NATO to wait and see on Afghan progress

NATO will wait and see how Afghan forces perform in the upcoming fighting season before assessing whether they'll need the help of foreign forces, including Australians, beyond the end of next year.

General Knud Bartels, Danish chairman of NATO's military committee, said Afghanistan was on the right track to become a stable and secure nation.

The general, who's visiting Australia for talks on security issues, said that for the first time Afghan National Security Forces were responsible for their entire country.

About 12,000 foreign troops including 400 Australians remain in Afghanistan to train and assist Afghan forces under the NATO Resolute Support Mission.

That ends at the end of 2016, raising concerns that Afghan forces will struggle as they confront a resurgent Taliban without foreign assistance.

General Bartels said this was just the start of Resolute Support, and there was a year to assess how the situation was unfolding.

'There is no doubt we need to have a pragmatic approach as to timelines in 2015 and particularly the fighting season in 2015,' he said.

'During this process we will conduct consultations with the 28 allies who are our partners in this endeavour to define we are going to move beyond the end of 2016.'

General Bartels said Afghanistan was moving in the right direction.

'It doesn't mean there are no challenges. It doesn't mean that there is a 100 per cent guarantee at the end of the day. But I would say the chances are increasing on a daily basis for positive outcomes on Afghanistan.'

See original here:
NATO to wait and see on Afghan progress