Afghan Paper Says US Risks Losing Local Support in Afghanistan

Text of article by Josh Shahryar titled “Four years on, US risks losing local support”, published by Afghan newspaper Kabul Weekly on 26 November

Four years ago US forces entered Afghanistan on a campaign to drive the regime of Mullah Omar from power and help democratize the country. Their campaign was met with joy both from the Afghan people and the international community, however, things have changed since then.

Most importantly, the Taliban are still active within Afghanistan and are continuing their attacks on military and civilian targets and the US is more than busy in another war in Iraq.

At the start of the war, US allies and most of the Afghan population blindly followed US guidance when it came to the overall strategy of the war in Afghanistan and the world. The changes in the past four years have also brought about differences between the US and some of its key allies in the war against terror and the people of Afghanistan are also beginning to think on their own for a change.

Back in November 2001, for the first time in its post- World War 2 history, Germany sent its troops to a country for a peacekeeping mission on the US request. But now, German politicians look reluctant in sending more troops to Afghanistan and adding to their contribution in the war.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair- a staunch ally of the US in the war- saw his majority in the British parliament cut to just over three per cent over his closest rival.

The conduct of the war on terror in Iraq was to be blamed and Mr Blair is hinted to step down as British PM later next year after low approval ratings by the public, Spain has already withdrawn its troops from Iraq and is slowly trying to distance itself from the war on terror after the Madrid bombings.

At the same time, US efforts to push its NATO allies to provide troops for Afghanistan so it could send some of its own troops from the country’s south and east to Iraq does not seem to be going successfully so far.

Only a few countries have agreed to send small contingents of additional troops to Afghanistan and the dates have not been set yet. Analysts say that the reason is Iraq, again.

But for the Afghan people, it is Afghanistan that comes first- not Iraq. Afghans had great expectations from US military presence in Afghanistan .

They wanted the US to help in ending the Taleban insurgency, bringing security to the country through a national army and a national police, providing country-wide and speedy reconstruction and ensuring basic human rights to the whole population.

The presence has indeed had a positive impact. With US help, Afghanistan has so far written its constitution, had a democratically elected president, conducted democratic parliamentary elections and has significantly improved financially. The country has also seen a huge influx of its refugees and human rights and the rule of law have been slowly improving.

But that is not the whole story. The US has also had mistakes in the past four years, some them extremely negative and dangerous to both the US and Afghanistan.

Backing specific groups, having an unproductive and flawed policy in eradicating poppy cultivation, not dealing with Pakistan’s serious interference in Afghanistan’s internal Affairs, not following the cases of prisoner and civilian abuse against US soldiers sincerely- at least not to the level of the cases in Iraq, bombardment of the civilian targets and cases of disrespect to the country’s culture has forced the Afghan public to change some of its views about the US-led war against terror in Afghanistan.

And the anxiety is growing. Even President Hamed Karzai at times looks a little- if not a lot- confused about some US actions in Afghanistan – like the desecration of Taleban corpses in Kandahar last month.

Four years have gone by. There is still enough time and with the positive impacts of the US in the past still fresh, it can still save the day if both the countries sit down and discuss some important points that could help both keep their relationship as good as it was at the start of the war.

The US and Afghanistan should cooperate in building a national army and police for Afghanistan that would not only be up to international standards but also acceptable for the Afghan population.

Afghanistan needs serious help in solving its border issues on the Durand Line. If the problem is not solved and the border is not demarcated, Pakistan will continue to help Afghanistan sink in further turmoil.

Afghanistan needs to be guaranteed that in case US troops are withdrawn from the country, the international community will be there to help fill the gap.

A working strategy on how to rid Afghanistan of Taleban and Al- Qaidah-related violence should be set up that could be executed in a short time. Afghans still regard the US as a friend. Afghans also understand the difficulties their ally is facing in Iraq.

But if things go the same way they have in the past and the US does not change its military and political strategy in Afghanistan, not only will it lose public support in Afghanistan- it will also undo the good it has done since November 2001.