EUROCORPS vice Chief, German General Spindler to EuroFora: Afghanistan-Pakistan borders problematic

*Strasbourg/EUROCORPS Headquarters/Angelo Marcopolo/- ISAF, whose staff will be headed in 2012 by EUROCORPS, (See other relevant EuroFora's NewsReports) is only competent for Afghanistan itself, but the Borders vis a vis Pakistan still raise problems, not only of Security, but also  even from the Legal point of view, because they have not yet been clearly defined, said to "EuroFora" the experienced Deputy Commander of the European Corps of Army staff, German General Walter Spindler.

    Spindler, who has a rare experience of EUROCORPS' missions in Afghanistan, since he had personally participated already in a 1st mission, back on 2004/2005, when "the main aim was to help prepare the Presidential Elections" in the country, as he reminded earlier today, is due to keep, this time, EUROCORPS' Strasbourg Headquarters in constant communication with the New EUROCORPS' Commander, French General de Bavinchove, who has already arrived n Afghanistan since the end of 2011 in order to take over from an American General the role of International Force ISAF's Chief of staff, (See Bavinchove's replies to "EuroFora"s Questions in our previous NewsReports).

    - Even if there are, indeed, notorious Security Problems around the Pakistani Borders, as "EuroFora" reminded, nevertheless, "we are competent only for the Territory located inside Afghanistan", while heading ISAF's staff, pointed out in reply General Spindler, (i.e. indicating that these differend, even if adjacent issues, will have to be settled through other means, and Not by EUROCORPS itself, at least not directly).

    + However, it's also true that a strange situation still exists between the Afghani and Pakistani Borders, which sometimes are blurred and uncertain, risking to provoke locally confusions or small chaos/"Grey" areas, because even from a strictly Legal point of view, these Borders have not yet been clearly determined by unequivocal International Agreements or other authoritative instruments, in certain areas "for several Kilometers", during which you can't really be sure not even where the Border legaly is !", General Spindler told "EuroFora".

--------------
    EUROCORPS' 2012 Mission, at ISAF's Headquarters, as Head of Staff for the entire International force, will be mainly located inside the Capital, Kabul, but will have to "coordinate" its activities with all the other 4 or 5 Sectors of ISAF throughout Afghanistan, so that it will also travel around the country in order to discuss on the spot with the other staff centers, Spindler added earlier today, in a Press Briefing for a Group of  Journalists, including "EuroFora".

    The present mission will be composed of some 360 EUROCORPS' Military staff, in 2 Rotations of 180 each, for 6 Months, starting from January and July 2012 respectively. It includes "all sorts of Grades", from simple Soldiers up to Generals, and in all Technical Specializations, (f.ex. fight, planning, information, logistics, etc). Moreover, it's a kind of "Mirror" of EUROCORPS' MultiNational character, by including staff from all participating nations, General Spindler underlined. (See also other NewsReport by "EuroFora" on EUROCORPS at Afghanistan, published herewith).  

    EUROCORPS' main task is due to focus on "Military Operations" HQ work, but also on Training Afghan Military and Police forces due to replace ISAF in the Future, as well as to keep Materials and Logistics both Safe and Operational, etc.

    However, due to the on-going, progressive Withdrawal of ISAF's forces out of Afghanistan, (f.ex. some 23.000 USA troops are due to leave the area during 2012 alone),  EUROCORPS will have to find out how to handle the situation on the spot with "less and less Forces" at its disposal, throughout a "Large Environment", while also "maintaining the operation" efficient throughout the whole Country, warned Spindler, apparently evoking a real Challenge, both from the operational and from a "Huge Logistics" point of view.

            (../..)