Canadian Army Major-General Andrew Leslie has been named as deputy commander of the NATO mission, which takes over the International Stabilisation Force (ISAF) in August.

NATO is taking over from the current joint German-Dutch Corps in Kabul, at the head of a multinational force of some 4,600 troops drawn from 29 nations, said the office of General James Jones, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

"The leadership that Germany and Canada have demonstrated today, as well as that of the nations who have led the way before them, signals to the citizens of Afghanistan that the world community is supporting them in their quest for prosperity, peace and the desire to rebuild their nation," said Jones.

ISAF was deployed in December 2001 under a United Nations mandate to help make the Afghan capital secure, after the fall of the former Taliban regime following US-led attacks after September 11.

Canada is due to provide a contingent of some 1,800 for ISAF from mid-July. German soldiers currently make up almost half of the force.

NATO agreed in April to take over the Afghan mission, in its first such deployment outside of its traditional European theatre of operations.

WAR.WIRE