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RUSI Interview with General David Richards

During General Richards’ nine months as Commander of the International Security Assistance Force, the NATO‐led mission in Afghanistan expanded across the whole of the country, comprising more than 30,000 troops from thirty‐seven countries, with the aim of assisting the Afghan authorities in extending and exercising their authority and influence across the country, creating the conditions for stabilization and reconstruction. NATO's first and largest ground operation outside Europe, it was widely seen as a defining moment in the Alliance's fifty‐seven year history. In a wide‐ranging and candid discussion with RUSI's Director, Rear Admiral Richard Cobbold, on 15 February 2007, General Richards spoke frankly of the myriad challenges he encountered during his nine months as COMISAF, from lack of troops and reinforcements to the unique pressures of multinational command; his relationship with Presidents Karzai and Musharraf; the anxious week in September when a major defeat by the Taliban was barely avoided; and his vigorous optimism for the future of Afghanistan. This is an edited account of their discussion.