Fiza Asar August 3, 2006

Tags: afghanistan

The problems with Afghanistan and the responsibilities of the international community

href="/tag/Afghanistan">Afghanistan more unstable than it was even five years ago. Poppy cultivation is at its highest, accounting for 87 percent of the opium produced in 2005. Insurgencies are rampant in the country, and have been making headlines in newspapers recently. What are the factors behind these new developments in Afghanistan?

As with any political front in any country, a clear picture cannot be easily drawn out. Evidently, several intertwined factors are exacerbating the situation in Afghanistan. What is most unfortunate in this painful story is the lack of concern from governments outside the country. The fervor one would hope to see for the fulfillment of promises made to the Afghan people is nothing in comparison to the fervor observed in the bombing of their cities.

Tragically, one notices the discrepancy in the priorities of the American government. As a prominent journalist, Ahmed Rashid, points out, since the invasion in October 2001, only $4 billion in aid has been given to Afghanistan, whereas $6 billion a month is being poured into the Iraq war. Larry Goodson in his report, "Afghanistan’s Long Road to Reconstruction," (PDF) points out that even Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda, and East Timor received more per capita money than the pledged aid of $1.8 billion given to Afghanistan in 2002. Unfortunately, with the American government’s attention focused on Iraq, it is unable to do justice to the damage caused in Afghanistan.

Poppy cultivation is at its highest this year in Afghanistan. As one of Afghanistan’s main crops, poppy cultivation has led to an economic growth rate of 7.5 percent according to a July 2005 report by the International Monetary Fund. An extreme rise in poppy cultivation is not only a serious problem for Afghanistan, but also a major problem for its neighbors and the rest of the world as the number of opium users increases exponentially.

Whereas opium is a serious problem to be taken into consideration, it has to be understood that Afghanistan has been a war-torn country for several decades now, which has left its economy distraught. It ranks among the poorest countries in the world. The poppy remains the only feasible means of livelihood for its people, who are deeply impoverished. Meanwhile, the war on terrorism goes on.

A lack of attention regarding national stability and reconstruction has forced its people to turn to an easy means of livelihood in the form of poppy cultivation. Halting this cultivation without providing alternative means of making a living is only going to aggravate the situation. Economic growth will slow down considerably and poverty alleviation will be just another broken promise. This in turn will add to the feeling of desperation and cause increased hatred for the foreign troops. So long as the foreign troops and the government are unable to provide concrete examples of prosperity to the Afghan people, the so-called terrorists will continue to gain respect as freedom fighters in the eyes of bitter Afghans.

The so-called Taliban insurgency of late has averaged about 50 attacks a week, according to a report from StrategyPage ("Patterns of Violence in Afghanistan"). In 2005 alone, 1,600 people, including 99 U.S. servicemen, were reported to have been killed at the hands of the militants. These numbers, as reported in an April CBC News report ("Violence set to increase in Afghanistan, a senior U.S. official says"), are a sharp rise from the 850 deaths reported in 2004.

Whether or not the attacks are being carried out by the Taliban, Al Qaeda, or freedom fighters being labeled as terrorists, the point is that there is enough of a vacuum in the political system and social setting to allow for the insurgencies. The problem is that the international community has unfortunately never given enough attention to rebuilding Afghanistan. The priority has been to root out the "enemies," which has only resulted in further destruction of the country. The lack of infrastructure means the political and parliamentary system cannot work smoothly, nor can the common man.

Rashid points out that the provinces are without electricity. Herat and Kunduz, for example, have to import electricity from Iran and Tajikistan, respectively. The Afghan people are disappointed with the international community. A lack of results is creating sympathy for the militants. The militants are using this vulnerability to weaken the governing body even further, manipulating sentiment in their favor.

Pashtuns form the majority ethnic group in Afghanistan, representing 45 percent of the population. However, at the moment they feel marginalized. Pashtuns have been in power in Afghanistan since it was formed in 1774 (with two exceptions). Since the Americans established democracy in Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, a Pashtun, has been in power. However, the real authority continues to lie with the interim ministers of Panjshir origin. This has increased the frustration felt by Pashtuns, who mostly reside in the southern and eastern provinces of Afghanistan. As the Taliban was mainly a Pashtun movement, these are the provinces where the Taliban have a stronghold. The current political situation explains why the Taliban are gaining popularity once again in these provinces.

Afghans are a group of fiercely independent people who never wanted to see Afghanistan being occupied by any foreign power. History proves that the British and the Soviets stood no chance in occupying Afghanistan. The Afghans view the American "occupation" in similar terms.

It is probably wise for foreign governments to stop meddling in Afghanistan. But if they do, it would be best to foster economic growth and nation building in order to win the hearts of the Afghan people. Broken promises and false hopes will only increase resentment and bitterness and lead to more domestic conflicts, clashes for power, and greater militancy. Resentment and militancy will be translated into terrorism, the cause for which America is fighting the war -- a war that will see no end.