Afghan Diplomat Insists Government is Taking Control

Promoting stability provides an ongoing challenge for President Hamid Karzai's government in Afghanistan. Central authority continues to encounter resistance from warlords in Afghanistan's provinces, and in recent weeks reconstituted Taliban military units have become increasingly active in eastern and southern regions of the country. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. In early September, Karzai decided to postpone a national conference, or Loya Jirga, that is to draw up a new Afghan constitution. The Loya Jirga, which was to convene this month, has been tentatively pushed back until late 2003. Some observers believe a further postponement is likely given that many participants could face travel difficulties during the winter months. Despite the current challenges, Afghan Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullah Abdullah remains optimistic that the government can attain its stabilization goals. He asserted that the security situation in Afghanistan is better than what is portrayed by international media. During a visit to New York in late September, Abdullah spoke with EurasiaNet contributor Camelia Entekhabi-Fard. The full text of Abdullah's comments on Afghanistan's stabilization process follows:

EurasiaNet: In a speech at Columbia University on September 25, President Karzai clearly asked the Pakistani government to shut down fundamentalist religious schools in Pakistan. Do you see a connection between the activities of the schools and the recent Taliban ambushes against soldiers and police inside Afghanistan?
Abdullah: President Karzai addressed only those schools that encourage terrorist activities in Afghanistan. Pakistan has over a hundred extremist religious madrassas but Mr. Karzai specifically mentioned those which have organized sabotage activities. Afghanistan expects Pakistan to work this problem out.

EurasiaNet: Does this mean that current Taliban members were recently trained in the Pakistani madrassas?
Abdullah: We cannot say "recently!" They had been in madrassas before. Perhaps some are new students and others are old students, but the point is that Pakistan houses such places that encourage terrorist activities.

EurasiaNet: Are the conditions in southern and eastern Afghanistan as bad as western media portray? Has the Taliban really reorganized?
Abdullah: The situation is not as bad as the media portray. Of course, any situation creates anxiety in our society and the government should pay attention. Security has definitely improved a lot and reconstruction is underway.

EurasiaNet: The country has officially started creating a national army, but warlords in the provinces still control their own militias. When does Afghanistan plan to start general disarmament? [For background, see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Abdullah: Disarmament is under the project of creating a central power and one of the reconstruction projects which will start on October 15. It doesn't mean disarming the national police or army, but the people who are not members of either service.

EurasiaNet: The people you want to disarm, at this moment, seem to be safeguarding citizens who live far from the capital. If the government disarms them, who will ensure security in outlying regions? [For background, see the Eurasia Insight archives].
Abdullah: This program is not going to happen all at once. It's a gradual process that will achieve its objective when the national army can take on the responsibility of safeguarding people's security, and when job opportunities can be presented to those who have been disarmed.

EurasiaNet: Does the disarmament plan include the dismissals of a few governors, or their appointment to positions in Kabul?
Abdullah: That change is under the plan to change the army and government. If someone is a governor, it doesn't mean that he can keep his job forever. Like Gul Agha Shirzai, ex-Governor of Kandahar, or Ismail Khan of Herat. Ismail Khan held two positions simultaneously, one civil and one military, which was banned in the National Security Council meeting [on August 13].

EurasiaNet: Do you think they will accept such a change easily?
Abdullah: Before you journalists kept insisting that the government lacked the power to control and change the country, and now that it is happening, you ask why and how.

EurasiaNet: Recently US President George W. Bush assigned his special envoy in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, to become American ambassador in Afghanistan as well. How do you view this appointment?
Abdullah: I believe it is very positive. When a person has a clear background and the respect of Washington, that person will definitely have a positive influence. Furthermore, he [does not need an interpreter.]

EurasiaNet: Have you had any talks with Iranian officials regarding the extradition of al Qaeda members who were arrested in Iran because of their operations in your country? The Iranian foreign minister clearly said at the Eurasia Summit [a sideline event to the United Nations General Assembly] that Iran would not give any detained members to the United States.
Abdullah: We haven't been interested in taking them back to Afghanistan. Al Qaeda is now the concern of the world, not just Afghanistan. It's enough for us to know that they will not engage in any terrorist activities anywhere. Iran has them in their control and it's their business to do whatever they want to do with them.