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For eleven years did Norwegian soldiers efforts in Afghanistan. What goals should they meet and what was their mandate? Norwegian authorities have over the years argued for many, and sometimes divergent goals and objectives for the mission in Afghanistan. The only thing that has stayed the same is the commitment to 'a clear UN mandate.'. Adapted from the source document.

At the turn of 2014/15 ceased NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). But Norway is still engaged militarily in Afghanistan, now in the new NATO-led operation Resolute Support Mission (RSM). RSM is the third operation with Norwegian troops in Afghanistan since the start of our engagement in 2001, in addition to a few individual officers in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Conclusion of the ISAF operation is also the starting point for a comprehensive Norwegian evaluation, as mentioned in the introduction to this focus-gap of International Politics. This article looks at the relationship between Norwegian goal, choice of methods and means in Afghanistan. Since this is not a Norwegian operation, considered Norwegian efforts in an international context. Adapted from the source document.

The Liberian state was originally founded by freed American slaves, or Americo-Liberians, who became the elite group of the country and against whom the natives fought. A bloody war lasted from 1989 to 2003 between the 16 different groups of people, which eventually tapered down in 2003 when the United Nations re-entered the country. Since then, the UN has fought for increased security and against corruption and conflicts, which were reduced by democratizing and localizing the political power. The major unsolved problems evolve around citizenship and landownership issues. Commissions have been set up to solve these, but they lack funding, political support and a clear mandate. The 100,000 soldiers that became unemployed after the war ended are also causing concerns in a newly stabilized country that essentially lacks legitimacy among its people. L. Pitkaniemi

Introduces sports aid and sports organizations as a form of foreign policy that demands more attention from political scientists. In Norway, a redefinition (1972-1973) of culture provided sports a political arena for the first time, which eventually expanded into the foreign aid territory and thus became a part of overall foreign policy. A similar kind of shift has taken place internationally as the UN declared year 2005 as "The International Year of Sport and Physical Education". The main goal for Norwegian sports aid is to enhance peace and democracy by providing opportunities for the people to engage in sporting activities by mainly building sporting infrastructure. A case study of this policy in action is provided. L. Pitkaniemi

In this article the author argues that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) & the Olympic Movement have a more important role in international politics after the Cold War than they had during the Cold War. This is due to three factors: 1) the IOC & the Olympic Movement have taken a more active role in international politics-, 2) the IOC & the Olympic Movement have been given greater freedom of action in international politics; & 3) international organizations, such as the United Nations, to a greater degree than before, see the IOC & the Olympic Movement as important collaborators in achieving their own goals of peace & reconciliation. References. Adapted from the source document.