Misplaced Pages

#721278

45-555: Chora District is a district of Uruzgan Province , Afghanistan . The district center is the town of Chora , with a population of about 3,000. It is a rural town with no industry beyond livestock, agriculture, and small merchants. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to officially open the Tarinkot to Chora Road Oct. 4, 2011. The Dutch State Secretary , Ben Knapen , along with the Uruzgan provincial governor, Mohammed Sherzad, held

90-499: A lower frequency. On 5 August 2014, a gunman believed to have been an Afghan soldier opened fire on several international soldiers, killing a U.S. general, Harold J. Greene , and wounding about 15 officers and soldiers, including a German brigadier general and several U.S. soldiers, at a training academy near Kabul. Throughout the four different regional stages of ISAF, the number of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) grew. The expansion of ISAF, to November 2006, to all provinces of

135-755: A permanent Afghan government following the U.S. invasion in October 2001. ISAF's primary goal was to train the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and assist Afghanistan in rebuilding key government institutions; it gradually took part in the broader war in Afghanistan against the Taliban insurgency . ISAF's initial mandate was to secure the Afghan capital of Kabul and its surrounding area against opposition forces to facilitate

180-504: A tactical directive issued by General Stanley A. McChrystal , USA , the commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Another issue over the years has been numerous 'insider' attacks involving Afghan soldiers opening fire on ISAF soldiers. While these diminished, in part due to the planned ending of combat operations on 31 December 2014, they continued to occur, albeit at

225-455: Is located in southern Afghanistan, bordering Zabul and Kandahar to the south, Helmand to the southwest, Daykundi to the north, and Ghazni to the east. Uruzgan covers an area of 12,640 square kilometres (1,264,000 ha). Much of the province is mountainous or semi-mountainous terrain, while the rest of the area is made up of flat land. The Arabs were first to arrive in Uruzgan in

270-780: The Afghan parliamentary election in September 2005 the Canadian base Camp Julien in Kabul closed, and the remaining Canadian assets were moved to Kandahar as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in preparation for a significant deployment in January 2006. On 31 July 2006, the NATO‑led International Security Assistance Force assumed command of the south of the country, ISAF Stage 3, and by 5 October, also of

315-639: The Resolute Support Mission . For almost two years, the ISAF mandate did not go beyond the boundaries of Kabul. According to General Norbert Van Heyst , such a deployment would require at least ten thousand additional soldiers. The responsibility for security throughout the whole of Afghanistan was to be given to the newly reconstituted Afghan National Army . However, on 13 October 2003, the Security Council voted unanimously to expand

360-528: The Resolute Support Mission . ISAF Joint Command, in its final deployment provided by Headquarters XVIII Airborne Corps , ceased operations ahead of the end of the NATO combat mission on 8 December 2014. From 2006, the insurgency by the Taliban intensified, especially in the southern Pashtun parts of the country, areas that were the Taliban's original power base in the mid‑1990s. After ISAF took over command of

405-551: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as no significant eradication efforts were carried out by the Afghan administration or Dutch forces. Between 15 and 19 June 2007, Dutch, American, Australian and Afghan soldiers defended the town of Chora against an assault by Taliban combatants. Reports in the Dutch, Australian and US press indicated that the battle was one of the largest Taliban offensives of

450-462: The 1980's Soviet war in Afghanistan , Uruzgan witnessed fighting between pro-Soviet forces and the Mujahideen . One of the most prominent local Mujahideen leaders was Jan Mohammad Khan . In late 1994, Uruzgan was captured by the Taliban . They were toppled by US-led forces in late 2001. Hamid Karzai and his followers arrived in Uruzgan between October and November 2001 to take over control of

495-748: The 7th century when they brought Islam to the region followed by the Saffarids who conquered the place in the 9th century. The region was part of ancient Arachosia , and was ruled by the Medes before it fell to the Achaemenids . In 330 BC, Alexander the Great occupied the area but left it to the Seleucids to rule. It was later attained and ruled by the Mauryas under Ashoka . By the 7th century, when

SECTION 10

#1732772465722

540-864: The Arabs first arrived, it was under the control of the Zunbils before being conquered in the name of Islam by the Saffarids in the 9th century. It fell to the Ghaznavids followed by the Ghurids before the Mongol invasion in the 13th century. The area was ruled by Arghun Khan of Ilkhanate , later by the Timurids , Mughals and Safavids . In 1709, the Hotak dynasty rose to power in Kandahar and defeated

585-549: The British, Danish, Estonian, and Georgian forces suffered the most deaths for their size. The Canadian Armed Forces had the highest per-capita casualty rate among coalition members. Under its ultimate aim of transitioning security responsibilities to Afghan forces, ISAF ceased combat operations and was disbanded in December 2014. Several troops remained to serve a supporting and advisory role as part of its successor organization,

630-686: The Central Statistics Office Afghanistan, and the Liaison Office study 2009. International Security Assistance Force The International Security Assistance Force ( ISAF ) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 according to the Bonn Agreement , which outlined the establishment of

675-768: The Colombians were not listed as part of the force as of June 2011. Three NATO states announced withdrawal plans beginning in 2010. Canada in 2011 , Poland , in 2012, and the United Kingdom in 2010. Between 1 July 2014, and August, Regional Command Capital and Regional Command West were re-designated Train Advise and Assist Command Capital (TAAC Capital) and TAAC West. The United States ended combat operations in Afghanistan in December 2014. Sizable advisory forces would remain to train and mentor Afghan National Security Forces , and NATO will continue operating under

720-589: The Dutch " inkspot policy ". However, the force's area of responsibility included the entire province. Gizab district, which was then the most dangerous of Uruzgan's district, had no ISAF presence before. In August 2010, the 1,950 Dutch forces withdrew their forces from Uruzgan province, after a political disagreement in the Dutch parliament, leaving the PRT to the US and Australia to continue the mission. Uruzgan's opium poppy crop reached record levels in 2006 and 2007, according to

765-609: The ISAF forces were as of 6 October 2008. The numbers also reflected the situation in the country. The north and west were relatively calm, while ISAF and Afghan forces in the south and east came under almost daily attack. In December 2014 the force reportedly numbered 18,636 from 48 states. [REDACTED] The command of ISAF has rotated between officers of the participating nations. The first American took command in February 2007 and only Americans have commanded ISAF since that time. All NATO member states have contributed troops to

810-525: The ISAF mission beyond Kabul with Resolution 1510. Shortly thereafter, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said that Canadian soldiers (nearly half the entire force at that time) would not deploy outside Kabul. On 24 October 2003, the German Bundestag voted to send German troops to the region of Kunduz . Approximately 230 additional soldiers were deployed to that region, marking the first time that ISAF soldiers operated outside of Kabul. After

855-526: The ISAF, as well as some other partner states of the NATO alliance. Resolution 1386 of the United Nations Security Council established that the expense of the ISAF operation must be borne by participating states. For this purpose, the resolution established a trust fund through which contributions could be channeled to the participating states or operations concerned and encouraged the participating states to contribute to such

900-638: The Safavids. Then, he took control of the entire southern Afghanistan while most of the Durrani Pashtuns were settled in the Herat area at the time. In 1747, one of Nader Shah 's commanders, Ahmad Shah Durrani , became leader of the Afghans and the region of Uruzgan was one of the first to become part of his new Durrani Empire , which became what is now the modern state of Afghanistan. During

945-478: The Taliban by ISAF forces in late April 2010 and this was attributed to the uprising of the townspeople who helped the ISAF forces. In February 2010, near Khod, over ten civilians in a three-vehicle convoy were killed by a combined force of a Lockheed AC-130 , Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopters and General Atomics MQ-1 Predator drones, who misidentified them as Taliban. The air forces were attempting to protect ground troops fighting several km away. As of May 2014,

SECTION 20

#1732772465722

990-557: The UK, Italy, Turkey, Norway , and others. In March 2003, ISAF was composed of 4,700 troops from 28 countries. Service in ISAF by NATO personnel from 1 June 2003. onward earns the right to wear the NATO Medal if a service member meets a defined set of tour length requirements. In Kabul on 7 June 2003, a taxi packed with explosives rammed a bus carrying German ISAF personnel, killing four soldiers and wounding 29 others; one Afghan bystander

1035-540: The US as Task Force Uruzgan . There is also an Australian element under the Dutch command. Because of security concerns and the Taliban insurgency , only one international aid agency ( GIZ ) has a permanent presence in Uruzgan. NATO's ISAF operates a PRT in Tarinkot. The 1,400 Dutch and 1,090 Australian troops in the area secured only the largest population centers in Uruzgan (Deh Rawood, Chora, and Tarinkot towns) under

1080-749: The area. In June 2002, a wedding party in Uruzgan was bombed by the U.S. Air Force , which resulted in the death of 30 civilians. In 2004, the new Daykundi Province was carved out of an area of northern Uruzgan. In August 2006, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) assumed authority for Uruzgan from the US-led coalition, as the Netherlands took command of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) from

1125-438: The civilian casualties caused by the war and Coalition/ISAF friendly fire , became a major political issue, both in Afghanistan and in the troop-contributing nations. Increasing civilian casualties threatened the stability of President Hamid Karzai's government . Consequently, effective from 2 July 2009, Coalition air and ground combat operations were ordered to take steps to minimize Afghan civilian casualties in accordance with

1170-513: The country brought the total number of PRTs to twenty-five. The twenty-fifth PRT, at Wardak , was established that month and was led by Turkey. Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum , at Brunssum , the Netherlands, was ISAF's superior NATO headquarters. The headquarters of ISAF was located in Kabul. In October 2010, there were 6 Regional Commands, each with subordinate Task Forces and Provincial Reconstruction Teams. The lower strength numbers of

1215-454: The east of Afghanistan, ISAF Stage 4. ISAF was mandated by UN Security Council Resolutions 1386 , 1413 , 1444 , 1510 , 1563 , 1623 , 1659 , 1707 , 1776 , and 1917 (2010). The last of these extended the mandate of ISAF to 23 March 2011. The initial ISAF headquarters (AISAF) was based on 3rd UK Mechanised Division , led at the time by Major General John McColl . This force arrived in December 2001. Until ISAF expanded beyond Kabul,

1260-476: The entire country; ISAF subsequently engaged in more intensive combat in southern and eastern Afghanistan. At its peak between 2010 and 2012, ISAF had 400 military bases throughout Afghanistan (compared to 300 for the ANSF) and roughly 130,000 troops. A total of 42 countries contributed troops to ISAF, including all 30 members of NATO . Personnel contributions varied greatly throughout the mission: Initially, Canada

1305-759: The force consisted of a roughly division-level headquarters and one brigade covering the capital, the Kabul Multinational Brigade. The brigade was composed of three battle groups and was in charge of the tactical command of deployed troops. ISAF headquarters served as the operational control center of the mission. Eighteen countries were contributors to the force in February 2002, and it was expected to grow to 5,000 soldiers. Turkey assumed command of ISAF in June 2002 (Major General Hilmi Akin Zorlu , chief of Turkish Army Plans and Policy). During this period,

1350-673: The formation of the Afghan Transitional Administration headed by Hamid Karzai . In 2003, NATO took command of the mission at the request of the UN and Afghan government, marking its first deployment outside Europe and North America. Shortly thereafter, the UN Security Council expanded ISAF's mission to provide and maintain security beyond the capital region. ISAF incrementally broadened its operations in four stages, and by 2006 took responsibility for

1395-399: The ground found it difficult to gain the support of the local population. Though problematic for NATO, this indirect role allowed NATO to avoid the opposition of the local population who depended on the poppy fields for their livelihood. In October 2008, NATO altered its position to curb the financing of insurgency by the Taliban. Drug laboratories and drug traders became the targets, and not

Chora District - Misplaced Pages Continue

1440-658: The illegal opium economy in Afghanistan through shared intelligence with the Afghan government, protection of Afghan poppy crop eradication units, and helping in the coordination and the implementation of the country's counter-narcotics policy. For example, Dutch soldiers used military force to protect eradication units that came under attack. Crop eradication often affects the poorest farmers who have no economic alternatives on which to fall back. Without alternatives, these farmers no longer can feed their families, causing anger, frustration, and social protest. Thus, being associated with this counterproductive drug policy, ISAF soldiers on

1485-400: The number of Turkish troops increased from about 100 to 1,300. In November 2002, ISAF consisted of 4,650 troops from over 20 countries. Around 1,200 German troops served in the force alongside 250 Dutch soldiers operating as part of a German-led battalion. Turkey relinquished command in February 2003 and assumed command for a second time in February 2005. Turkey's area of operations expanded into

1530-503: The poppy fields themselves. To satisfy France, Italy and Germany, the deal involved the participation in an anti-drug campaign only of willing NATO member countries; the campaign was to be short-lived and with the cooperation of the Afghans. On 10 October 2008, during a news conference, after an informal meeting of NATO Defense Ministers in Budapest, Hungary, NATO Spokesman James Appathurai said: ... about counter-narcotics, based on

1575-477: The problem, the command was turned over indefinitely to NATO on 11 August 2003. This marked NATO's first deployment outside Europe or North America. Colombia had planned to deploy around 100 soldiers in spring 2009. These forces were expected to be de-mining experts. General Freddy Padilla de Leon announced to CBS News that operators of Colombia's Special Forces Brigade were scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan in either August or September 2009. However,

1620-519: The province was served by Tarinkot Airport which had regularly scheduled direct passenger service to Kabul . The percentage of households with clean drinking water increased from 8% in 2005 to 27% in 2011. The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant increased from 6% in 2005 to 14% in 2011. The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) increased from 5% in 2005 to 17% in 2011. The overall net enrollment rate (6–13 years of age) increased from 1% in 2005 to 49% in 2011. As of 2020,

1665-399: The request of the Afghan government, consistent with the appropriate U.N. Security Council Resolutions, under the existing operational plan, ISAF can act in concert with the Afghans against facilities and facilitators supporting the insurgency, subject to the authorization of respective nations... The idea of a review is, indeed, envisioned for an upcoming meeting. ISAF military casualties, and

1710-453: The ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of construction of the road that will better connect the Chora district to the provincial capital city by cutting travel time between the two by more than half. District profile: This Orūzgān Province , Afghanistan location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Uruzgan Province Uruzgan province

1755-421: The rugged west of Afghanistan. The expansion of its zone of activities saw ISAF troops operating in 50 percent of Afghanistan, double its previous responsibility. On 10 February 2003, German Lieutenant General Norbert van Heyst took command of ISAF, with Brigadier General Bertholee of the Netherlands serving as Deputy. The mission HQ was formed from HQ I.  German/Dutch Corps (1GNC), including staff from

1800-570: The security situation in the south, ISAF commanders asked member countries to send more troops. On 19 October, the Dutch government decided to send more troops because of increasing attacks by suspected Taliban on their Task Force Uruzgan , making it difficult to complete the reconstruction work that they sought to accomplish. Derogatory alternative acronyms for the ISAF were created by critics, including "I Saw Americans Fighting," "I Suck at Fighting," and "In Sandals and Flip Flops." Before October 2008, ISAF had only served an indirect role in fighting

1845-477: The south on 31 July 2006, British, Dutch, Canadian, and Danish ISAF soldiers in the provinces of Helmand , Uruzgan , and Kandahar came under almost daily attack. British commanders said that the fighting for them was the fiercest since the Korean War , 50 years previously. In an article, BBC reporter Alastair Leithead , embedded with the British forces, called it "Deployed to Afghanistan's hell." Because of

Chora District - Misplaced Pages Continue

1890-461: The total population of the province is about 436,079. The province has an estimated 45,000 households, each with about six members on average. A large portion of Uruzgan's population belongs to ethnic Pashtuns and ethnic Hazaras . There is also a small population of Kochis , whose numbers vary with the seasons. Population figures are from the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development ,

1935-487: The year. The fighting resulted in the deaths of a Dutch soldier, 1 Australian soldier, 1 American soldier, 16 Afghan policemen, an unknown number of civilians and a large number of Taliban. In September 2008, Rozi Khan , the leader of Uruzgan's Pashtun Barakzai tribe, and a longtime rival of Popalzai leader Jan Mohammed Khan, was killed in a firefight in Chora District . Gizab District was temporarily cleared of

1980-495: Was killed and 10 Afghan bystanders were wounded. The 33 German soldiers, after months on duty in Kabul, were en route to the Kabul International Airport for their flight home to Germany. At the time, German soldiers made up more than 40 percent of ISAF troops. ISAF command originally rotated among different nations every six months. However, there was tremendous difficulty securing new lead nations. To solve

2025-536: Was the largest contributor, though by 2010 the United States accounted for the majority of troops, followed by the United Kingdom , Turkey, Germany, France, and Italy; nations such as Georgia, Denmark, Norway, and Estonia were among the largest contributors per capita. The intensity of the combat faced by participating countries varied greatly, with the U.S. sustaining the most casualties overall, while

#721278