NATO peacekeepers began the first operation outside Europe in its 54-year history today when it took command of peacekeepers in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
German Defence Minister Peter Struck told a ceremony to mark the occasion that NATO's job was to ensure Afghanistan did not become a safe haven for terrorism again.
"There is still a lot to be done," he said. "Afghanistan must not lapse back into anarchy or chaos. Afghanistan must not again become the home of global terror as was the case under the rule of the Taliban."
Germany and the Netherlands had held joint command of the 5,000-strong International Security Assistance Force until the handover, which was attended by Afghan President Hamid Karzai and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen James Jones.
The open-ended command is a strategic departure from NATO's Cold War role of defending its immediate borders and officials say it stems from a post-September 11 perception among its 19 members that the alliance needs to deploy where problems arise.
The Afghan mission also comes amid US efforts to get NATO to take a role in stabilising post-war Iraq, where US troops come under almost daily attack.