NATO's Counter-Terrorism Strategies in Afghanistan

Abstract

With the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) taking over command from the US-led Coalition Forces in southern Afghanistan and the United States focusing on the eastern part of Afghanistan, particularly along the border with Pakistan, crucial questions have arisen regarding securing Afghanistan and its transition to democracy. How will NATO perform its new responsibilities and what will be its counter-terrorism strategies? Will it be substantially different from the US counter-terrorism approach and how will the differences on the issue of ‘use of force’ among the NATO members be reconciled? These are some of the questions that this article addresses in the broader context of NATO's transformation from its earlier ‘support role’ to now that of a ‘lead role’.