Mandated by the United Nations and currently commanded by NATO, the International Security Assistance Force has been operating in Afghanistan's capital Kabul since shortly after the late 2001 fall of the Taliban.ISAF was created in accordance with the Bonn Conference in December 2001 and the first mission was undertaken by the United Kingdom.
A multinational reconnaissance team arrived in Kabul on January 1, 2002, to bolster British marines stationed here ahead of the arrival of ISAF.
NATO assumed command of the force in August 2003, making Afghanistan the alliance's first ever mission outside the Euro-Atlantic region.
In December 2003, NATO agreed to expand the force beyond Kabul and late that month a German contingent took control of provincial reconstruction team in the northeastern city of Kunduz.
There are more than 6,400 ISAF troops in Afghanistan from the following countries:
NATO NATIONS
Belgium - 293
Bulgaria - 34
Canada - 1,576
Czech Republic - 19
Denmark - 57
Estonia - 7
France - 565
Germany - 1,909
Greece - 127
Hungary - 26
Iceland - 17
Italy - 491
Latvia - 2
Lithuania - 6
Luxembourg - 9
Netherlands - 153
Norway - 147
Poland - 22
Portugal - 8
Romania - 32
Slovakia - 17
Slovenia - 18
Spain - 125
Turkey - 161
United Kingdom - 315
United States - 67
NON-NATO NATIONS
Austria - 3
Afghanistan - 81
Albania - 22
Azerbaijan - 22
Croatia - 47
Finland - 48
FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) - 11
Ireland - 6
New Zealand - 6
Sweden - 19
Switzerland - 4
Total: 6,472
- Figures supplied by the International Security Assistance Force and correct as at June 14, 2004.
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