Monday, August 22, 2011 – According to a senior NATO Senior Civilian official, efforts are underway by Afghan and NATO officials on the second phase of security transition process and both sides are working to determine provinces for the second phase of security transition to Afghan forces.
While speaking during a joint press conference with the NATO-led ISAF spokesman, Nato’s senior civilian representative spokesman Dominic Medley said, an announcement on the second group regions that would see transition will be made either in late September or October.
Dominic Medley further added, “Now the transition coordination commission under the chairmanship of Dr Ashraf Ghani is working with Nato and Isaf to carry out the next routine assessment of provincial readiness for transition across the country.”
He also said, “Following this assessment, recommendations for the next group of areas to commence transition will be discussed and agreed by the JANIB, Joint Afghan-Nato Inteqal Board, and those recommendations will be passed through the cabinet and the president in September.”
NATO’s senior civilian representative spokesman said, “It is expected that an announcement on the second group of areas for transition would be made sometime in late September or in October.”
Meanwhile, ISAF officials said, they are ahead of time in terms of build up and equipment programme in Afghan security forces, despite concerns that Afghan security forces are not equipped with modern weapons.
Gen. Carsten Jacobson, ISAF spokesman said, “We are more than in the timetable for increasing Afghan national security forces, police and army and equipping them according to plan.”
This comes as the wave of violence has dramatically increased across the country including the relatively peaceful parts of the country as foreign troops have already begun to leave Afghanistan this year.
