A caricature sent by Bashir Bakhtiari, Afghan caricaturist, graphic designer and filmmaker
Monday, March 30, 2009
In the never - ending war in Afghanistan; “every one shoots in the dark!”
Written by Amin Wahidi
Where is this ship (Afghanistan) going?
These days Afghanistan is experiencing uncertainty; uncertainty because of moving towards an unknown direction or in other words, towards no where new!
The people, the government as well as the international key role players all have confronted an enigma and that is what is to be gained in Afghanistan.
In the triangle of people, the government and the international community, each has its own analysis and description of the current situation, but what is common in this middle, is the confusion of all three in what is to be gained in Afghanistan and to which direction this country would move hereafter.
Thus could easily be said; there is almost no clear image of at least a hopeful near future for people as well as for the International Community unless the situation is viewed through realistic eyes and the solutions are sought for seriously.
In this puzzle when hopes are almost gone, there are still chances of wining the game if certain points are considered.
Where is this ship (Afghanistan) going?
These days Afghanistan is experiencing uncertainty; uncertainty because of moving towards an unknown direction or in other words, towards no where new!
The people, the government as well as the international key role players all have confronted an enigma and that is what is to be gained in Afghanistan.
In the triangle of people, the government and the international community, each has its own analysis and description of the current situation, but what is common in this middle, is the confusion of all three in what is to be gained in Afghanistan and to which direction this country would move hereafter.
Thus could easily be said; there is almost no clear image of at least a hopeful near future for people as well as for the International Community unless the situation is viewed through realistic eyes and the solutions are sought for seriously.
In this puzzle when hopes are almost gone, there are still chances of wining the game if certain points are considered.
No clear definitions of the war in Afghanistan
Meanwhile no one has a clear definition of the war in Afghanistan; it is like every one shoots blindly in the dark no matter who is being shot, what happens and what is obtained? In most cases only civilians are being victimized and their voices are reached no where except only being recorded as statistics in the lists of media reports or in the archives of some Human Rights organizations. Every day it is heard that the Taliban have exploded a vehicle or a building and killed some soldiers and or civilians, and they are still strong in their demands and sabotaging the peace process, but at the same time it is heard that the USA has shown acquiescence with the idea of giving the Taliban roles and power in the Afghan politics during the coming elections, this contrast makes it more complicated for the people.
The definition of war against terror is losing its meaning day after day and the gifted democracy that was promised by west is losing its color as time passes especially since strong efforts are made to involve the Taliban in the late political equations. The Taliban who were the main causes of cruelty against humanity, who are still killing and destroying, are now to be back again and this time, by the interference of the international community?! The freedom of speech is getting very limited and being pressured by the government and the corrupt administration is still being supported by the international community.
The main reasons for beginning the war against terror was to collapse down a regime that was against humanity, a regime in which the women, the ethnic and religious minorities did not have rights to live as humans in the society, a regime that became a real threat for the whole world and for all these reasons it was collapsed by the USA and the groups of former Mujahedeen following a call for gathering of the international community.
In the first three to four years, there was more possibility to defeat and eradicate the remaining parts of the Taliban regime, but the biggest mistake the US forces made in Afghanistan, was always underestimating them, as if they will have been used for another political situation one day, that is what the people think these days.
Meanwhile no one has a clear definition of the war in Afghanistan; it is like every one shoots blindly in the dark no matter who is being shot, what happens and what is obtained? In most cases only civilians are being victimized and their voices are reached no where except only being recorded as statistics in the lists of media reports or in the archives of some Human Rights organizations. Every day it is heard that the Taliban have exploded a vehicle or a building and killed some soldiers and or civilians, and they are still strong in their demands and sabotaging the peace process, but at the same time it is heard that the USA has shown acquiescence with the idea of giving the Taliban roles and power in the Afghan politics during the coming elections, this contrast makes it more complicated for the people.
The definition of war against terror is losing its meaning day after day and the gifted democracy that was promised by west is losing its color as time passes especially since strong efforts are made to involve the Taliban in the late political equations. The Taliban who were the main causes of cruelty against humanity, who are still killing and destroying, are now to be back again and this time, by the interference of the international community?! The freedom of speech is getting very limited and being pressured by the government and the corrupt administration is still being supported by the international community.
The main reasons for beginning the war against terror was to collapse down a regime that was against humanity, a regime in which the women, the ethnic and religious minorities did not have rights to live as humans in the society, a regime that became a real threat for the whole world and for all these reasons it was collapsed by the USA and the groups of former Mujahedeen following a call for gathering of the international community.
In the first three to four years, there was more possibility to defeat and eradicate the remaining parts of the Taliban regime, but the biggest mistake the US forces made in Afghanistan, was always underestimating them, as if they will have been used for another political situation one day, that is what the people think these days.
The nations of the world are confused with the war in Afghanistan
People pay taxes to their governments and therefore the governments are responsible to have people’s acquiescence in making foreign affair decisions on the international issues such as war and reconstruction in Afghanistan.
Since 2007 different conferences as promising gatherings were held to get the attention of the world towards Afghanistan, but none have been sufficient because first the foundation of the new Afghan administration is suffering a breach that has been causing the corruption in the Afghan administration system secondly all these conferences seem to be just formalities and no more than just propagandas of attention of the world towards Afghanistan.
The late world economy crisis which has affected economical and industrial powers, can be another excuse for all countries involved in Afghanistan, so the situation is more critical nowadays regarding what to be changed in this war, people of the world, almost don’t have any interest to what is going to happen because they see nothing clear and transparent in this war. It is important for the tax payers to know the result of a never ending war, which affect each working members of them, therefore it is important for them to have an image of what is going to be gained in Afghanistan?
While on the other hand, after more than seven years of presence of the world in Afghanistan, the economical and industrial infrastructures are not rebuilt and this country has not been able yet to become self sufficient to run its economy without the help of international aids.
The ordinary budget of the Afghan government is still relying on international aids and hundreds of thousands of people are dying of hanger for having no job and no food.
Corruption still exists very massively and deeply
When we talk of the corruption, should not be ignored that, it has not been only the Afghan administration under Karzai leadership, drowned into corruption while there are evidences that show the internationals have also been involved in big corruption plots.
Indeed the mechanism of injecting of the international reconstruction funds in a post war situation of a tribal country has not been correctly outlined.
Unfortunately, as a post conflict country Afghanistan has been as an experimental surgery room for the new clinicians and every one has exercised a chance.
The helper and donor countries in part giving funds for Afghanistan, rather than helping Afghanistan positively they had provided job opportunities for their inexperienced nationals. In most cases, it is also important how the – brought - in foreign aids and funds are counted. The gross amounts that are being statistically announced through media are not the net amount spent on reconstruction projects but remarkable parts are returned to the donor countries through their organizations, and their namely professionals. And sometimes big amount of funds are being spent for formalities, useless things or luxury purposes, they are what different evidences say.
Disloyalty, insincerity and existence of corruption in the current Afghan administration are as dangerous as the insurgency of the Taliban and it weakens the strength of the administration from inside.
There are some reasons for existence of corruption and disloyalty in Afghanistan.
To some extend both sides are responsible and accountable; the international community and the Afghan leader.
The biggest mistake the international community made was supporting a wrong composition in the cabinet of Karzai especially after the elected government.
In Karzai’s cabinet, most ministers still own dual citizenships and are operating mostly based on the interested of their second country of citizenship as said by sources and the evidences show. Therefore they had no reasons to be worried about the outcome of what is going on against the national interest of their country of origin; it is what the people think.
Some people argue that those ministers rather than operating independently based on the needs in Afghanistan, they follow the orders of embassies of the second countries they belong to, and therefore, not really fundamental infrastructural works are done during this time.
Ministers like Anwarul Haq Ahadi who have other additional jobs while being a minister, are being lobbied by those institutions to work for their interest rather than working properly for the ministry, thus it effects on the outcome of operation in the ministry. For instance, Anwarul Haq Ahadi is accused of signing many long term and short term loans from the World Bank and IMF which were in favor of the those institutions and definitely against the national interest of his country but still he did it, as if his World Bank job is more important than the ministry he is running.
And for this, there is fear for the current Afghan generation, so they would have to be bending down by the load of the debts of the IMF and WB one day that are taken by dual citizen holder ministers who instead of working for his country, works for those institutions.
As the other part of the problems, another group of ministers occupying the key ministries such as, defense, interior, finance, education etc are allocating all efforts and resources to built an ethnic monopoly within the cabinet and direct the whole important governmental plans and resources towards their own ethnic purposes, this way the government is not a fully operational democratic government and is not recognized a just and fully representative government that is elected based on democracy, when it doesn’t believe in democracy in practice, then what always happens is the increase of distance in between people and the government as people see ethnic monopoly and discriminations in the operation of the ministries, in the application of reconstruction plans and distribution of the foreign aids. It is the time when an administration first loses its popularity and then its legitimacy like the current isolated administration of Karzai.
People pay taxes to their governments and therefore the governments are responsible to have people’s acquiescence in making foreign affair decisions on the international issues such as war and reconstruction in Afghanistan.
Since 2007 different conferences as promising gatherings were held to get the attention of the world towards Afghanistan, but none have been sufficient because first the foundation of the new Afghan administration is suffering a breach that has been causing the corruption in the Afghan administration system secondly all these conferences seem to be just formalities and no more than just propagandas of attention of the world towards Afghanistan.
The late world economy crisis which has affected economical and industrial powers, can be another excuse for all countries involved in Afghanistan, so the situation is more critical nowadays regarding what to be changed in this war, people of the world, almost don’t have any interest to what is going to happen because they see nothing clear and transparent in this war. It is important for the tax payers to know the result of a never ending war, which affect each working members of them, therefore it is important for them to have an image of what is going to be gained in Afghanistan?
While on the other hand, after more than seven years of presence of the world in Afghanistan, the economical and industrial infrastructures are not rebuilt and this country has not been able yet to become self sufficient to run its economy without the help of international aids.
The ordinary budget of the Afghan government is still relying on international aids and hundreds of thousands of people are dying of hanger for having no job and no food.
Corruption still exists very massively and deeply
When we talk of the corruption, should not be ignored that, it has not been only the Afghan administration under Karzai leadership, drowned into corruption while there are evidences that show the internationals have also been involved in big corruption plots.
Indeed the mechanism of injecting of the international reconstruction funds in a post war situation of a tribal country has not been correctly outlined.
Unfortunately, as a post conflict country Afghanistan has been as an experimental surgery room for the new clinicians and every one has exercised a chance.
The helper and donor countries in part giving funds for Afghanistan, rather than helping Afghanistan positively they had provided job opportunities for their inexperienced nationals. In most cases, it is also important how the – brought - in foreign aids and funds are counted. The gross amounts that are being statistically announced through media are not the net amount spent on reconstruction projects but remarkable parts are returned to the donor countries through their organizations, and their namely professionals. And sometimes big amount of funds are being spent for formalities, useless things or luxury purposes, they are what different evidences say.
Disloyalty, insincerity and existence of corruption in the current Afghan administration are as dangerous as the insurgency of the Taliban and it weakens the strength of the administration from inside.
There are some reasons for existence of corruption and disloyalty in Afghanistan.
To some extend both sides are responsible and accountable; the international community and the Afghan leader.
The biggest mistake the international community made was supporting a wrong composition in the cabinet of Karzai especially after the elected government.
In Karzai’s cabinet, most ministers still own dual citizenships and are operating mostly based on the interested of their second country of citizenship as said by sources and the evidences show. Therefore they had no reasons to be worried about the outcome of what is going on against the national interest of their country of origin; it is what the people think.
Some people argue that those ministers rather than operating independently based on the needs in Afghanistan, they follow the orders of embassies of the second countries they belong to, and therefore, not really fundamental infrastructural works are done during this time.
Ministers like Anwarul Haq Ahadi who have other additional jobs while being a minister, are being lobbied by those institutions to work for their interest rather than working properly for the ministry, thus it effects on the outcome of operation in the ministry. For instance, Anwarul Haq Ahadi is accused of signing many long term and short term loans from the World Bank and IMF which were in favor of the those institutions and definitely against the national interest of his country but still he did it, as if his World Bank job is more important than the ministry he is running.
And for this, there is fear for the current Afghan generation, so they would have to be bending down by the load of the debts of the IMF and WB one day that are taken by dual citizen holder ministers who instead of working for his country, works for those institutions.
As the other part of the problems, another group of ministers occupying the key ministries such as, defense, interior, finance, education etc are allocating all efforts and resources to built an ethnic monopoly within the cabinet and direct the whole important governmental plans and resources towards their own ethnic purposes, this way the government is not a fully operational democratic government and is not recognized a just and fully representative government that is elected based on democracy, when it doesn’t believe in democracy in practice, then what always happens is the increase of distance in between people and the government as people see ethnic monopoly and discriminations in the operation of the ministries, in the application of reconstruction plans and distribution of the foreign aids. It is the time when an administration first loses its popularity and then its legitimacy like the current isolated administration of Karzai.
What the Afghan people expected from the motto “Change”
Knowing that every war effected country needs a step by step planning, The Afghan people believed that now it should be the time for peace and reconstruction after years of war and suffering, and the only hope they had, was the “Change” motto by Obama in the new US administration, so people thought changes of the US strategies in Afghanistan would bring more seriousness for the Afghan leadership in running the country. So as a result of this change the war would be finished but not costing them the return of Taliban on power again, instead the Afghan people were expecting things to be done that were not done during the Bush Administration; strengthening of the Afghan security forces including the Army, the police and the Air force as needed to bring the security, no more protection and support to the warlords and corrupt people by the USA so to bring justice, more educational opportunities in the USA for the new Afghan generation, and exploit of the untouched mines and minerals to run the industry and build up an economy for the country, which all needs some years, but so far even in the announced new US strategy for Afghanistan, still militarism has been intensified which is not a real long term solution and people are very hopeless for real changes in their country.
In the new US strategy for Afghanistan, what only has been of interest for different groups of people, was the focusing on fighting against the roots of fundamentalism and terrorism that are out of borders of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan the land of contrasts
Mentioning all the points above does not mean that nothing has been done at all through the years of post Taliban period. Things have been done, but not enough as they were expected. Afghanistan is the land of contrasts and you can find different images in contrast in this country.
Nowadays, in some places you can find people who do not know what city and civilization mean at the same time in another part of this land you find people who are aware of every minute of the latest scientific discoveries of the world.
In one part you find women who cover their faces, in another part you see women singing on the stages.
In one part you find people who kill themselves along with the others, while at the same time in another part you find people who work day and night for humanity, and for saving lives. But it is a bit difficult to know enough about all these contrasts!
But still there are hopes when there are many ambitious people among the new generation of the Afghans who really care about the future of their country and one day, they will take the chance to play their roles and lead this ship out of the storm to the beach of prosperity. Perhaps only passage of time can prove it!
Knowing that every war effected country needs a step by step planning, The Afghan people believed that now it should be the time for peace and reconstruction after years of war and suffering, and the only hope they had, was the “Change” motto by Obama in the new US administration, so people thought changes of the US strategies in Afghanistan would bring more seriousness for the Afghan leadership in running the country. So as a result of this change the war would be finished but not costing them the return of Taliban on power again, instead the Afghan people were expecting things to be done that were not done during the Bush Administration; strengthening of the Afghan security forces including the Army, the police and the Air force as needed to bring the security, no more protection and support to the warlords and corrupt people by the USA so to bring justice, more educational opportunities in the USA for the new Afghan generation, and exploit of the untouched mines and minerals to run the industry and build up an economy for the country, which all needs some years, but so far even in the announced new US strategy for Afghanistan, still militarism has been intensified which is not a real long term solution and people are very hopeless for real changes in their country.
In the new US strategy for Afghanistan, what only has been of interest for different groups of people, was the focusing on fighting against the roots of fundamentalism and terrorism that are out of borders of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan the land of contrasts
Mentioning all the points above does not mean that nothing has been done at all through the years of post Taliban period. Things have been done, but not enough as they were expected. Afghanistan is the land of contrasts and you can find different images in contrast in this country.
Nowadays, in some places you can find people who do not know what city and civilization mean at the same time in another part of this land you find people who are aware of every minute of the latest scientific discoveries of the world.
In one part you find women who cover their faces, in another part you see women singing on the stages.
In one part you find people who kill themselves along with the others, while at the same time in another part you find people who work day and night for humanity, and for saving lives. But it is a bit difficult to know enough about all these contrasts!
But still there are hopes when there are many ambitious people among the new generation of the Afghans who really care about the future of their country and one day, they will take the chance to play their roles and lead this ship out of the storm to the beach of prosperity. Perhaps only passage of time can prove it!
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