UN Extends Mandate of NATO-led Force in Afghanistan

Posted October 12th, 2011 at 4:25 pm (UTC-5)
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The U.N. Security Council has extended the mandate of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan for another year.

Security Council members voted unanimously to continue the mission of the approximately 130,000 ISAF troops and called on U.N. member states to contribute more troops, supplies and other resources.

The council further encouraged the NATO-led force to accelerate the training and deployment of a self-sufficient Afghan security force.

The U.S.-led NATO coalition began transferring security responsibility in some areas of the country to Afghan forces in July. All foreign combat troops are scheduled to leave the country by the end of 2014.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has completed its investigation of the August 5 helicopter crash in central Afghanistan that killed 30 American and eight Afghan troops. The results of the probe are expected to be released later this week.

But Agence France Press quoted an unnamed U.S. defense official as saying there was “no problem with the mission and no problem with the equipment and no commander was singled out for possible punishment.”

It was the deadliest single loss of life for coalition troops in the decade-long war.