U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta on Wednesday detailed new realities of the coming year in Afghanistan and announced leadership changes for NATO's European Command and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan.
Speaking at the NATO Defense Ministers' conference in Brussels, he announced that President Barack Obama would nominate Gen. John R. Allen, who has commanded ISAF since July 2011, to succeed Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis as commander of U.S. European Command and to serve as NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe.
"General Allen is well known to all of you, and if confirmed, his experience as [ISAF commander] will be instrumental in his broader role and in leading NATO's oversight of the mission in Afghanistan," Panetta said.
General Allen's nomination is subject to confirmation by the United States Senate.
He is expected to take up his new role in the spring of 2013.
Obama also will nominate Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., now assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, to succeed Allen in Afghanistan. "[Dunford] is an exceptionally gifted and combat-tested strategic leader," the Secretary said. Stavridis will stay on at NATO until spring, Panetta said, thanking the Admiral for his service.
He described the coalition's significant progress and remaining challenges and asserted that those who have given their lives in the fight did so for a noble purpose.
In addition to the campaign's evolution, success in Afghanistan going forward depends on the coalition partnership with Afghan forces and the response to insider attacks, the Pentagon chief said.
"A key challenge ISAF faces over the next two years is to plan and resource for the mid-2013 milestone and for the end of transition in December 2014. We must meet that challenge together," he said, and described new realities for the coming year as ISAF ends its combat mission and assumes an advise-and-assist role in preparing Afghan forces to take full security responsibility for their country.
These include the operation of fewer bases; A net flow of equipment out of Afghanistan; U.S. enabled support for ISAF partners that will continue, but will change its scope as coalition members jointly reduce forces; and the continued stepping back of ISAF forces as Afghan forces assume full security responsibility.
"While we have yet to determine the necessary size and composition of the force that will remain in Afghanistan after 2014, NATO's presence should be steadfast and effective," Panetta said.
The alliance must follow through on the commitments its political leaders made at NATO's Chicago summit in July, he added, including implementation of the framework for transition in Afghanistan. NATO agreed to hand over security responsibilities to Afghan national security forces by the end of 2014.
On the coalition partnership with Afghan forces, Panetta said commanders on the ground believed the security force assistance team model was a game-changing approach to fielding an effective fighting force.
"We've invested a great deal in helping develop Afghan security forces," the Secretary said. "Now, we must do everything we can to help them successfully transition and take the lead for security throughout all of Afghanistan as planned next year."
Panetta urged each nation to help in eliminating the shortfall of 58 security force assistance teams by a force-generation conference scheduled next month. He said the United States has filled a disproportionate number of such teams and needs help to close the gap.
Also on Wednesday, the North Atlantic Council approved the appointment of General Allen as the new Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (SACEUR).
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