MONS (Belgium), June 18: NATO is looking at ways to extend the influence of the international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan beyond Kabul by linking up with provincial reconstruction teams, an alliance general said on Wednesday.

The 5,000-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which will be commanded by the US-dominated alliance from Aug 11, currently provides security only in the capital.

Relief agencies and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who faces turf battles between unruly warlords and snail-paced reconstruction across the conflict-torn state of 28 million, would like to see the force’s operations expanded.

Although that is not on the cards, the general putting together the NATO peacekeeping force said a debate was under way on how military-protected reconstruction teams in the country’s unruly provinces might be linked with ISAF.

“How that works is not clear...but will have to become clearer as we develop our operations,” General Jack Deverell, commander-in-chief of allied force in North Europe, told a news conference at NATO’s military headquarters in southern Belgium.

“What we need to do is expand Mr Karzai’s area of influence and use ISAF’s capabilities to assist him and help him to do that. We need to get away from seeing ISAF’s area of influence simply defined by a line on the ground.”

There are currently four US Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) which operate under Operation Enduring Freedom, the US-led force of some 11,500 troops hunting down elements of the al Qaeda network.

Despite criticism from non-government organisations that the PRTs blur lines between aid work and military operations, the plan is to increase the number of teams to 16 and take them beyond southeast Afghanistan into other population centres.

One team of 60-70 British troops is expected to deploy in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif around the end of June to start reconstruction work in one of the most volatile regions.—Reuters