18 September 2012
Last updated at 10:19 GMT
Patrols conducted jointly between Afghan and Nato-led forces will no longer happen routinely
This is a major step back for Nato's strategy, says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Kabul.
It comes as a suicide bomber targeted a bus carrying foreigners in the capital, killing 12 people on Tuesday morning.
The attack happened on a major road leading to the international airport and reports suggest those on board worked at the airport.
Afghan insurgent group Hezb-e-Islami has claimed responsibility for the blast, which it says was in response to a recent anti-Islam video.
Meanwhile Nato-led Isaf forces said they had arrested a Taliban leader and two insurgents they said were involved in an attack on the sprawling Camp Bastion in southern Helmand province.
They said the leader was suspected of "providing support" to the militants who staged the audacious assault, killing two US marines and destroying six Harrier fighter jets.
Rogue 'surge' The joint command of Nato-led Isaf international forces also cited "events outside of and inside Afghanistan" related to the film as part of the reason for its restrictions on joint operations.
Afghanistan has seen days of protests over the video, some violent.
UK soldiers Sgt Gareth Thursby (left) and Pte Thomas Wroe died in an insider attack on Saturday
Those, along with the surge in so-called "green-on-blue" attacks, had prompted the new restrictions, Isaf said.
Fifty-one Nato troops have been killed by Afghan soldiers so far this year - 15 in August alone. In 2008, just two soldiers died in such attacks - though Isaf and Afghan force numbers have also increased substantially in the period.
Four US soldiers and two UK soldiers died in rogue attacks at the weekend. A fifth of UK soldiers killed this year in Afghanistan were killed not by insurgents, but by Afghan soldiers or police.
Joint operations will now only be conducted routinely at battalion level - large operations involving several hundred troops.
"This does not mean there will be no partnering below that level; the need for that will be evaluated on a case by case basis," and approved by senior commanders, Isaf said in a statement.
In a news conference, US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta told reporters he was concerned about the effect of insider attacks.
But he insisted they did not mean the Taliban was getting stronger or regaining lost territory.
He said the US would do all it could to minimise risks to its forces, but "we will not lose sight of the fundamental mission here, which is to continue to proceed to assure a peaceful transition to Afghan security and governance".
Until now, only joint patrols were taking place.
In practical terms, US soldiers are already staying on their bases, while Afghans carry out patrols alone.
There has been enormous frustration among Nato commanders that Afghan officials have not been doing enough to prevent the rise in attacks, our correspondent says.
Film protests The Afghan ministry of defence said it had not been formally notified of the changes until a hurriedly convened meeting with Nato on Tuesday.
Nato's move comes after a week of protests triggered by the
anti-Islam film, produced in the US, which has caused a storm of anger
around the Muslim world.
On Monday, hundreds of protesters threw rocks and torched police vehicles in an angry protest against the film in Kabul.
The AFP news agency said hundreds more were staging a new protest in the northern city of Kunduz on Tuesday.
The last of an additional force of 33,000 extra US soldiers sent to Afghanistan by President Barack Obama in early 2012 to defeat the Taliban are returning home this week.
Patrols conducted jointly between Afghan and Nato-led forces will no longer happen routinely
Nato
says it is restricting operations with Afghan troops following a string
of deadly attacks on its personnel by rogue Afghan security forces.
Only large operations will now be conducted jointly, with joint patrols evaluated on a case-by-case basis.This is a major step back for Nato's strategy, says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Kabul.
It comes as a suicide bomber targeted a bus carrying foreigners in the capital, killing 12 people on Tuesday morning.
The attack happened on a major road leading to the international airport and reports suggest those on board worked at the airport.
Afghan insurgent group Hezb-e-Islami has claimed responsibility for the blast, which it says was in response to a recent anti-Islam video.
Meanwhile Nato-led Isaf forces said they had arrested a Taliban leader and two insurgents they said were involved in an attack on the sprawling Camp Bastion in southern Helmand province.
They said the leader was suspected of "providing support" to the militants who staged the audacious assault, killing two US marines and destroying six Harrier fighter jets.
Rogue 'surge' The joint command of Nato-led Isaf international forces also cited "events outside of and inside Afghanistan" related to the film as part of the reason for its restrictions on joint operations.
Afghanistan has seen days of protests over the video, some violent.
UK soldiers Sgt Gareth Thursby (left) and Pte Thomas Wroe died in an insider attack on Saturday
Fifty-one Nato troops have been killed by Afghan soldiers so far this year - 15 in August alone. In 2008, just two soldiers died in such attacks - though Isaf and Afghan force numbers have also increased substantially in the period.
Four US soldiers and two UK soldiers died in rogue attacks at the weekend. A fifth of UK soldiers killed this year in Afghanistan were killed not by insurgents, but by Afghan soldiers or police.
Joint operations will now only be conducted routinely at battalion level - large operations involving several hundred troops.
"This does not mean there will be no partnering below that level; the need for that will be evaluated on a case by case basis," and approved by senior commanders, Isaf said in a statement.
In a news conference, US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta told reporters he was concerned about the effect of insider attacks.
But he insisted they did not mean the Taliban was getting stronger or regaining lost territory.
He said the US would do all it could to minimise risks to its forces, but "we will not lose sight of the fundamental mission here, which is to continue to proceed to assure a peaceful transition to Afghan security and governance".
Afghan 'green-on-blue' attacks
- 2007 - 2 attacks, 2 Isaf soldiers dead
- 2008 - 2 attacks, 2 dead
- 2009 - 6 attacks, 10 dead
- 2010 - 6 attacks, 20 dead
- 2011 - 21 attacks, 35 dead
- 2012 (so far) - 36 attacks, 51 dead
But international and Afghan forces are meant to fight shoulder to shoulder against the Taliban, our correspondent says.
The new restrictions strike at the heart of Nato's strategy
in Afghanistan. Training Afghan police and soldiers to take
responsibility for security was at the heart of that plan. Until now, only joint patrols were taking place.
In practical terms, US soldiers are already staying on their bases, while Afghans carry out patrols alone.
There has been enormous frustration among Nato commanders that Afghan officials have not been doing enough to prevent the rise in attacks, our correspondent says.
Film protests The Afghan ministry of defence said it had not been formally notified of the changes until a hurriedly convened meeting with Nato on Tuesday.
On Monday, hundreds of protesters threw rocks and torched police vehicles in an angry protest against the film in Kabul.
The AFP news agency said hundreds more were staging a new protest in the northern city of Kunduz on Tuesday.
The last of an additional force of 33,000 extra US soldiers sent to Afghanistan by President Barack Obama in early 2012 to defeat the Taliban are returning home this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment