[Mb-civic] Alarm in Afghanistan - Nasrine Gross - Boston Globe Op-Ed

[William Swiggard]

  Alarm in Afghanistan

By Nasrine Gross  |  February 2, 2006  |  The Boston Globe

FOR AFGHANS, the United States is the deciding factor in their recovery 
from a failed state, from the nightmare of becoming a breeding ground 
for terrorists, and from living in a culture of war and misery.

Afghans perceive the impending drawdown of US military forces and 
cutback of economic assistance with alarm and misgiving. They think 
Afghanistan is like a patient who in a single operation had successful 
heart, lung, and liver transplants, and should be in the recovery room, 
not out on the sidewalk.

The impact of the drawdown of US forces is that it may embolden enemies 
into more action. The enemies of Afghanistan consider this pullback a 
victory. Just look at all the daily episodes of fighting between the 
coalition forces, including the Afghan National Army and the Taliban and 
Al Qaeda, many of which do not get news coverage in the United States 
unless they involve an American.

As a result of the continued Taliban attacks, Afghanistan will continue 
to be divided into two areas -- the provinces where Taliban forces are 
active and the rest of the country, which will further prevent Afghans 
from reconnecting with each other. With extremists holding seats in 
Parliament, they may try to reintroduce laws curtailing democratic 
rights and prevent needed legislation such as confirmation of female 
judges to the Supreme Court. Prodemocracy groups will not have the 
stature to defend their interests robustly. And since the US-Afghan 
strategic agreement did not set well with some countries in the region, 
most notably Pakistan, these countries will freely encourage the Taliban 
and Al Qaeda to further destabilize the fledgling state.

On the economic assistance cutback from $1 billion to $630 million per 
year, many Afghans think it means one of two things: Either the United 
States is hard pressed for $370 million or the United States is sending 
an unmistakable sign of ending its involvement in Afghanistan. Because 
of the bitter memories of an earlier US disengagement after the Soviet 
retreat from Afghanistan, guess which one of these two ideas they more 
readily believe? And among all the reconstruction groups in the country, 
there are jitters that their projects will be seriously impacted.

The perception of this dual drawdown must be alleviated. The US 
secretary of state's participation in the recent London Conference is a 
good thing, but not enough. It will take many more gestures and actions 
from the United States to reassure Afghans, and to provide a surefire 
signal to the enemies that America means business.

The idea that the Taliban works to further the interests of the Pashtuns 
of Afghanistan must be countered. The Taliban is not an indigenous 
Afghan movement; rather it is an import of foreign countries and 
extremist groups from many parts of the world that abuse, in a clever 
way, the Pashtunwali traits, such as the code of silence and others. We 
need to help the Pashtuns of these provinces understand they do not owe 
the Taliban and Al Qaeda anything -- no loyalty, no code of silence.

We need to make the provinces where the Taliban and Al Qaeda operate 
more accessible to all Afghans, so the local population can develop a 
vested interest in keeping up security rather than be prey to the 
enemies' machinations.

The US government and public should become more aware that Afghanistan 
is the front line in the war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. They must 
not leave the rehabilitation of Afghanistan unfinished.

Nasrine Gross is an Afghan-American writer and women's rights activist 
who has been living in Afghanistan since August 2001.  


http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/02/02/alarm_in_afghanistan/
-------------- next part --------------
Skipped content of type multipart/related