The situation in Afghanistan turned more severe after the Norwegian troops left the country, but the soldiers did not leave a job undone, says Defense Minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen (Ap/Labor Party).
Although Strøm-Erichsen has seen several examples of how the situation has worsened after the Norwegian soldiers' exit, it wasn't an unexpected situation she says.
The Norwegian troops left their base in Maimana in the Faryab province on October 1, 2012. Special forces have continued to mentor the Afghan soliders in Kabul, in addition to other measures implemented to help stabilize the country.
The Norwegians troops were meant to stay in the province until the Afghan army were capable of controlling the situation. Still, the minister does not want to draw any conclusions yet as to whether they left too soon.
"Security has been important, but so has the development of Faryab's own, solid governance, which I think there is now a basis for," says Strøm-Erichsen.
Meanwhile, a documentary by NRK shows residents explaining that local forces are not able to protect civilians. Less than a month after the Norwegian troops made their exit, at least 45 people died in a suicide attack in the Maimana province, making it the deadliest attack last year.
Strøm-Erichsen explains that Faryab has never been a peaceful province. "The most important was to train the Afghan army and police to uphold the region's security." There are currently 7000 security forces in the province, and these have a good foundation, the minister maintains.
The Christian Democrats and the Liberal Left, however, demand a thorough evaluation of Norway's military effort in Afghanistan.
"Of course we will evaluate their efforts. The military effort has been continuously evaluated," Strøm-Erichsen tells NRK.
(NRK)
