Asia-Pacific, Europe, Headlines | Analysis

EUROPE: Scrambling to get it Right on Afghanistan

BRUSSELS, Apr 4 2009 (IPS) - As NATO prepares to celebrate its 60th year, Europe’s somewhat fractured Afghanistan policy, which will feature large in discussions at the organisation’s anniversary summit this weekend, needs to improve significantly if it is to gain any credibility in the region, say policy experts in Brussels.

Furthermore, failure to establish a co-ordinated strategy for the future of the country could damage EU-U.S. relations at a time when the Union is striving for foreign policy credibility on the global stage.

For the EU, which, on ratification of the Lisbon Treaty will have its first foreign minister, Afghanistan represents the kind of make-or-break challenge that cannot be shied away from; but to achieve a workable policy, a significant increase in co-operation between member states is needed.

U.S. President Barack Obama set out his stall early; with the promise of extra troops being deployed on the ground, and with the appointment of Richard Holbrooke, a man with significant experience in the Balkans, as special envoy to the ‘AfPak’ region of Afghanistan and its neighbour Pakistan.

Now, the U.S. wants Europe to follow suit by strengthening the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has also suggested, however diplomatically, that Europe should be more involved in regional stability, while Canada has threatened to withdraw some of its personnel if Europe does not assist more.

Providing more assistance, however, is so far proving to be somewhat difficult. Although European members of NATO have sent troops to Afghanistan, most EU countries are unwilling to commit extra personnel to the country, fearing a political backlash for participation in what continues to remain an unpopular venture. Also, they see that the security situation has deteriorated beyond effective repair.

And while Europe might be able to point to a set of statistics that suggests ongoing commitment to the region, the basic problem, that no one wants to put extra soldiers on the ground, will not be allowed to pass unnoticed by its international partners.

On paper, certainly, the EU looks to be doing a lot. The combined EU aid budget for Afghanistan will have exceeded 7 billion euros by the end of next year, with an additional 610 million euros being earmarked for projects in the areas of reform of the justice sector, rural development and health.

Britain currently supplies a little under 9,000 troops, but is feeling the strain. This week, it began troop withdrawal from Iraq with the intention of moving extra soldiers to Afghanistan. Germany, France, Italy, Poland and the Netherlands have all either increased troop numbers over the last year, or have signalled an intention to do so in the near future. And, taking the lead from Holbrooke, several EU member states have appointed their own ‘AfPak’ envoys.

But despite these initiatives, Europe is still failing to make a strong impact in the region. In the run-up to the elections in August, security is becoming increasingly important, with reform the policing and justice sector of Afghanistan a key priority. In this regard, EUPOL, the EU’s police mission, currently engaged in reform of the Afghan police force, is still the Unions’ highest profile engagement in the country, and one which will undoubtedly see the EU judged by its efforts.

Unfortunately, problems of staff shortages have meant that the EU has drafted in outside help to boost its capacity, further diluting both its visibility on the ground, and its claim to be the leading actor in police reform.

Last December the EU pledged to increase the EUPOL staff to 400, but so far member states have yet to make these extra police officers available. In an effort to provide incentives, European foreign ministers are now even talking about tripling salaries for anyone prepared to go the Afghanistan. At the moment, however, serving with the EU police mission in Kosovo is seen as a more attractive proposition than Afghanistan, seen as a lawless and dangerous place.

As the U.S. pushes ahead with its AfPak strategy, assessing that stability amongst Afghanistan’s neighbours is a vital component of maintaining security in Afghanistan itself. The EU is coming under pressure to increase its efforts in the region. And NATO has expressed a wish for its European members to lift their national caveats, which specifically detail the conditions of engagement, so far with little success.

But despite this unwillingness to commit troops, either through the EU or within NATO, the EU still sees itself as playing a vital part in the future of Afghanistan, if not through military assistance, then at least through its ‘soft presence’. The Union has pledged to fund and monitor the August elections.

Europe, most definitely sees itself as the international actor best equipped to bolster Afghanistan’s civilian capabilities. However, if it is to keep its credibility at this crucial time, it is vital that a co-ordinated transatlantic policy be reached if the EU’s escalating foreign policy ambitions are not to be derailed.