Gen. Dunford has NATO support: Medley

KABUL shifting its main effort from combat to support.

He said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen was confident that US Gen. Dunford, who took command of all foreign forces in Afghanistan on Sunday from his predecessor Gen. John Allen, would lead ISAF through the transition with great skill and determination and that he has NATO’s full support.

He said Rasmussen  had thanked Gen. Allen for the tremendous contribution he has made to the mission in Afghanistan.

General Allen took command at the time when the process of transition to Afghan security lead was beginning and during his time in command, the transition process gained momentum, with Afghan soldiers and police assuming responsibility for the security of almost 90 percent of the Afghan people, said  Medley.

“The accomplishments of the Afghan National Security Forces over the past few years with ISAF’s support are undoubtedly impressive, but there remains a lot to be done,” he said.

Over the course of the next two years, he said, the Afghan National Security Forces would become increasingly professional, independent and confident, with them eventually taking full security responsibility for their own country.

He said NATO’s commitment to Afghanistan was explicit and unwavering. “Specifically, NATO and its partners are dedicated to continuing the mentorship of the Afghan National Security Forces through a new training, advising and assistance mission starting in 2015.”

The media advisor said the commitment of NATO and the broader international community was both clear and unprecedented with promises to fund the ANSF and to continue financial and development support to Afghanistan in the years after 2014.

“The partnership between the international community and Afghanistan is unquestionable. Afghanistan and its people are in control of the future they want to build for themselves and NATO and its partners will remain committed to supporting this country realising its own potential.”

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