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INTERNATIONAL
SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE (OPERATION FINGAL)
Nineteen
countries are providing troops to the International Security
Assistance Force to assist the new Afghan Interim Authority
with the provision of security and stability in Kabul. Major
General McColl handed over leadership of the force to
Turkey's Major General Zorlu on 20 June 2002. During its first
six months of operation, ISAF:
- mounted
2,185 joint patrols with Afghan security forces in and around
Kabul;
- disposed
of nearly 3 million munitions, 80% of which were anti-personnel
landmines;
- trained
the 1st Battalion of the new Afghan National Guard, which
subsequently played an important role in ensuring the security
of the Loya Jirga;
- completed
some 200 humanitarian aid projects.
The
establishment of the force:
The Secretary of State for Defence, Geoff Hoon MP, confirmed
in the House of Commons on 19 December 2001 that the UK
had formally offered to lead ISAF. He
set out in the House of Commons on 10 January 2002 the
details of the Force's composition.
Austria,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Netherlands,
Norway, Portugal, Romania,
Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK signed a joint Memorandum
of Understanding in London on 10 January, formalising their
contributions to the Force. Belgium subsequently also signed
the Memorandum, and Bulgaria is also contributing personnel.
On 14 March, the Czech Republic signed the Memorandum, offering
to contribute a military field hospital. Major General McColl
signed the Military
Technical Agreement - the framework document for the deployment
of the ISAF - with the then Afghan Interior Minister, Mohammad
Yunis Qanouni, on 4 January 2002.
Pending
the arrival of ISAF, Royal Marines from 40 Commando based
at Bagram supported Major General McColl and the Afghan Interim
Authority once the latter took office on 22 December. Key
enabling personnel from 3 (UK) Division and 16 Air Assault
Brigade deployed quickly to Kabul to prepare for the arrival
of the main body of ISAF, and a multinational reconnaissance
team arrived in Kabul on 1 January 2002. A German brigade
headquarters took over the task of tactical command of the
force from the UK's 16 Air Assault Brigade on 19 March 2002.
Casualties:
It
was with very deep regret that it was confirmed on 6 March
2002 that two German and three Danish soldiers from ISAF had
been killed in a tragic accident in Kabul. The circumstances
of the accident are subject to a full investigation. Major
General John McColl's statement following the accident can
be found here. A British soldier from the Royal Anglian
Regiment died on 9 April 2002 following an incident during
a security patrol in Kabul. The circumstances of the incident
are the subject of a full investigation, but hostile action
was not a factor.
Emergency
humanitarian relief assistance:
ISAF provided assistance to the Afghan authorities after an
avalanche struck the Salang
Tunnel in February. In the aftermath of the earthquake
which caused devastation in northern Afghanistan overnight
25/26 March, ISAF responded quickly to requests from the
Afghan Interim Authority, dispatching a team of experts to
help assess the situation. Subsequently, ISAF transport aircraft
were heavily involved in providing the delivery of initial
emergency supplies, and medical personnel assisted with the
reception of casualties evacuated from the area.
The
New Zealand and British ISAF contingents marked ANZAC Day
on 25 April 2002, joined by senior officers representing many
of the other different national contingents in a simple service
of remembrance at Kabul International Airport.
Text
of the Military Technical Agreement (PDF Format) (Note
that this may not work with Explorer's Acrobat plug-in: if
so, use Word version below)
(final and complete version)
Text
of the Military Technical Agreement (Word Format)
(final and complete version)
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