President Karzai's Visit
To The United States of America
Abdul Khaliq Fazal
May 13, 2010
Will this trip of President Karzai to the USA bring peace, security and
stability to Afghanistan?
I came from Afghanistan last week, and during my 30 days stay there, I
discovered that the security situation in the whole country was getting worse
day by day. In Kabul most of the ministries have barricaded their buildings with
high concrete walls. Some of the main roads in the city were closed to general
traffic, for example, the road where the ministry of interior is located has
been blocked, and as result, the businesses which were operating can no longer
do their business. Most of the ministries, embassies and NGOs don’t build their
concrete walls inside the compounds; instead they are either taking the whole
streets to themselves or are blocking half of the streets.
President Karzai has delivered two or three decrees in the past two years to
clear all the streets and roads from concrete blocks and open all the streets
and roads to general public, but who is going to implement President Karzai's
decrees? No one, even the law enforcement department of the ministry of interior
is acting against the president's order.
Kabul city is small, however this small city is now accommodating five
million people, and around two million cars. People living in this city are full
of stress and anxiety. The air is full of dust, pollution and car fumes, while
roads are in very bad condition. Going from one place to other is a nightmare, a
five kilometer distance can take an hour..
When I was working in the Afghan government between December 22, 2001 to the
end of 2004, the Afghan people were hoping for a good and bright future, they
believed that the presence of the US and NATO troops would bring peace,
security, and economical stability.
Afghans believed that economical assistance from the international community
would produce many good and secure jobs. Foreign investment would bring more
money and goods for the development of the country. However the ordinary people
who had large expectations from the Afghan government, the USA, and the rest of
the international community are now questioning the presence of these foreign
troops in their country.
In the last five years, lots of empty promises have been made by the Afghan
government and the international community to the Afghan people that they will
bring peace security and economical wellbeing to them, but unfortunately noting
is happening. Instead things are getting worse. In the last eight years there
has not even been one large development project to create jobs for the people.
Afghans are saying the 51 billion dollars spent by the USA on the economical
development in past eight years, have not found them jobs, while the money may
have gone to the pockets of a number of corrupt Afghan and foreign people. The
question is how can the Afghan government and the USA and other foreign
countries presence in Afghanistan win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people?
President Karzai in this trip has to make lots of changes, to the way how he
deals with the US government, and the rest of the international community thus
politically and diplomatically that will be beneficial to Afghanistan, US
government and the international community. If Karzai wants to survive as
president for the next four years, he has to be more honest to the Afghan people
and the international community. He has to come up with a clear vision and a
clear and understandable economical, political, cultural, development and
independent integrity for the future of Afghanistan. Karzai has to bring changes
within himself, he has work truly and honestly for a political reform and
parliamentary democracy. President Karzai has to come up with a strong
professional, skill and political team, so people can trust him, his leadership
and his team. He must know that with the kind of cabinet that he has introduced
in the past four years, he did not and cannot produce good governance and a
strong government. He knows that even in the last cabinet there were ministers
who were unable to spend 30% of the ordinary and developmental budget in year
2009. Karzai has to learn that he cannot do everything by himself, he has to
make some other people responsible of jobs, and he has to make every one
accountable for what they have been assigned to do. Karzai has to make
Afghanistan independency, national interest, national security and other
economical, political and diplomatically decisions with his strong team, so at
the end of day every person of the decision making team would be accountable for
the decisions they make.
President Karzai along with President Obama must come up with a realistic
program and strategies to encourage those Afghan people who are unhappy with the
central government and the presence of foreign forces in that country, to be in
support of their joint strategy for all the problems in Afghanistan
While the solutions to all these problems can take some time, however the
Afghan people and the international community should be told to be patient and
wait as what would be the practical outcome of the objectives of the Karzai and
Obama May 2010 meeting and strategies in the short and long terms.
In the London Conference, President Karzai announced his policies, and
he said that his new government wants to improve the economy, security and
governance in Afghanistan. President Karzai also unveiled details of his plan to
encourage Taliban insurgents to lay down their arms and to stop the violence and
join the political process aimed at rebuilding the war-torn nation.
I am sure that these are very promising messages to the Afghan people, the
international community and the legitimist wishes of president Karzai to
President Obama. But would these discussions and plans alone convince elements
of the Taliban to come into this political process and can it be successful and
achievable without looking into the larger picture of the nation’s problems?
It is time that President Obama and President Karzai authorized
representative team should be given the right clear plan and instructions to
talk to the Taliban leadership, showing them an olive branch and assuring them
that once they respect the government, the Constitution and the laws of
Afghanistan, then they will be given full guarantee safety, security and joining
the government in different level.
Past experience has shown that problems cannot be solved by military means in
Afghanistan, it should be noted that the proposals made by President Karzai to
the UN Security Council to review the Council’s black list must be part of the
negotiations with the Taliban. The names of those Taliban who are not attached
to Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups should be omitted from the list, so it can
encourage the Taliban to come to the negotiation table
President Obama and President Karzai should be aware of our neighbor's
intentions and interests in Afghanistan and they must come up with strategies
which it should convince Afghanistan neighbors and the international community
that the promotion and strengthening of Afghan security forces will be
beneficial for the region, the international community and the Afghan people.
British Prime Minister Golden Brown, UN secretary General Banki Moon, and
other representatives from over seventy countries to the London Conference in
Feb 2010, supported President Karzai’s plan for negotiations with the Taliban
and I believe it is time that President Obama also endorse that plan.
Now it is time for President Obama not to repeat the mistake of the last
eight-year-old military strategy in solving Afghanistan’s problems.
I believe that peace security and stability to Afghanistan will only come if
President Obama, the international community and the Afghan government seriously
and objectively look in to the following issues.
1. A comprehensive discussion should take place between the Afghan and
Pakistan governments. In these discussions, Pakistan must be assured that
Afghanistan will not interfere in the internal affairs of Pakistan. The
government of Afghanistan has to make 100% sure to Pakistan that the assistance
of the Indian government for the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan,
will in no way harm the good relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
2. Afghanistan has to make sure that neither India nor Pakistan will be given
the right to use Afghanistan for their play ground and Afghanistan must keep its
neutrality and must not side with either one in their conflict.
3. Pakistan must genuinely and practically stop their logistical, financial
and all other kind of support to the Taliban, and all other armed groups who are
fighting against the Afghan and foreign forces in Afghanistan.
4. Pakistan government should encourage the Taliban leadership to resolve
their differences with the Afghan government through negotiation, in a peaceful
manner and they should be allowed to return with respect and dignity and
security back in to their country Afghanistan.
5. Pakistan must stop thinking that the extension of the Afghan military
forces is an obstacle, against their interests in the region; they should
remember that once in the past Afghanistan had a well trained army, it was never
a threat against its interests.
6. Afghanistan government should have a comprehensive discussion with the
government of Iran, and assure that country that the presence of the foreign
forces in Afghanistan will never be a threat to the safety and stability of Iran
and Afghanistan, and it will never allow any country to be engaged in any
activities against Iran.
7. The Iranian government has to be asked that they must assure the Afghan
government that Iran is not supporting or arming Afghan or other militants or
political activists who create violence in Afghanistan.
8. Afghan government and international community have to assure Russia and
China that the presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan is not going to be a
threat to them and to their friends in the region. Bilaterally, Russia and China
should at the same time generally strongly support President Karzai’s and
President Obama's recent peace plan to bring peace, security and stability to
Afghanistan.
9. In Afghanistan the following responsibilities must be fulfilled by
President Obama's new strategy, Karzai's government and the international
community before peace and security is passable.
1. Creating jobs for the unemployed people, who desperately need an income
for themselves or their families. Once employed then they would not need to be
looking to the money paid by the militant groups.
2. Increasing employment.
• It can be the distribution of free land, seeds, water and other
necessities, in order for people to start working in the agriculture field.
• Building water dams, so it can be used for electricity and agriculture,
and can employ many people.
• Creating a safer environment for national and international investors
to invest in the industry and the reconstruction sector, so it can employ
many people and the local product can be consumed locally and the rest for
export.
3. Corruption is a big problem, thus President Obama's and President
Karzai's governments must take the first step followed by the international
community to eliminate corruption from all the government departments,
contractors and the NGO, and they must be under strict surveillance.
4. Transparency and accountability with all the money allocated for the
development and reconstruction of the government departments, contractors and
NGOs must be given high priority.
5. Appointment of public servants must be based on the merits of right
people who are skilled, professional, good leaders and managers. (For all
government posts.)
6. Good governance, can be obtaining the support of the Afghan people
towards the central government.
7. The Judiciary system must be kept independent. Law and order must be
enforced. Afghanistan's constitution and other laws must be taken seriously
and implemented by all the people from the president to an ordinary person in
the street. Those who disobey the law must be seriously punished by the
judiciary no matter who the person is.
It is time that everyone should come to the conclusion that the problems in
Afghanistan will not be solved by power or money. Therefore, the only way out of
the current problem can be seen by negotiations and understanding.
In his address to the media on the 31st of Jan 2010 in Kabul, President
Karzai said the London Conference will be followed by a (Loya Jirga) great
assembly in spring and an international conference in Kabul this year in which
the Afghan government would formally present its commitments to the people of
Afghanistan. While I was in Kabul I was hearing from the media and people that
the list of people would be invited to that National consultative Jirga was not
by its merits and their back ground
President Obama and President Karzai must fulfill their promises given to the
Afghan nation and the international community. However, at the same time, the
international community must stand hand in hand with President Karzai and
President Obama in achieving the shared goals and objectives, together bringing
peace, security and stability in Afghanistan, the region and in the world. If
either side fails to deliver what their responsibilities are, then it will be
the end of a stable and secure Afghanistan, Pakistan and the world in general,
and there will be the possibility of the disintegration of Pakistan and
Afghanistan, which will be a disaster for the whole world. If a Pakistan
disintegration occurs, who will be in control of those nuclear arsenals?
Abdul Khaliq Fazal was the former Minister of Public Works from 2001-2002,
President of the Evaluation and Privatization Commission of Public Enterprises
from 2002-2004, and an advisor to President Karzai in the 2004 Presidential
Elections. He can be reached at
a_k_fazal@yahoo.com.au
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