KABUL (SW): The United States’ General John Mick Nicholson assumed command of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in Afghanistan from General John F. Campbell in Kabul on Wednesday.
The ceremony was attended by among others, Pakistan's Army Chief Gen. Raheel Shareef, Afghan and NATO officials and diplomats based in Kabul
Addressing the gathering here, Gen. Nicholson urged the Taliban to lay down arms and join the future. “I have fought against you with my Afghan comrades across this great country, from the Korengal (Kunar) valley to Kandahar, from Helmand to Khost, you have brought only hardship and suffering to the Afghan people”, he said.
As commander of the RSM, General Nicholson will lead NATO’s effort to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces and institutions, and help them further improve their effectiveness and sustainability.
He thanked General John Campbell for his service as the last Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and the first Commander of the RSM.
Gen. Nicholson said that the NATO is an Alliance that has helped the Afghan people for well over a decade and is committed to an enduring relationship with Afghanistan. “As the NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg has said, “You will not stand alone. NATO and our partners will continue to support you”, he noted.
Speaking on the occasion, RSM’s outgoing Commander, Gen. Campbell said that the Afghan Security Forces are firmly in the lead for security operations now. “The Afghanistan Security Forces are less than 10 years old, think about that for a minute, they largely began as an unorganized collection of militia and developed into a modern security force, with many of the systems and processes of an advanced military… in less than 10 years … They have proven resilient and continue to make significant strides”, he stated.
ENDS
