NATO has significantly changed its military strategy in Southern Afghanistan since the alliance-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) deployed into the region in 2006. Dutch Major General Mart de Kruif told Radio Netherlands that rather than massive offensives against the Taliban, as was the case in the early days, ISAF now plans major operations that include strong elements of local governance and reconstruction.
 
Challenging
During the past twelve months, General Mart de Kruif was commander of ISAF's 'Regional Command (South)', which covers the six southern provinces of Afghanistan. In four of those, ISAF has a troop presence. On Sunday, the Dutch general handed over the command to his British successor, Major General Nick Carter. The southern regional command of ISAF comprises some 40 thousand soldiers, half of them from the U.S. In terms of numbers and responsibilities , it has been by far the most challenging assignment any Dutch general has had over the past decades.

Listen to Hans de Vreij's report from ISAF Regional Command (South):

 
Stay
At the sprawling Kandahar Airfield base, general De Kruif told Radio Netherlands that current ISAF operations differ from those in 2006/7, when major offensives were launched against the Taliban but troops (whether Afghan security forces of ISAF units) did not stay in the areas involved. The result: the insurgents came back once the troops had left. "Now, when we launch an operation, we stay", De Kruif said. "That is the difference. This also means that the majority of our units in Southern Afghanistan are tied to a given region". 
 
Operations are conducted along a schedule that, in military parlance, is called: 'Shape, Clear, Hold, and Build'. The 'Shape' phase involves preparations, including the active involvement of Afghan authorities and local leaders. "In the 'Clear' phase, we move in and chase the Taliban out", the general added. "'Hold' means establishing the first elements of good governance and development, while 'Build' entails handing over the responsibility for a certain area to the Afghans themselves".
 
Thorough
Such complex operations demand thorough preparation - according to De Kruif up to two or three months in advance. And as he told Radio Netherlands before taking up the job, Central Helmand and the wider Kandahar City area have been the main areas of focus during his period of command. US and British forces moved into 'Taliban country' in Helmand; US forces likewise secured the surrounding areas of Kandahar City, the regional capital and former stronghold of the Taliban. And General De Kruif made no secret of what the next ISAF target will be: the Marjah (Marjeh) area in Helmand province, a large agricultural region, once developed thanks to U.S. development aid.
 
Internal tension
Talking about the Taliban,  the Dutch general claimed that "now, the Taliban reacts to what we do, not the other way around". He described the movement as being in a phase of uncertainty, and said that internal tensions had been noted in the movement's leadership, the majority of which is based in Quetta, Pakistan.

However, he added that the Taliban movement, in a military sense, is not centrally controlled and led. "If the Quetta Shura of the Taliban were to disappear tomorrow, that would not mean the end of the Taliban". But Major General De Kruif warned that violence may continue, as ISAF moves into Taliban-held regions and the insurgents increasingly use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and intimidation of the local population as military tools. Still, looking back, the general says ISAF has made a 'major step forwards' in the past twelve months.
 
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Lead photo: Change of command at ISAF Regional Command South. Liepke Plancke, ISAF.