Norway’s efforts in Afghanistan have not helped to change the situation in the country, according to an expert committee appointed by the government.
The committee, which was chaired by former Defense Minister Bjorn Tore Godal , will submit its report to the defense minister and foreign minister Monday. It concludes that Norway has only reached one of the three main goals set for their efforts in Afghanistan, according Fædrelandsvennen:
* We succeeded in proving to be a good ally to the US and NATO in the fight against international terrorism.
* We succeeded only partially in our participation in combating international terrorism and in preventing Afghanistan from once again becoming a hotbed of terrorism.
* We failed in contributing to building a stable and democratic Afghan state through long-term aid and peace diplomacy.
“The Norwegian effort has constituted a very small portion of the total use of resources in Afghanistan. It has consequently not helped to change the general tren’s of the country’s development, “the report said.
From 2001 to 2014, 9,000 Norwegian troops served in Afghanistan. Ten Norwegian soldiers have been killed and many have been seriously injured.
Norway’s involvement in Afghanistan has cost 20 billion kroner, out of which 11.5 billion have been used for military purposes and 8.4 billion for civilians.
“After many years of international efforts, the situation in Afghanistan is discouraging,” the committee concludes .
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
