Isaf

But Isaf is short of the thousands of trainers who would be needed to prepare what is basically the force's exit strategy.

AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE) 2009

In fact, this coalition, the international security assistance force, it's called Isaf, but, you know, lot of u.s. Soldiers say isaf really stands for "I Saw Americans Fighting" they use it as a derogatory terms that, you know, they feel like a lot -- some other nations just aren't pulling their weight.

CNN Transcript Nov 13, 2009 2009

Statistics on the number of Taliban "leaders" killed or captured were frequently used by the former Isaf commander, and now CIA director, General David Petraeus, to prove his claims that his forces were making progress on the battlefield.

Nato success against Taliban in Afghanistan 'may be exaggerated' 2011

That study said that although Isaf had made strides in reducing the number of civilian casualties, the 12 to 20 raids a night over a sustained period, with thousands of arrests, many of them of non-combatants, were alienating the population and undermining the international coalition's aims in Afghanistan.

Nato success against Taliban in Afghanistan 'may be exaggerated' 2011

A previous study of night raids had found that many people classified as leaders captured in night raids had subsequently been released by Isaf.

Nato success against Taliban in Afghanistan 'may be exaggerated' 2011

Even if we assume that all those described as 'leaders' and 'facilitators' in the press releases are who Isaf thought they were, that still leaves a shortfall of 400 individuals, the report said.

Nato success against Taliban in Afghanistan 'may be exaggerated' 2011

Isaf has given the impression top Afghan Taliban commanders are being killed or captured, says the report.

Nato success against Taliban in Afghanistan 'may be exaggerated' 2011

He said the words leader and "facilitator" were sometimes used interchangeably in the Isaf press releases, although facilitator could just be someone whose house an insurgent group was thought to have used.

Nato success against Taliban in Afghanistan 'may be exaggerated' 2011

"The figures reported in Isaf press releases are not intended to provide a complete historical documentation of every battlefield event that occurs in theatre," he said, adding that more comprehensive figures were used in formal reports to the US Congress, Nato or the UN.Kolbe also argued that the ratios between total numbers and leaders killed were distorted by the use of press releases.

Nato success against Taliban in Afghanistan 'may be exaggerated' 2011

He said a "leader" as defined in Isaf reports could be responsible for less than 10 people, or dozens, or hundreds.

Nato success against Taliban in Afghanistan 'may be exaggerated' 2011