Washington (December 13, 2006)-The charismatic Afghan President Hamid Karzai finally spoke-up to what many local residents in the southwestern provinces of Afghanistan have been talking and complaining about for a long time – the heartbreaking stories of public suffering from terrorist attacks and from attacks against terrorists.
In a conference marking the 58th anniversary of the UN’s Universal Declaration on Human Rights on December 10, President Karzai publicly complained for the first time about the impact of NATO combat troops’ operations on innocent Afghan people.
With tearful eyes and a breaking voice, the President could hardly continue his speech after talking about an Afghan boy left paralyzed by a NATO air strike in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar province. In his heartfelt speech, which brought the audience to tears, Karzai helplessly pointed to the bloody results of activities of Pakistani-linked insurgents groups as well as the operations of NATO forces. He said, "It’s too much, we can not prevent the terrorists coming from Pakistan and we can’t prevent the coalition from killing our children."
Panjway district is among those locations, which has recently been a frequent target of coalition combat forces, with allegations of a presence of suspected Taliban fighters. Local residents not only deny such news, but also staged many protest demonstrations in recent days against the attacks of NATO troops.
Many analysts believe that falsified intelligence reaching coalition forces, or careless operations by them, are increasingly causing suffering to ordinary people, which consequently is leading them to resist the presence of foreign troops in the region.
According to independent sources, Afghanistan has seen more than 100 suicide attacks this year, a record number, and close to 4,000 people have died in insurgency-related violence, which is a clear reflection of increasing insurgency in the country.
The poor record of law and order and a worsening security situation linked with the increasingly violent activities of insurgents, combine with the impact of NATO’s operations on civilians, to make the public feel sandwiched between fighting forces. This situation also leads the public to express dissatisfaction with the performance of the current regime, which is reportedly ineffective in many parts of Afghanistan, especially in the southwestern provinces.
Afghan analyst Faizullah Amini points out that the current Afghan government is aware of this situation, but has little ability to act. He said "President Karzai probably directed his emotional speech to address the public to win their sympathy by telling them that even as President, he has no control over these things. It could be a political message to calm down the public, saying that, 'Look, I am also unhappy with the way foreign troops are operating”.
It was not the first time that Karzai talked about the impact of NATO’s operations on innocent people, but the difference between this and previous statements is that previous statements have been in the form of advice and requests. But the recent speech sounded like a sort of complaint in front of the public, giving them an impression that he is also helpless.
Despite Afghan troops being part of coalition forces in combating the insurgency, this situation raises many questions including whether Karzai has any influence on decisions regarding NATO’s strategic planning in the country. If he does, why does he seem helpless and why does he publicly complain about NATO operations?
Critics also argue that the public, especially in Pashtun-populated areas, are increasingly unhappy about NATO’s operations, and since Karzai is a Pashtun, he feels pressurized by his own countrymen. This may have led to differences between NATO planners and the presidential palace, possibly leading the President to express his dissatisfaction about the situation.
But Presidential spokesperson Khaleeq Ahmed rejected such a view, saying that "the president was simply saddened over the deaths of a 2-year-old child and two Afghan teachers on Saturday – and it really got to him. And he was not trying to send any larger message to NATO or the United States about their presence here."
While these discussions are underway, fighting and violence are reportedly continuing in many parts of Afghanistan. According to a high-ranking Afghan military official in Helmand province, the insurgents carried out an attack on December 12, aiming to assassinate the provisional governor, who escaped injury while 8 Afghan soldiers were seriously injured. In a similar attack on an Afghan Army post the previous day, two Afghan soldiers were wounded.
A day before, NATO forces had been ambushed in the southern Zabul province bordering with Iran with a roadside bomb and gunfire, and two foreign troops were wounded. The Afghan army also lost six soldiers on December 9 in a roadside bomb blast in Paktia province.
While fighting continues, President Karzai went on an official tour of Kandahar on December 12, leading a group of local leaders and foreign diplomats to meet with the elderly people of this troubled region to find a solution to the current security situation. This mission will also lead him to another troubled province, Helmand.
In recent days, Afghan officials are in close dialogue with Islamabad to organize a Loya Jirga [Grand Council] of Pashtun leaders living in the border towns of both countries to seek a permanent solution for the current insurgency. So far, officials have not finalized this initiative, nor is its result predictable.
Source of Publication- (central Asia and Caucasus Analyst – Washington-US)