NATO is currently focused on the period up to 2014, with a view to organizing the withdrawal of combat forces and training Afghan security forces so as to transit authority by the end of 2014. The interesting question, though, is what will happen after the bulk of the NATO forces have left the region. NATO and the international community have promised an “enduring commitment” or an “enduring partnership”. This sounds straightforward: after combat comes partnership, with training, advice and assistance. However, a more detailed focus on the debate within the Alliance and on the outcomes of the Chicago Summit shows that there will be only a very modest partnership with Afghanistan. The new Research Paper from the NATO Defense College, “After Combat, the Perils of Partnership: NATO and Afghanistan beyond 2014”, indicates that NATO will “go small” in Afghanistan and is likely to be complemented by a US-led coalition. NATO’s “enduring partnership” is likely to materialize in a small training mission in Kabul, and maybe one or two other cities, with very limited “assistance” apart from training and a consultation mechanism.


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