لراوبر ویب پاڼه لراوبر يو افغان – تازه خبرونه
By: Qaribur Rahman Saeed
No. Mr. President! It needs practical steps:
Sir Winston Churchill has said “The statesman, who yields to war fever, is no longer the master of Policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.”
As a political analyst rightly called him “the commander of speech” instead of Commander–in-chief, President Barak Husain Obama, has talked of his heart, during his speech to the Muslim world in Cairo. In a much-anticipated speech, aimed at healing America’s rift with the Islamic world On 4th June, US President said his country does not want to keep its troops in Afghanistan and announced to the world at Cairo University that :”Make no mistake: we do not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan. We seek no military bases there.”
Many think that this is the first US president in the history, to speak out what he has in his heart and have the tolerance to hear and then act. After assuming his office on 20th January, he promised to work out the possibilities and ways to solve the very important problems in the Muslim world created by the US policy makers themselves as well as by his predecessors.
In fact, the Muslim countries, withholding the huge natural and mineral resources, have been turned as the hub of the conflicts by the colonial powers. As President Obama elaborated in his speech “more recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations.” However, the same shameful pattern of colonization is deeply continued in its different shapes in the Muslim world through the hegemonic policies of the colonial powers in this 21st century. Most of the Islamic countries have unelected regimes imposed by the colonials for their heinous designs, and selfish interests. The best example is the Egyptian regime itself from where Mr. President addressed the Muslim world and announced to bridge the relation between east and west. Ironically the Egyptian president Mr. Mubarak is running the country, without allowing any rival to contest, for the last 28 years, and still wants to impose his lordly son on the shoulder of the Egyptian nation as his successor. All the imposed regimes of these countries have been safeguarded by the foreign military might, where the people are denied the right of self-determination. We can clearly say that most of the Muslim countries are occupied, under the pretext of providing security, by these colonial powers. See the example of Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Kashmir, Kuwait, Jordan…..
Nevertheless, the policy of “Change” and the latest speech in Cairo ,by US President, has given the world an opportunity to breath in calmness, though, with more expectation, which needs practical steps towards peace and tranquility.
The appointment of will experienced and knowledgeable person like Richard Holbrooke, to the region, to lesson to the opposition ,to study the territory and explore the ways for bringing security and harmony, in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, are seen as a good omen for the people of the region. And hopefully this policy as president Obama himself put it” There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground” will continued as the only way of finding the roots of the problems.
As long as it is depends to Afghanistan, As Mr. President himself put it “ … Over seven years ago, the United States pursued al Qaeda and the Taliban with broad international support. We did not go by choice; we went because of necessity”.
However, the Afghans think that the situation of 2001 has been completely changed. Therefore, they doubt the idea of “necessity”, and asking, if that necessity, which Obama has emphasized in his speech, still exists? While, the commander, of the US forces on the ground declared that: “no al-qaeda is existed in Afghanistan and that al-qaeda his fled from Afghanistan to their hideouts in the mountainous region”. Furthermore, the leader of the opposition, and ex-prime minister of Afghanistan, Hekmatyar also declared that “the al-qaeda members have fled Afghanistan to Iraq, and, no al-qaeda will be found in the country”. As a matter of fact, The tragedy of 9/11 became base for the military intervention and occupation of Afghanistan by US led coalition, as President Obama put it in his speech, therefore, if that very cause has already been vanished, what would be further reason for the coalition forces to stay in Afghanistan.
Most Afghan intellectuals are of the opinion that: presently the US led coalition is fighting the innocent people of the country. Besides they have been used lethal weapons like depleted Uranium (used in Tore Bora in 2002) and white phosphors gases (used recently in Balablok of Farah in May 2009) against the vulnerable people in the outskirt of the country.
According to a booklet “Afghanistan: why we should get out” “A Guardian investigation estimated 20,000 – 30,000 deaths were caused by the invasion in 2001. A journalist writing for “Le Monde Diplomatique”, estimated that 5000 prisoners were killed after they surrendered at Kunduz alone” the booklet ads.
The question is: is this the price of those killed in the 9/11 tragedy, the US wants to get it from the Afghan nation?
Whereas President Obama put it” I’m aware that there’s still some who would question or even justify the events of 9/11. But let us be clear: Al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people on that day. The victims were innocent men, women and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody.”
Is the Afghan nation owes to give price for the conducts of others? Why should the Afghan nation be the scapegoat for 9/11 tragedy? And how can Mr. President justify the killing of the indefensible people of Afghanistan? Dose Mr. President knows about the agonizing flames of fire, the nation is burning in?
The surveys conducted by the NGO’s show that from 2001 until now more then (80,000) innocent people “who had done nothing to harm anybody” are being killed by the US led coalition. Still no one knows how many have been injured or internally displaced by the aggressors.
As the US led coalition has created haters, in the hearts of the people, by bombing, fighting and wild acting among the masses, they have been acknowledged by the afghan elites as occupier.
Nevertheless, in this crucial circumstance, the time is clicking for a durable and suitable peace in the country, which definitely will affect the region as a whole. And that is possible only, if president Obama’s govt. sincerely sit with the parties opposed to the occupation. That will also fulfill the wishes of US president about which he signaled in his speech as: “We would gladly bring every single one of our troops home if we could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Afghanistan.”
According to regional politicians the turmoil and violent situation in Pakistan is created by the backlash policies of the occupation forces in Afghanistan. And as long as they prolonging their staying in the country, the security situation will go to the worst.
They added that: to find out the roots of the problem, the US should acknowledge the existence of the opposition and start finding ways out of this quagmire.‘
Meanwhile, the opposition to the occupation parties in the country, in their websites, also issued their requirements for negotiation with the US authorities.
In their requirement list, both the strongest parties i.e. (Taliban &Hezbe Islami) have asked for the” honourable peace, a peace that would restore the dignity of the Afghan people, a peace that would bring equality and justice to all Afghans, men and women alike, regardless of ethnicity and sectarian affiliation.”
Both the parties also asked that: “The course of action must include the phased withdrawal of foreign troops in accordance with a firm timetable acceptable to the Afghan people, the United States, and its NATO partners.”
“Furthermore, the negotiations must result in the formation of a provisional, non-partisan Afghan government, consisting of personalities of proven honesty, a group of people with the ability and integrity to initiate the all-necessary and all-important process of the inner-Afghan reconciliation and preparation for general and free elections.”
Therefore, the necessary steps for creating confidence between the negotiators would be: Military de-escalation and humanization of the conflict. Release of prisoners
Besides, Afghans assurance that, they will neither endanger their neighbors nor the world at large And assurances by our negotiations partners that they will not interfere in internal affairs of Afghanistan. A peaceful, sovereign and independent Afghanistan will maintain political, economic and cultural relations with all states of the international community, relation characterized by friendship, mutual respect and esteem “.
According to the Afghan elites, since the Taliban and Hezbe-Islami, proposed the solution of the crises, therefore, there sincerity should not be doubted and should be exhausted. These proposals further makes easier for the international forces to chalk out the future plane for the end of the game. Most Afghan political pundits are of the opinion that, beside the occupation their political autonomy is also under a big question. Even the conduct of forthcoming election under occupation is being questionable. If President Obama is realistic in his approach to withdraw his forces from the country, he should give a chance for the opposition parties, to work together and bring peace, security and stability in the provinces and places they control. For the time being most of the Afghans are of the opinion that “The existence of the US led coalition is the real cause of the insecurity and instability in the country.” However, President Obama’s recent speech is being contradicted by the US military activities in the country. How could one believe Obama’s repeated quest for withdrawal of forces from the land, whereas the expansion of the military bases and the construction of huge military airports is hastily continued, and the land of the Afghans has been turned to situation like Guantanamo bay’s prison. The infamous Bagram, Panjsher and Qandahar prisons are more agonizing than the Guantanamo bay’s.
As it belongs to the reaction of the opposition parties to President Obama’s speech; a very cold and harsh approach has been appeared in the website of the Taliban. Where they said: “Obama’s speech was a bunch of deceivable slogans, and could not heal the bridge… still the killing, torture, and humiliation of the innocent people of Afghanistan and Iraq is continued by the US led coalition, the country’s most notorious prisons of Bagram and Panjsher is congested with the innocent people…….” The declaration said.
Though, the reaction of HIA’s is yet to be waited for, Eng. Hekmatyar, the leader of the Party in his recent lengthy interview with “Benawa.com” elaborated that: “Peace in Afghanistan is possible only if all foreign troops have been withdrawn.”
“The occupation of Afghanistan by foreign troops was, and continues to be, the very cause of the war. They brought even more hardship and misery, killing and bloodshed, conflict as well as social and economic grievances to our country. By now resistance is alive in the entire country. There is no longer resistance of individual groups; rather resistance is now at national level.” He remarked. When asked about his relation with al-qaeda and Taliban he said “although we support all the freedom loving Islamic organizations, but have no relation with Taliban or Al-Qaeda.” Hekmatyar, in his interview signaled that, “in case of the withdrawal timetable we are ready to keep security in as many as 18 most troubled provinces along side with Taliban and internal security forces.” Hekmatyar’s statement makes easy for President Obama:” to gladly bring every single one of his troops home if he could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Afghanistan.”
It is glad to say that President Obama has come out to solve the world’s most troubled region’s problems where the United States itself is deeper involved, however the solution could be found out through dialogs among the conflicting sides. If the US push aside the involved sides under the pretext of black names, and avoid discussing the roots of the problems with them, then the world should wait for years and witness, more destruction and mass killing of the innocent people by either side. Like Afghanistan, one can also think about the problems of the Middle east of Palestinians, Lebanon or the problem of Kashmir. In all these places the real actors i.e. Hamas in Palestine, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the freedom fighters of Kashmir are out of the negotiations process, so long they are not involved ,the way out of the conflict also would be prolonged or would be impossible. In the Middle East in Lebanon and in Palestine the real cause of the problem is the Jewish state of Israel, where it didn’t honour the UN resolutions for the withdrawal of their forces from the occupied territories and stopping the illegitimate constrictions on the occupied land. Meanwhile, the US authorities by not recognising papulaly elected govt of Hamas have missed the chance of peace negotiation in the Middle East. And still undermining Hamas’s involvement, will further make the chances weaken. While in Kashmir, the Indian government has ignored the UN resolutions about the self determination of the Kashmir people. In all these problems US govt, itself is deeply involved.
To reach to appropriate peace initiative, with the opposition parties in the conflict, the US govt could also use the good offices of Saudi Arabia and Turkey as well as the offices of well known international peace broker, the Norwegian govt.
Nevertheless, president Obama’s speech has been widely heard by the Muslims around the world, however, most of the intellectuals impatiently expecting and waiting for practical steps towards the implementation of these words. Therefore, I can say: No. Mr. President; it is easy to say but it needs practical steps.
(Qaribur Rahman Saeed)
The author is a freelance Journalist and ex-director general of Afghan News Agency (ANA).
E-mail address: qrsaeed@hotmail.com
