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March 23, 2003
Articles: In the aftermath of war
“AFGHAN leader’s rosy assessment stuns Senators” stated a recent headline in the Chicago Tribune after Afghan President Hamid Karzai told the Senate Foreign Committee Relations in Washington that the human rights and security situation in Afghanistan is rapidly improving. The president’s appraisal of his own country is in sharp contrast to the one provided by Ahmed Rashid talking to a full house at the Chicago Public Library.
Rashid spoke primarily about his book Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia. The situation in Afghanistan was discussed in the light of an impending US attack on Iraq during the question-answer session. Rashid’s assessment of the situation in Afghanistan seems far more realistic as his observations are backed by data and numbers. Also, unlike Karzai, he does not have to paint a rosy picture to justify the United States’ attack in Iraq and its dismal post-war nation building record to do the same.
Rashid began his talk by focussing on the departure of the foreign policy of the United States by embracing the new and unwelcome policy of preemption. If the US wants to carry the “burden of empire”, is it also willing to take on the responsibility of an imperial power, he asked.
However Rashid pointed out, “Global problems need global solutions.” He questioned the United States’ policy as it undermines alliance building in the future when the real issues that need to be looked into, such as AIDS, education and environment, need consensus among nations. Would then the United States be able to garner support?
Rashid stressed the importance of security and reconstruction in post-war Afghanistan. He said there seems to be a lack of political will. Demobilizing Afghanistan’s warlord armies and providing employment to the 100,000 men has been a challenge for Karzai’s government. There is a need to intensify rebuilding efforts to keep the soldiers occupied and productive and to prioritize and reinstate millions of refugees who are returning to Afghanistan.
The 4,800-troop ISAF, the International Security Assistance Force from 22-nations, needs to be bolstered and deployed throughout Afghanistan, instead of being based only in Kabul if the control of warlords has to be weakened, and the far-flung areas are to be made more approachable to aid workers for reconstruction purposes. Failure to act would make these areas a haven for terrorism again, with such activity already on the upswing. There are plans to rebuild 2,350 miles of roads and $300 million will be used for rural aid programmes.
To questions about what was best for a post-Saddam Iraq, Rashid said that there was little support for an American proxy, in fact, each neighbour wants a government to suit its foreign policy. It was the same in the case of Afghanistan with Pakistan, Iran and even India, “Pakistan’s bete-noir,” backing allies to reinforce their positions.
The focus for the talk moved from the nature and importance of the work in the aftermath of war to questions about Central Asia and China. Rashid gave examples from his book about the flawed US policy of supporting governments in the new Central Asian republics which are repressive to religion, such as Uzbekistan where US troops are based since the September 11 attack. The United States has to choose its bedfellows with discretion, he stressed. The intolerant regimes become fertile breeding grounds for dissent and terrorism.
One wished he was more critical and pointed out to a large press corps gathered there more examples of the failings of US foreign policy and the media coverage. He did point out that no paper had mentioned the thousands gathered in an anti-war protest in Manila recently!
Rashid stressed that in countries like Afghanistan which has so many ethnic groups, the role of Pakistan continues to be crucial. The army should moderate Pakhtoon extremism and support from within the tribal area of Pakistan so as to bring some modicum of peace to Afghanistan.
Rashid was also sceptical about the whole democratic process and General Musharraf’s role, saying the liberal parties were demoralized by the elections. Pakistan’s generals have always played similar power games to seek support with the United States in the past. However, he said the democratic process in countries like Afghanistan cannot be grafted and has to be ushered in keeping in view the country’s socio-cultural framework, like the loya jirgas.
In the end, a student commented expressing solidarity among the people against the war in Iraq. September 11, may have placed blinkers on the television anchors, but clearly the people have found new forums like anti-war websites, to obliterate the differences and reach out to people across the world.
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