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Press Release

Poor strategy undermines coalition efforts in Afghanistan

16 October 2007

A briefing paper published today by Chatham House states that coalition forces have failed to bring security to Afghanistan because they do not have a coherent strategy for operating in the country.

The coalition's internal cohesion is becoming increasingly fragile as some NATO states have been less willing to share risks, and resisted sending their troops in Afghanistan into combat. Insurgents have been able to take advantage of this weakness, and have sought to influence NATO strategy by targeting individual member states so as to manipulate public opinion among their home populations.

At the same time, the conflict in Afghanistan is becoming increasingly regional. Insurgents are able to source significant logistical and armament supplies from Pakistan. Coalition forces have been unable to stem these supplies because the Pakistani side of the border region is beyond their control.

The paper concludes that NATO will not be able to control Afghanistan until it develops a strategy that integrates counter-insurgency, counterterrorism and stability and reconstruction into operations on the ground.

Read Coalition Warfare in Afghanistan: Burden-sharing or Disunity?

Dr Timo Noetzel is a Transatlantic Post-Doctoral Fellow at Chatham House.
Dr Sibylle Scheipers is Director of Studies for the Changing Character of War Programme, Oxford University.

For further information please contact:
Sean Armstrong
Press Officer
Chatham House Press Office
Direct: +44 (0) 20 7957 5739
Mobile: +44 (0) 78 4985 3757
Email: Sean Armstrong

ENDS