Editing NATO (section)

===War in Afghanistan===
{{Main|International Security Assistance Force|War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|l2=War in Afghanistan}}[[File:Explosion following the plane impact into the South Tower (WTC 2) - B6019~11.jpg|thumb|The [[September 11 attacks]] in the United States caused NATO to invoke its collective defence article for the first time. |alt=A monumental green copper statue of a woman with a torch stands on an island in front of a mainland where a massive plume of grey smoke billows among skyscrapers.]]

The [[September 11 attacks]] in the United States caused NATO to invoke [[NATO Article 5|Article 5]] of the NATO Charter for the first time in the organization's history.<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1057/s42738-021-00067-0|title=Creating common sense: Getting NATO to Afghanistan|year=2021|last1=Münch|first1=Philipp|journal=Journal of Transatlantic Studies|volume=19|issue=2|pages=138–166|doi-access=free | issn = 1479-4012 }}</ref> The Article states that an attack on any member shall be considered to be an attack on all. The invocation was confirmed on 4 October 2001 when NATO determined that the attacks were indeed eligible under the terms of the North Atlantic Treaty.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2001/1001/e1002a.htm |title=NATO Update: Invocation of Article 5 confirmed |date=2 October 2001 |publisher=NATO |access-date=22 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825031521/http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2001/1001/e1002a.htm |archive-date=25 August 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> The eight official actions taken by NATO in response to the attacks included [[Operation Eagle Assist]] and [[Operation Active Endeavour]], a naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction, and to enhance the security of shipping in general, which began on 4 October 2001.<ref name="NATO Operations"/>

The alliance showed unity: on 16 April 2003, NATO agreed to take command of the [[International Security Assistance Force]] (ISAF), which included troops from 42 countries. The decision came at the request of Germany and the Netherlands, the two countries leading ISAF at the time of the agreement, and all nineteen NATO ambassadors approved it unanimously. The handover of control to NATO took place on 11 August, and marked the first time in NATO's history that it took charge of a mission outside the north Atlantic area.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2003/8/11/nato-takes-historic-step-into-afghanistan |title= NATO takes historic step into Afghanistan |website= Al Jazeera |agency= Reuters |date= 11 August 2003 |accessdate= 23 July 2023 |archive-date= 23 July 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230723205859/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2003/8/11/nato-takes-historic-step-into-afghanistan |url-status= live }}</ref>

[[File:210321-D-BN624-1005 (51058690203).jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|General [[Austin S. Miller]] (right) became commander of U.S. and [[Resolute Support Mission|NATO forces]] in Afghanistan in September 2018 and oversaw the [[Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan (2020–2021)|withdrawal]] until July 2021. [[Lloyd Austin]], the 28th [[United States Secretary of Defense]], is on the left.]]

ISAF was initially charged with securing [[Kabul]] and surrounding areas from the [[Taliban]], [[al Qaeda]] and factional warlords, so as to allow for the establishment of the [[Afghan Transitional Administration]] headed by [[Hamid Karzai]]. In October 2003, the UN Security Council authorized the expansion of the ISAF mission throughout Afghanistan,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nato.int/isaf/topics/mandate/unscr/resolution_1510.pdf |title=UNSC Resolution 1510, October 13, 2003 |access-date=5 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009021301/http://www.nato.int/isaf/topics/mandate/unscr/resolution_1510.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> and ISAF subsequently expanded the mission in four main stages over the whole of the country.<ref name="ISAF Chronology">{{cite web |url=http://www.nato.int/isaf/topics/chronology/index.html |title=ISAF Chronology |publisher=NATO |access-date=5 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101113041055/http://www.nato.int/isaf/topics/chronology/index.html |archive-date=13 November 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 31 July 2006, the ISAF additionally took over [[Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2006|military operations in the south of Afghanistan]] from a US-led anti-terrorism coalition.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a1qU01AKOHT8 |title=NATO Takes Control of East Afghanistan From U.S.-Led Coalition |first=Alex |last=Morales |date=5 October 2006 |access-date=4 September 2013 |work=[[Bloomberg L.P.]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724142511/https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a1qU01AKOHT8 |archive-date=24 July 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> Due to the intensity of the fighting in the south, in 2011 France allowed a squadron of [[Dassault Mirage 2000|Mirage 2000]] fighter/attack aircraft to be moved into the area, to [[Kandahar International Airport|Kandahar]], in order to reinforce the alliance's efforts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/cgi-bin/ACHATS/acheter.cgi?offre=ARCHIVES&type_item=ART_ARCH_30J&objet_id=1002456&clef=ARC-TRK-NC_01 |title=La France et l'OTAN |work=Le Monde |language=fr |location=France |access-date=16 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012175557/http://www.lemonde.fr/cgi-bin/ACHATS/acheter.cgi?offre=ARCHIVES&type_item=ART_ARCH_30J&objet_id=1002456&clef=ARC-TRK-NC_01 |archive-date=12 October 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> During its [[2012 Chicago Summit]], NATO endorsed a plan to end the Afghanistan war and to remove the NATO-led ISAF Forces by the end of December 2014.<ref name="Reuters 20120521">{{cite news|title=NATO sets "irreversible" but risky course to end Afghan war|url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCABRE84J02C20120521?sp=true|newspaper=Reuters|agency=Reuters|access-date=22 May 2012|date=21 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022162349/http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCABRE84J02C20120521?sp=true|archive-date=22 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> ISAF was disestablished in December 2014 and replaced by the follow-on training [[Resolute Support Mission]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/28/nato-ends-afghanistan-combat-operations-after-13-years|title=Nato ends combat operations in Afghanistan|last=Rasmussen|first=Sune Engel|date=28 December 2014|work=The Guardian|access-date=24 October 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=2 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102134349/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/28/nato-ends-afghanistan-combat-operations-after-13-years|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 14 April 2021, NATO Secretary General [[Jens Stoltenberg]] said the alliance had agreed to start [[Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan (2020–2021)|withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan]] by 1 May.<ref>{{cite news |title=NATO to Cut Forces in Afghanistan, Match US Withdrawal |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_nato-cut-forces-afghanistan-match-us-withdrawal/6204555.html |work=[[VOA News]] |date=14 April 2021 |access-date=17 August 2021 |archive-date=15 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415000426/https://www.voanews.com/usa/nato-cut-forces-afghanistan-match-us-withdrawal |url-status=live }}</ref> Soon after the withdrawal of NATO troops started, the Taliban launched an [[2021 Taliban offensive|offensive against the Afghan government]], quickly advancing in front of collapsing [[Afghan Armed Forces]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Afghanistan stunned by scale and speed of security forces' collapse |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/13/afghanistan-stunned-by-scale-and-speed-of-security-forces-collapse |work=The Guardian |date=13 July 2021 |access-date=17 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815063215/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/13/afghanistan-stunned-by-scale-and-speed-of-security-forces-collapse |url-status=live }}</ref> By 15 August 2021, Taliban militants controlled the vast majority of Afghanistan and had encircled the capital city of [[Kabul]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Taliban surge in Afghanistan: EU and NATO in state of shock |url=https://www.dw.com/en/taliban-surge-in-afghanistan-eu-and-nato-in-state-of-shock/a-58881129 |work=Deutsche Welle |date=16 August 2021 |access-date=17 August 2021 |archive-date=17 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817130423/https://www.dw.com/en/taliban-surge-in-afghanistan-eu-and-nato-in-state-of-shock/a-58881129 |url-status=live }}</ref> Some politicians in NATO member states have described the chaotic withdrawal of Western troops from Afghanistan and the [[Fall of Kabul (2021)|collapse of the Afghan government]] as the greatest debacle that NATO has suffered since its founding.<ref>{{cite news |title=Afghanistan takeover sparks concern from NATO allies |url=https://www.dw.com/en/afghanistan-takeover-sparks-concern-from-nato-allies/a-58880292 |work=Deutsche Welle |date=16 August 2021 |access-date=19 August 2021 |archive-date=19 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819073025/https://www.dw.com/en/afghanistan-takeover-sparks-concern-from-nato-allies/a-58880292 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Migration fears complicate Europe's response to Afghanistan crisis |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/afghanistan-crisis-migration-europe-response/ |work=Politico |date=16 August 2021 |access-date=19 August 2021 |archive-date=19 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819092700/https://www.politico.eu/article/afghanistan-crisis-migration-europe-response/ |url-status=live }}</ref>