Via the BBC: New chief for Nato Afghan force:

Gen McNeill took command of the multinational headquarters in a ceremony on Sunday morning, and said his aim would be to improve the lives of ordinary Afghans.

[…]

“Our mission is to facilitate the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

“We will enable the institutions of Afghanistan so that the Afghan people might enjoy self-determination, education, health and the peaceful realisation of their hopes and dreams.”

Gen McNeill has been based in Afghanistan before, and will take on the Isaf mission of bringing security and development, and helping win over the people for the Afghan government, our correspondent says.

Sound good–although how well it can be pulled off remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, via Reuters, we get warnings of increased violence: Taliban warn of bloody spring as U.S. takes NATO reins:

As U.S. General Dan McNeill took over the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), NATO said the Taliban leader in a southern district was killed on Sunday as part of an offensive to recapture the key town of Musa Qala from the rebels.

The Taliban warns 2024 will be “the bloodiest year for foreign troops,” saying they have 2,000 suicide bombers ready for an offensive when the winter snows melt in a few months.

“We have made 80 percent preparations to fight American and foreign forces and we are about to start war,” Mullah Hayatullah Khan, a 35-year-old black-bearded guerrilla leader, told Reuters at a secret base in the east on Saturday.

Hopefully this is more bluster than reality, however I fear that they may be preparing to ramp up the attacks.