Global Policy Forum

By Amy Waldman

Afghanistan's interim government formally endorsed an agreement today that would pave the way for a 4,500- strong multinational peacekeeping force there. The agreement, signed by Maj. Gen. John McColl of Britain and Afghanistan's interior minister, Yunus Qanooni, is a toughly worded document whose main intent is to give the British-led International Assistance Security Force the autonomy and authority to protect itself and its six- month mission.

The document was initialed by General McColl and Mr. Qanooni on Monday, and approved this week by the 17 nations that will contribute troops. A substantial part of the force is expected to be in place by mid- January.

The agreement represents yet another move forward in the fulfillment of the accord reached in Bonn last month by various Afghan factions on how to move from war to peace. Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations special representative to Afghanistan, who oversaw the Bonn negotiations, called it "one further step in Afghanistan for stability, peace and reconstruction."

But by United Nations mandate, the peacekeepers will be confined to Kabul and its vicinity, which increasingly seem an island of security in a relatively lawless country.

United Nations officials said tonight that they had ordered local and foreign staff members in Kandahar to remain indoors and not report for work because of unsafe conditions. A United Nations spokeswoman, Stephanie Bunker, said there were both Taliban fighters and "Arab and other elements" in and around Kandahar, along with regular rocket and gunfire. Ms. Bunker also cited security problems around Ghazni, southwest of Kabul.

In western Afghanistan, the situation south of Herat has become increasingly hazardous. United Nations workers are not traveling south of Shindand, about 50 miles south of Herat, and gunmen have been disrupting seed distribution in Farah Province, Ms. Bunker said.

General McColl did not rule out extending the peacekeeping force to other parts of the country, but said that would require a new United Nations mandate. Similarly, he said, the United Nations might extend the force's tenure beyond six months.

Also at the signing were Hamid Karzai, the chairman of the interim government; Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the foreign minister; and Gen. Muhammad Fahim, the defense minister. Mr. Karzai spoke briefly, saying, "We hope this will bring Afghanistan the stability and peace we've needed for so many years." But it was Mr. Qanooni, the interior minister, who negotiated and signed the agreement, a reflection of how central a role he is playing in the new government, and how much power he has consolidated.

The agreement gives the security force full freedom of movement in the territory and airspace of Afghanistan. It also requires the interim government to provide the security force with any information related to the security and safety of its mission, personnel and locations. The force will be based at five bases in and around the city, including the airport.

Security force members will have immunity from arrest or prosecution by Afghanistan, and the security force commander will be the final arbiter on interpreting the agreement. Almost as an afterthought, the agreement adds that members of the security force "will respect the laws and culture of Afghanistan."

Each side seems to have won some ground during the negotiations. The British secured the right to patrol independently, while at first it seemed that all patrols would be conducted jointly with Afghan soldiers. The Afghans, meanwhile, won the right to keep troops quartered in Kabul, although the Bonn agreement had called for all armed units to be withdrawn from the city. Dr. Abdullah said tonight that there was no other place to accommodate them.

But under the agreement signed today, Afghan troops may leave their barracks only with the approval of the interim government, and the prior notification of General McColl.

There was clearly some disagreement within the Afghan government over the size and role of the force, and some have expressed concern at the delayed entry of the peacekeepers. One aid official said this week that he thought that various Afghan factions had used the delay to arm and entrench themselves before the peacekeepers' arrival.

The agreement was formally witnessed by Brig. Gen. David Kratzer of the United States, on behalf of the United States-led coalition that has been fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda forces. French and German military representatives were also at the table, signifying the leadership role they will play in the peacekeeping force.

At a news conference after the ceremony, General McColl said the risks of the mission were twofold. The first was the threat to the security of his force, which he said "will always be very high." The second was the danger that his force might trample on the sensitivities of the Afghan people. "The majority of the force comes from Western Europe," he said. "It is important we take the trouble to understand" Afghan society. He added: "We are very keen that we generate good will and maintain good will."

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