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 German soldiers next to a drone before its launch from the Shamali plain some 30 kilometres north of Kabul, October 14. The drone is being used to control movements around Kabul
Photo: SARDAR AHMED/AFP/Getty Images |
INTERNATIONAL NEWS NATO takes command in Afghanistan The 31-nation North Atlantic Treaty Organization took command of the International Security and Assistance Force in Kabul on August 11, the first instance of deployment outside Europe in NATO's 54-year history. US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld suggested NATO take over all military operations in Afghanistan -- including combat missions -- against remnants of Al Qaeda and the Taliban who still operate in parts of the nation. While a UN mandate and NATO ministers agreed to expand the force beyond Kabul to take over protection of the nation's reconstruction process, most nations were unwilling to commit more than a token force to the mission. Text: Ramananda Sengupta NATO forces to be deployed in Afghanistan
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