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According to reports, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said that NATO’s decision to scale back joint operations with Afghan security forces is a "prudent and temporary measure". Speaking in Brussels, he said that the strategy of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) "remains the same".1
Meanwhile, reports noted that the last of the 33,000 US soldiers that President Barack Obama sent to Afghanistan nearly three years ago as part of a military surge have left the country. However, there are still approximately 68,000 US military forces remain in Afghanistan, as well approximately 40,000 soldiers from NATO’s ISAF coalition. 2
In other developments, according to reports, a female suicide bomber has killed twelve people in Kabul when she attacked a bus carrying foreigners. The attack comes on the wake of protests against the anti-Islam film. Nine out of twelve people killed, were foreigners. 3
- 1. “NATO’s Afghan joint patrol curb’s a prudent measure”, BBC, September 18, 2012 at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19641746
- 2. “Last US surge troops leave Afghanistan: US defence officials”, Dawn, September 21, 2012 at http://dawn.com/2012/09/21/last-us-surge-troops-leave-afghanistan-us-def...
- 3. “Female suicide bomber strikes Kabul bus”, AlJazeera, September 18, 2012 at http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/09/201291831757273.html