NATO's transition in Afghanistan an 'organised challenge'

NATO's transition from a combat to a support role in Afghanistan, to be concluded by the end of 2014, will be a challenge but a well organised one, alliance chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Thursday. "It will be a well organised and planned operation to gradually transfer the lead responsibility to the Afghan security forces and gradually change the role from combat to support," Rasmussen told a joint news conference with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa. "I could call (the transition) a logistical challenge, not a nightmare," he added. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is to hand over security to local forces by the end of 2014. From January 2015 onwards, NATO will remain in Afghanistan mainly for training, mentoring and assisting the Afghan forces. "As we gradually hand over lead responsibilities, we will also adapt our troop presence," Rasmussen said, adding that the recent reopening of the supply route through Pakistan and other existing transit agreements will allow "better opportunities than we had previously" for the withdrawal of troops. "I expect that some allies will join efforts in solving this logistical challenge," Rasmussen said. He gave no estimate of the cost of the transition operation.