Afstan: NATO ISAF command in east may come much sooner than expected

Interesting.

NATO defense ministers will on Thursday examine a military proposal that will allow the alliance to rapidly complete its plans to take over command of all peacekeepers in Afghanistan, NATO officials said.

The plan to take over U.S.-led peacekeeping operations in east Afghanistan could take effect almost immediately because it would largely involve placing around 10,000 mostly U.S. troops already based in the east under NATO command.

"The military recommendation was that it should happen as soon as possible -- in fact, some time this month," said one official, speaking ahead of a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers in Portoroz, Slovenia starting Thursday.

The official, who requested anonymity, said the resistance faced by NATO troops combating Taliban insurgents in south Afghanistan had strengthened the argument for an early move east because it would increase the pool of troops under NATO command.

NATO has never put a fixed date for the handover. Officials have forecast it happening before year-end at latest...

The handover in the south will allow the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom coalition to focus purely on high-end counter-terrorism missions while NATO provides security for reconstruction and restoring law and order.

While most of the Canadians, British and Dutch (anyone know what the Romanians are up to?) do the plain old, not "high-end", combat.

Update: Looks certain:

NATO defence chiefs were set on Thursday to agree to assume command of peacekeeping across all of insurgency-hit Afghanistan next month despite some allies' concerns over tactics and troop shortfalls.

The move into eastern Afghanistan could take effect quickly because it would largely involve placing under NATO command some 10,000 mostly U.S. forces already in the region, giving NATO commanders a greater pool of troops and equipment.

"The target date is the first half of next month," said one alliance source, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the official endorsement of the decision by defence ministers meeting in the Slovenian coastal resort of Portoroz.

The step was initially expected only some time before the end of the year. But alliance officials said recent battles against resurgent NATO guerrillas in the south showed the need to pool British, Dutch and Canadian troops under NATO with separate U.S. forces.