Interior Minister Discusses Investigation Process Surrounding Alleged Coup

Interior Minister Yunus Qanooni, a veteran of the Northern Alliance, has spoken for Afghanistan's interim administration since the April 3 arrests of alleged coup plotters around Afghanistan. In this conversation with EurasiaNet contributor Camelia Enkhetabi-Fard, Qanooni explains why the arrests cast a wide net and considers the financial threats to his country's stability.

EurasiaNet: I'm curious about the case of the arrested people. Can you explain to us exactly what happened in Kabul the other day?
Qanooni: The Security Directorate of the Interior ministry has been in charge of the case from the beginning up to now. We have information that indicated some people in Kabul had questionable relationships with certain groups, going back a few years. There was a great deal of traffic in and out of [General Wahidullah] Sabauon's office, [and this traffic] is related to one of the branches of Hezb-i-Islami. These movements were under surveillance by the chief of security. He received many reports about plans for sabotage, terror attacks and the like. We are still searching for other ones. We also freed those who were arrested by mistake.

The evidence shows a plan existed for sabotage and setting-off of explosives. Sabauon himself is not arrested because right now he is not under suspicion. The problem came from the people who visited the office. We are still continuing to question the arrested ones and if we have any questions for Sabauon, we would definitely call on him.

EurasiaNet: Have you found any evidence linking [former Prime Minister Gulbuddin] Hekmatyar with these people?
Qanooni: We have to wait for more questioning before we could say anything, but it is clear these people all had contacts with Hekmatyar in the past. As for Hekmatyar's whereabouts, usually people like him never stop at one place. At the last report we found him in a place between Iran and Afghanistan called Zir Koh, controlled by one of his friends. We never had any agreements with Iran about controlling or holding Hekmatyar. Whoever he is, in the first instance, he is an Afghan and he can return to Afghanistan. But the real question is what his plans are.

EurasiaNet: I remember in an interview about two months ago, [Afghan Foreign Minister] Dr. Abdullah Abdullah did not dismiss the possibility that Iran may have put him under house arrest.
Qanooni: Dr. Abdullah is the minister of foreign affairs and I'm sure he had more information about the point you mentioned. But in principle we never had such an agreement.

EurasiaNet: If it became clear that Mr. Hekmatyar were involved in a plot, and he happened to be in another country, would you ask for his extradition?
Qanooni: First we have to wait for the final reports to come out; then we could decide what course of action to take. But Hekmatyar knows more than anyone else that he has been deeply involved with awful things in this country. He knows he doesn't have any chance in Afghanistan. Yes, if we could find his link to this case, we could call him anywhere he may be.

EurasiaNet: There are still a few very powerful warlords operating in this country. What are the prospects for a unified central army in the near future?
Qanooni: For the last 23 years, we have had nothing in this country but endless crises and war. What this means is that it is going to take time to rebuild the country. There can't be any easy solutions. The interim government is just three months old. We need time to solve problems like warlordism. On the positive side, we have a country that is united against all forms of sectarianism and warlordism. The idea of a national army is supported by all our people. Now maybe the old habits of some warlords don't allow them to change their ways easily. But it can't last long. The people of Afghanistan can not accept multiple centers of power like existed in the past. With the new conditions, no individual can sustain his own army as in the past.

EurasiaNet: But on the other hand, some warlords are quite self-sufficient. They collect tribute and other money without paying taxes to the central government, is that correct?
Qanooni: Until now we haven't had any controls on the customs. But now all income belongs to the Afghan people. The Finance Ministry decides how income is to be spent, whether it should go for state finances or the local needs, for example.

EurasiaNet: If you succeed in controlling the cultivation of poppies, how will you compensate for the shortfall in income?
Qanooni: Income derived from the sales of drugs is illegal. Plus, it goes to the smugglers. We have many potential sources of income, like mines, agriculture or trade. But right now, we have to depend on our friends for international assistance. Unfortunately we have some provinces still making poppy, like Nanghehar , Helmand and Badakhshan. We are starting to control Nanghehar [soon]. If we are successful in destroying, it means we can destroy 70 to 80 percent of the drug in Afghanistan.

EurasiaNet: When do you think the international money will start arriving?
Qanooni: It depends on each country's bureaucracy. At [the UN talks on Afghanistan in] Bonn, it was agreed to give some funds to us but so far we haven't received any sizable amounts. We have had some help to the government banking system. But I think in three to four months, we would receive large batches.

EurasiaNet: I heard from [Aviation Minister and aide to exiled former king Mohammed Zahir Shah] Dr. Zalmai Rassoul that the new government is promised around $200 million from the frozen bank accounts of the Taliban. Where is this money?
Qanooni: Personally I don't know much about this money. But I do know that we haven't received it yet.

EurasiaNet: Do you think in the long term the United States is interested in having military bases in Afghanistan?
Qanooni: I don't think so. Afghans have a special propensity about foreign armies. Right now they understand why foreign armies should be here. They know that these armies are helping the people to fight terrorism and also are helping in establishing the institutions of a central government. But if we are talking about long term staying, it is a different story. I'm sure the USA also doesn't have plans to stay here permanently. Obviously we are only too happy to have them in our country right now.

EurasiaNet: Is that true that some bombings occur without your knowledge?
Qanooni: In some instances if something very urgent is going on, there is no time to ask others. They are certainly allowed to attack the terrorists immediately. But otherwise, they first check with us at the Ministry of defense.