IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 136
Providing that NATO should play a greater role in promoting security in 
Afghanistan, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 3, 2003
Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. BEREUTER, Mr. ACKERMAN, and Mr. WEXLER) 
submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on International Relations 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Providing that NATO should play a greater role in 
promoting security in Afghanistan, and for other purposes.
Whereas the United States has a vital interest in promoting 
Afghanistan’s transition from chaos, civil war, and dis-
order to an increasingly prosperous democratic state, safe 
and secure with its neighbors, respecting human rights, 
particularly the rights of women, dedicated to the liberty, 
literacy, and enrichment of its citizens, and serving as a 
model for other countries; 
Whereas basic security in the major cities and along key 
transportation routes is critical to the reconstruction and 
development of Afghanistan, including fostering a climate 
more friendly to political pluralism and international pri-
vate investment;
•HCON 136 IH 
Whereas Afghanistan remains under serious threat from ter-
rorism, insurgency, widespread crime, banditry, intimida-
tion, rape, and suppression of minorities and women; 
Whereas lethal clashes continue between the private armies of 
warlords; attacks against Afghan civilians and officials 
and United States and international organization per-
sonnel are on the rise; mobile terrorist training camps 
are operating within Afghanistan, and significant basing 
and staging areas for insurgents have been recently dis-
covered by United States forces; and threats against civil-
ians and whole villages not to cooperate with Americans 
or the central government are now routine; 
Whereas United Nations Special Representative for Afghani-
stan Lakhdar Brahimi reported to the United Nations 
Security Council on January 31, 2003, that support for 
the Taliban may be growing in some areas of the coun-
try; 
Whereas the growth, production, and trafficking of Afghan 
opium and its derivatives pose a serious threat to inter-
national peace and security and efforts toward recon-
struction in Afghanistan; 
Whereas nongovernmental organizations that are providing 
assistance to Afghanistan, and even some donor states, 
are seriously hampered in helping the people of Afghani-
stan because of the insecurity in the countryside; 
Whereas recruitment and training of the Afghan National 
Army is seriously behind schedule and will not be at full 
strength for several years, leaving the central government 
and Afghan citizens vulnerable to the depredations of ter-
rorists, insurgents, and the private armies of warlords;
•HCON 136 IH 
Whereas the new ‘‘Provincial Reconstruction Teams’’ of the 
United States to be deployed in Afghanistan are a prom-
ising step toward promoting better security beyond 
Kabul, but they may prove inadequate to provide a sig-
nificant level of security to their regions, and will not se-
cure the major transportation routes which are critical to 
the economic revival of Afghanistan; 
Whereas the countries of Europe and North America have a 
deep interest in a peaceful and democratic Afghanistan 
that no longer serves as a sanctuary for international ter-
rorists and a source or heroin and drug trafficking; 
Whereas although the 4,500 soldiers of the International Se-
curity Assistance Force (ISAF) have provided much-
needed security for the citizens of Kabul, it is not within 
their mandate or power to promote security to other 
areas; 
Whereas vastly disproportionate numbers of refugees return-
ing from neighboring countries have gone to Kabul be-
cause of the security provided by ISAF and the insecurity 
of their home areas, overwhelming Kabul and far exceed-
ing its capacity for shelter, food, and employment; 
Whereas the United States has stated on numerous occasions 
that it does not oppose the expansion of ISAF, but that 
heretofore other countries have not expressed a willing-
ness to participate in an expanded force; 
Whereas the Secretary of State of the United States on Feb-
ruary 20, 2003, declared that ‘‘NATO can play a more 
active role as an alliance and not just member nations of 
the alliance participating in ISAF;’’ and 
Whereas NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson concurred 
with the Secretary of State and promised that the Alli-
•HCON 136 IH 
ance would examine an enhanced role for NATO in fos-
tering peace and security in Afghanistan: Now, therefore, 
be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That—
(1) the Congress reaffirms its dedication and 
support for the Bonn Agreement of December 5, 
2001, and the principles enshrined therein; 
(2) greater efforts must be made to promote 
peace and security throughout Afghanistan in order 
to accelerate reconstruction and development efforts; 
(3) the Congress welcomes the statements by 
the Secretary of State and NATO Secretary General 
Robertson concerning an enlarged role for NATO 
forces in promoting greater security in Afghanistan; 
(4) the Congress believes that NATO can and 
should participate more fully in increasing the secu-
rity and stability in Afghanistan to ensure the suc-
cessful transition, as outlined in the Bonn Agree-
ment of December 5, 2001, to a peaceful and demo-
cratic national government, representative of all its 
peoples, safe and secure with its neighbors, respect-
ful of human rights, particularly the rights of 
women, and a model for other countries;
•HCON 136 IH 
(5) the United States should at senior levels 
support any proposal that NATO play a greater role 
in fostering security throughout Afghanistan; 
(6) the Congress should fully fund the author-
ization in the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 
2002 for the expansion of the International Security 
Assistance Force (ISAF) with the flexibility to uti-
lize those funds for an expanded ISAF or to support 
a new NATO role in Afghanistan, or both; and 
(7) the executive branch should keep the Con-
gress fully informed of the actions it is undertaking 
to accomplish the goals set forth in this resolution.
Æ