Will the London Conference held on
Afghanistan bring stability to the country?
Is it the right medicine for the problems in that country and the world,
or is it a band aid solution?
Abdul Khaliq Fazal
February 7, 2010
Leaders and foreign ministers from over 70 countries met in London on
Thursday 28th Jan 2010 to try to map out an end to the conflict in Afghanistan
The questions that lie here are: Will the London conference held on the 28th
Jan. 2010 bring peace, security and stability in Afghanistan?
Will the $140 million pledged by the donor countries go towards a fund for
the first year to encourage Afghan militants to renounce violence and
reintegrate into mainstream society? Afghanistan says the programme could need
up to $1 billion in funding over the next three years.
Will this program 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 the Karzai government and the foreign forces there?
While the answers to all these questions can take some time, however the
Afghan people and the international community have to be patient and wait as
what would be the practical outcome of the objectives of that conference in the
short and long terms.
In the 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 and the
delegates to the conference. 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 problem?
The Afghan government authorised representatives team should be given the
right clear plan and instructions to talk to the Taliban leadership, assuring
them that once they respect the government, the Constitution and the laws of
Afghanistan, then they will be given full guaranteed safety, security and joining
the government in different levels.
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 Qaida or other terrorist groups should be omitted from the list, so it can
encourage the Taliban to come to the negotiation table.
The Afghan Government should be aware of our neighbour’s intentions and
should convince the international community that the promotion and strengthening
of Afghan security forces will be beneficial for both the international
community and the Afghan people.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, UN secretary General Banki Moon, and other
representatives from over seventy countries has supported President Karzai’s
plan for negotiations with the Taliban.
The international community must not 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
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
Pakistani 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 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 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 recent
peace plan to bring peace, security and stability to Afghanistan.
9. In Afghanistan the following responsibilities must be fulfilled by
the Karzai 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 investor to
invest in the industry sector, so it can employ many people and the product
can be consumed locally and for export.
3. Corruption is a big problem, thus Karzai government must take 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 of the government departments,
contractors and NGO’s must be given high priority.
5. Appointment of public servants must be based on the merits of the 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. Law in 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 disobeyed 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 31th Jan 2010 in Kabul, President Karzai
said the London Conference will be followed by a (Loya Jirga) great assembly in
the spring and an international conference in Kabul this year in which the Afghan
government would formally present its commitments to the people of Afghanistan.
President Karzai must fulfill his promises given to the Afghan nation and the
international community, after his re-election in September 2009 and in the
London conference. However, at the same time the international community must
stand hand in hand with President Karzai in achieving the shared goal 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
possibilities of disintegration of Pakistan and Afghanistan to several states - which will be a disaster for the whole world. As Pakistan has nuclear arsenals,
and if that happened, then 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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