NATO’s Welcome New Role

The United States and its allies founded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to stop a Soviet invasion of Western Europe; since the Cold War’s end, the alliance has searched for a mission. It sent troops to the Balkans to separate ethnic fighters, and, on Monday -- for the first time in its half-century history -- it dispatched troops outside Europe, to Afghanistan. Keeping the peace in Kabul is a good job for the 19-nation alliance and demonstrates its continued relevance.

NATO took command of the International Security Assistance Force, which unfortunately remains limited to Kabul, the Afghan capital. A spokesman said that once the 5,500-person force gets settled, NATO might consider adding 10,000 more soldiers and putting them in other cities.

For well over a year, Afghan President Hamid Karzai rightly has called for stationing peacekeepers outside Kabul. Washington led the allied invasion of Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by members of Al Qaeda, which was based in the country then ruled by the Taliban. The Pentagon initially opposed peacekeepers even in the capital but belatedly saw the need. The Bush administration should press NATO to move beyond Kabul and offer to supply troops and help pay the higher peacekeeping bill.

Afghanistan also needs money for reconstruction. Congress authorized more than $3 billion, but far too little has been spent. The administration is considering speeding up expenditures in coming months for roads, schools and other visible projects. That will demonstrate the U.S. commitment to the country, as well as help Karzai before elections next year. Much money has been spent on humanitarian tasks like feeding Afghans and providing shelter, but much more needs to be spent to rebuild the country.

More security and reconstruction will diminish the influence of the warlords who run Afghanistan just about everywhere but Kabul. The Taliban continues to attack the 9,000 U.S. troops and reportedly is involved in opium production, now flourishing again and a source of terrorist funding.

The relief group CARE International estimated in January that postwar international aid amounted to $326 per capita in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which has a lesser terrorist threat; just $42 per capita has been promised for Afghanistan, where the threat is far greater.

Bush officials should lobby nations that promised aid to Afghanistan to pay up and should encourage paid-up donors to give more. They also can keep pressure on Pakistan to shut down the pro-terrorist and pro-Taliban support in its unruly border areas.

Continuing to be a day late and a dollar short runs the risk of again turning Afghanistan into a fragmented, warlord-run collection of fiefdoms that easily can become an abode for a reconstituted Al Qaeda. More money and more troops in more cities can stop a slide into chaos.