisis.

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New Russian military doctrine names NATO as No. 1 threat


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