2011 also marked the tenth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. NATO’s mission in Afghanistan, which had harboured those responsible for the attacks, continues to be a top priority for the Alliance. Building a safe and secure Afghanistan, a country led by the Afghans and for the Afghans, is at the heart of this mission.
Since the summer of 2011, NATO has started handing over primary security responsibility to the Afghan government and the Afghan national security forces. Hundreds and thousands of police and military personnel have been trained as part of this enduring partnership and transition process. Following the November announcement by President Hamid Karzai that a further 18 areas will soon transition to Afghan security control, over half of the Afghan population will be protected by their national security forces.
"Transition is firmly on track. It is driven by the determination of the Afghan people and sustained by the courage of the Afghan National Security Forces and of ISAF,"
says Secretary General Rasmussen. "We will keep our commitment to training and supporting the Afghan security forces throughout the transition process, and beyond."
