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Afghanistan
Following the attack on 11 September in New York and Washington DC the United States declared the Global War on Terrorism. Since the Taliban rule in Afghanistan refused to extradite the perpetrators the United States began their offensive on 7 October 2001 supported by the British and Australians. Operation Enduring Freedom had begun. Having rid itself of the Taliban rule, international attention could be turned towards the future of the torn country. The Security Council agreed to form the International Security Assistance Force on 20 December 2001 comprising 4,800 military.

International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
Kabul and Surrounding Areas
From the end of January 2002 the Netherlands took part in ISAF with an augmented company of about 200 military. Each rotation would receive increased backup from a detachment from the Royal Netherlands Commandos for special reconnaissance. The commando detachment was originally assigned to the Dutch company. During this period they were of service from 27 to 31 March 2002 with other units in bringing help to an area 200 kilometers to the north where there had been a series of heavy earthquakes. From 2 April 2002 the detachment was placed under direct command of the Kabul Multinational Brigade (KMNB). Thereafter the commandos were assigned to tasks reconnoitering the area between Kabul and Bagran. The KMNB thus recognized the extraordinary characteristics of the commandos. From 10 February 2003, the commando detachment was organized into the German/Dutch ISAF Headquarters. The commando detachment was engaged in reconnaissance in the Dutch area to the southeast of Kabul. At the end of August 2003 the mission ended for our commandos. In Afghanistan the ISAF mission to rebuild the country continued and Operation Enduring Freedom remains, as yet, an open book. 

‘Military Assistance’
During the exercise Low Lands during the first three weeks of November 2004 the call came to send a section at short notice to Afghanistan to provide ‘military assistance’. Through the section advice and assistance could be offered to the Netherlands Provincial Reconstruction Team in Baghlan as part of their security plan.

Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)
Task Group Special Troops (TST)
Kandahar

On 25 February 2005, the Cabinet decided to answer a request from the Americans to provide ‘special forces’ for the duration of one year. Essentially the TST comprised personnel from the Royal Netherlands Commandos augmented by Special Forces teams from the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps and four Chinook helicopters (250 military in total). The task group was given its own responsibility in southeastern Afghanistan and was tasked mainly with reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. Immediate action remained a possibility. For the sake of clarity on the status of the Special Forces, to facilitate the use of violence and to protect the military, a ‘state of war’ was granted by the government. 

As well as reconnaissance and intelligence gathering the Special Forces also turned their attention to establishing, especially, a good relationship with the population. Along the way this softly, softly approach has come to characterize the Dutch units and our men in particular. We are not only prepared to fight, we also know why we are there. Surrounding the elections for the national parliament and provincial governments on 18 September 2005 attention turned mainly to successful proceedings. Amazingly this worked with a turnout far greater than expected. After three rotations participation in OEF ended in the middle of 2006, although not the presence in Afghanistan. The Corps and naturally also the members of TST can look back on the mission with pride, national and international prestige. Almost seamlessly Enduring Freedom was superseded by Task Force Uruzgan under the auspices of ISAF.