Marines Fill NATO's Afghanistan Shortfall

The upcoming deployment of more than 3,000 U.S. Marines to Afghanistan this spring is widely regarded as a step to fill a troop void thus far unfilled the member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO.

NATO assumed responsibility for military and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan in 2003, nearly two years after the U.S.-led invasion that launched America's global war on terrorism and removed the Taliban from power in the landlocked nation. NATO forces supporting the Afghan government of President Hamid Karzai fall under the command and control of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, which consists of a headquarters unit, an air task force, regional commands, forward support bases, and provincial reconstruction teams. The provincial reconstruction teams, which are also widely used in Iraq, are considered a critical tool for rebuilding the nation's infrastructure and governance systems at the local and regional levels.

Many NATO countries have been criticized by the United States for failing to contribute the number of troops needed to battle Taliban and al-Qaeda remnants that have continued to fight for control of Afghanistan. Criticisms have also been leveled at restrictive rules of engagement that some member countries impose on their forces in response to public concerns about casualties. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has ordered the deployment of the marines to Afghanistan to meet the troop requests of military commanders while the U.S. government continues to press NATO for additional forces.

Differences over troop contribution levels appear to be taking a toll on the alliance. Writing in a policy analysis for the CATO Institute, Stanley Kober says, "The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is beginning to fracture. Its members...took on burdens that have proved more difficult than expected. Increasingly, they are failing to meet the challenges confronting them."

The additional marines being sent to Afghanistan will increase U.S. troop levels there to their highest since the 2001 invasion. The deployment also comes amid increasing calls for returning U.S. military forces to the United States in order to relieve some of the strain caused by prolonged conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as continued commitments in the Balkans, the Sinai, South Korea, the Horn of Africa, and the Philippines.

In a speech last week NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said he'd like to see more progress made in Afghanistan. Speaking at an annual press reception welcoming the New Year, the secretary general said the international community could and should do better.

Sources: NATO, CATO Institute, NATO Secretary General Speech