[ Afghan Elections 2004-2005 ]

The United States is expected to pressure its NATO allies to assume overall responsibility for peacekeeping and reconstruction in Afghanistan, the BBC reported on 13 October. The U.S. request is expected to come during informal NATO talks in Romania on 13 October. "Obviously we hope to see, at some point, integration of the NATO effort and Operation Enduring Freedom [the U.S.-led antiterrorism campaign]" in Afghanistan, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns said. NATO currently commands the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which is based in Kabul and runs several Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in northern Afghanistan (see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report," 18 June 2004). The ISAF currently has about 9,000 troops, but expectations are that the number will be reduced after the conclusion of Afghan parliamentary elections scheduled for April 2005. The U.S.-led force numbers around 19,000 and is mainly responsible for fighting militant groups or pressuring warlords. The ISAF has not seen any combat in Afghanistan and, in the event of hostilities, has either remained in its barracks or evacuated areas in which fighting has occurred. Burns was cautious over the possibility of integrating the two forces, saying, "It's a very complicated issue." (Amin Tarzi)