THE EFFORTS OF NATO TO FIGHT TERRORISM IN AFGHANISTAN POST SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

This undergraduate thesis attempts to elaborate the efforts of NATO in Afghanistan in running their missions to counter terrorism after the tragically moment of buildings’ bombings (WTC and Pentagon) in 11 September, 2001 in the United States of America. NATO as an international organization wants to eradicate terrorist networks with doing some military actions, particularly in Afghanistan. Afghanistan as one of counter terrorism area assumed as the largest base for terrorist training, especially in Taliban era. In addition, Taliban that assumed has a strong link with Osama bin Laden as the actor of tragedy 9/11, rejected to hand over Osama bin Laden to the United States of America. Because of this rejection, NATO, for the first time, invoked the Article 5 of Washington Treaty to counter terrorism as part of their duty in principal of collective security and also solidarity action in supporting the United States of America. Military action is a hard power approach that has been doing by NATO which is involving the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police to fight Taliban that has a strong linked toward Al Qaida. With their new mission in the “out of area” in Afghanistan, NATO with its million forces cooperates with the Government of Afghanistan and also the civilians of Afghanistan. With this cooperation, NATO also applied some soft approaches as a part of NATO’s counter terrorism effort. This is also aimed to help Afghanistan in their new transition era under Hamid Karzai as a first-new-democratic president post Taliban collapse. With both of hard and soft power approaches, NATO can accomplish their counter terrorism mission effectively.

Keywords: Counter terrorism, hard power, and soft power