NATO plans new strategy to beat Taliban

NATO will be changing tactics and strategy in Afghanistan, according to the head of the alliance's Operations Section.

Gordon Brett and others familiar with the security risks in Afghanistan addressed a Centre for European Policy Studies conference in Brussels on 17 April entitled 'Stabilising Afghanistan: Developing Security, Securing Development'. The debate focused on how to stabilise the country in view of the Taliban's resurgence of the last two years.

"We've learned the lessons and we're refocusing [ISAF's campaign]," said Brett, adding that one strand of ISAF's new effort would be to put a Provincial Reconstruction Team of military and civilian development personnel in each of Afghanistan's 32 provinces.

ISAF's other objectives include efforts "to boost co-operation with Afghanistan's neighbours and to increase [its] support along the [Afghan-Pakistani] border" to counter the Taliban's cross-border manoeuvres, he continued.

Afghan, ISAF and Pakistani military forces have recently opened a joint border station for sharing intelligence and intend to establish new posts along Afghanistan's southeastern border with Pakistan in the coming months. 168 of 503 words