NATO leaders agreed at the summit in Chicago its mission in Afghanistan after 2014

NATO leaders agreed at the summit in Chicago the next Sunday and Monday the new allied mission in Afghanistan, which will replace the current in January 2015 and will try to show an image of unity in the face of the last two years of war that many countries are eager to leave. As in 2010 at the latest summit of the Alliance in Lisbon, Afghanistan will be the centerpiece of the meeting. If so, NATO began the so-called transition, which has been handing responsibility to the Afghan army and police more and more areas of the country, this time the goal is to design the final withdrawal of the bulk of the forces and future long-term presence, much more limited. In Chicago, the leaders agree on the NATO mission that will begin operations in 2015 to replace the current International Force Security Assistance Force (ISAF). This new operation "ISAF will not be by another name", as made clear today an important source ally, but will be "smaller" and have "other duties". The mission will focus on training and advising Afghan forces, which over 2014 will gain full control of security in the country, and not make any type of combat action. Nor, according to another source, such as counterterrorism missions that intends to further develop long-term United States, probably with the support of some partners like UK or Australia. Although the final decision on whether such operations to be performed by special forces could be integrated under the umbrella of NATO comes open to Chicago, the rejection of countries like France, Germany and Italy it is practically impossible. For now, the Alliance has begun planning a new mission in Afghanistan, so that there is any indication of the size you might have. "We can not give a ballpark figure" as needed "complex planning" and is still two and a half years for the start of this mission, the source said. Today, NATO and its partners have deployed in the Asian country about 130,000 troops, of which at least about 30,000 Americans will be replicated this year. In Chicago, allies seek to organize an orderly withdrawal, that would overturn the work of more than a decade and give wings to the Taliban insurgency, which hopes to restore the country after leaving it most of the troops foreign. In addition, the organization will have to deal with the desire of some members to advance the timetable for departure, especially France, whose new president has pledged to withdraw its troops later this year. Within NATO is confident that Paris will be achieved through a consensus solution that will not break completely the principle of "in together, out together" that has been marked. The intention of the Alliance is that the bulk of the withdrawal of produce in 2013 and not before, and that mid-year there is still "a very significant number of troops" capable of supporting Afghan forces throughout the country, ally as the source added. A number of these units called the withdrawal, he said, not really leave Afghanistan, but is integrated into the new training mission. Despite the spectacular attacks in recent months as insurgent attacks are constant, NATO hopes to improve Afghan forces capabilities to meet the schedule of planned output. The financing of these forces from the period 2014-present United States provides almost all of your estimate will be other issues to be discussed in Chicago. It is estimated that the cost would be about 4,100 million dollars (about 3,100 million euros) annually during the period 2015-18, of which Washington is willing to take in about half if the international community takes care of the rest. Spain has received a request to provide $ 30 million per year over that period. Adequate funding and appropriate training of army and police are considered vital to Kabul to take over security in the country. Other key elements are in the cooperation of Pakistan in whose territory they reside much of the Taliban leadership, and has been invited to attend the summit in Chicago. The Pakistani government, in a gesture of rapprochement, today gave the green light to reopen supply routes of the allied troops in Afghanistan, after being blocked for six months in response to the accidental death of 24 Pakistani soldiers after a bombing NATO in a border area with Afghanistan.