"Karzai Must Win Back the Trust of his People"
In your International Crisis Group report, released on 2 November, your organisation recommended to put more international forces into the battle zones, recognising, however, that insurgencies are never beaten by military means alone. What, then, are the long-term options for the current government, what can Karzai do bring the country closer to peace?
Samina Ahmed: Karzai must get his act together and win back the trust of his people. To do so, he will have to tackle issues such as corruption in earnest and also make his government accountable and transparent. In particular, he has to end his informal alliance relationships with past abusers and warlords, end the practice of appointing the most inappropriate of candidates to key positions such as governors and enact police reform.
Instead of seeking shortcuts, which include a reliance on warlords, he should focus instead of strengthening and working with participatory, representative institutions such as the National Assembly and Provincial Councils.
Is it really Musharraf who supports insurgents foraying into Afghanistan or is it rather maybe militant Islamist militias that, due to Pakistan's delicate political power balance, Musharraf is not in a position to crush?
Ahmed: Musharraf supports Islamist parties such as the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazlur Rehman), the main mentor of the Taliban. Indeed Musharraf’s political party, the Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) is junior partner with the JUI-F in Balochistan, one of the main theatres of the cross-border insurgency.
Musharraf needs the mullahs to counter his political opposition, the moderate political parties. So long as he does, he will not intrude on the mullahs’ turf, including the jihadi madrasas that provide recruits and logistical support to the Taliban.
One of the major problems for Afghanistan is the widespread corruption. But is the current Karzai government really strong enough to tackle corruption when allegedly even the most high-ranking officials are reportedly cooperating with the drug cartels? What about the UN and the international forces – could they possibly implement anti-corruption measures?
Ahmed: Without rule of law, the entire edifice of state building in Afghanistan could collapse. Even if his government is weak, Karzai is certainly in a position to remove corrupt officials from his administration, including his cabinet. Without doing so, he will lose whatever legitimacy he has. The international forces cannot play a direct role in countering corruption, which lies outside their mandate.
Kabul Weekly is Afghanistan's biggest newspaper. It is said that its circulation is set at about 10,000; and according to some polls, illiteracy is as high as some 75%. Is there, however, something like an independent elite that critically monitors the governments actions?
Ahmed: Indeed illiteracy is high in Afghanistan, but it is also high in countries such as India, though less so obviously, which does not prevent the functioning of a fairly vibrant democracy. There are many committed Afghan individuals and institutions, for example the Independent Human Rights Commission of Afghanistan who are already playing a vital role in monitoring the government’s actions. The international community must support them in their work.
Many farmers still produce poppy seeds for the drug cartels, thereby also supporting the warlords. To what extent is it the responsibility of the Western alliance that Afghanistan's economy is not developing? What about the promises made by the international community?
Ahmed: The international community needs to coordinate its approach and its activities and to prevent wastage if precious resources are to be utilised in the most effective fashion.
The NATO member states argue that the burden of military engagement must be equally shared. Germany's former Ministry of Defence, however argues that the situation in the north is not as heated because of the reputation of German troops among Afghans. Would you say that this true?
Ahmed: This is certainly not true. If forces are needed more in the south and east than in the north, then countries such as Germany should remove caveats that prevent stationing of its troops there.
One of the problems in Afghanistan is that Pashtuns are not integrated into government and the political system. They are the ones making up most part of the Taliban fighters. How can they be integrated?
Ahmed: If you look at the composition of the cabinet and key ministries, including defence, the Pashtuns are amply represented. There are grievances, of course, stemming from the lack of economic reconstruction in the predominantly south and east; poor governance in the Pashtun areas, including the appointment of undesirable elements to key positions such as governors and police chiefs, and the absence of security. It is these grievances that will have to be addressed if the faith of the Pashtuns in the new institutions of the state is to be restored.
Interview: Lewis Gropp
© Qantara.de 2006
Samina Ahmed is South Asia Project Director of the International Crisis Group, an independent think tank which is working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict. Samina Ahmed is currently based in Islamabad, Pakistan.
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