NATO has been leading international security efforts in Afghanistan since 2003 but wound up combat operations in 2014 to focus on training Afghanistan's national security forces. NATO helped build up an army some 300,000 troops, but that force withered in the face of the Taliban offensive in just days. A year ago, NATO’s “Resolute Support Mission” to train Afghan security forces involved around 10,000 personnel from 36 member and partner countries. NATO is currently training troops and helping to build national security institutions in Iraq, Jordan and Tunisia, and has similar arrangements with Georgia and Moldova. He said that NATO can avoid getting mired in combat operations if it successfully trains local forces.

Source: The Hindu August 17, 2021 14:18 UTC