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JAAFARI TO MALII…………………………………………………1$!
TENACIOUS TEHRAN………………………………………………...177
TENACIOUS TEHRAN ' II……………………………………………(2#
MONSTER TURNED GHOST…………………………………………($7
MAIN BATTLEGROUND……………………………………………...(")
RESURGING TALIBAN………….……………………………………$2!
AL&AYS ACCUSED…...………………………………………………$")
%HASE III ' &EE IV…………………………………………………!!!
BLUE UMBRELLA …………………………………………………….7!#
ISLAMIC FASCISM……………………………………………………)")
RECOLLECTING
The war has been raging for more than four-and-a-half years. No end
is in sight as the intended goals have not been achieved as yet.
This proved that Bush Administration was right when after !11 it
vowed to fight a global war that could last for decades.
This is the only truth about the ongoing war. The aim of defeating
terror has been almost forgotten. The news and reviews now rarely
ma"e a mention of this evil. #sually$ these pertain to
global!regional hegemony% control of resources of wea"er countries$
particularly oil% proliferation of nuclear weapons%
insurgencies$ civil war and sectarian strife.
The initial claim about &holiness' of the war has been
completely compromised. The ugliness of so-called noble prete(ts
has been e(posed. )iberation of &oppressed' people has resulted
into more oppression. The dreams of peace and stability have turned
into nightmares of anarchy.
*romise of reconstruction has been forgotten in fulfilling the urge
for misappropriating the resources of con+uered lands. The
balloon of democracy has been pric"ed by victory of ,amas and
re-emergence of other slamic groups elsewhere.
The rusaders often tal"ed of winning hearts and minds of the
con+uered people$ but events have proved that they were never
interested in that. They only want complete submission of the
/uslims by destroying their defence capabilities and capturing
their economic resources.
f winning of hearts and minds was desired$ it could have been
achieved by spending less than half of the war e(penditure on
economic well-being of the targeted people. By doing that$ they
could not only win the hearts and minds$ but also the souls of many
/uslims li"e Abdul 0ahman of Afghanistan.
billion followers of this great religion. Those waged ihad
against in4ustice have been hunted$ "illed$ captured$ detained and
tortured li"e beasts.
America blames /uslims for lac"ing in spirit of peaceful
coe(istence. But$ the truths of its short history and geographic
isolation from the old civilied world reveal that America utterly
lac"s the ability to e(ist with nations having differences with
them. They only "now one way% eliminate the one who disagrees% and
their military prowess ma"es it possible.
The values of slam have been ridiculed by e(ercising the right
of freedom of speech. The strength 5estern media has been
fully utilied to achieve the aim of hurting sentiments of the
/uslims. The need for 6nlightenment of slam has been pressed
hard$ which could only be achieved through acceptance of 5estern
values li"e secularism.
7espite the evil intentions of the aggressors$ they have achieved
+uite a few successes. This can lead to drawing wrong inferences. t
can be said that possession of military might is more important for
winning a conflict than a noble cause. But$ drawing such conclusion
will be premature$ because$ as already said$ the war is yet
far from being over.
The most important winning factor has been causing$ preserving and
e(ploiting the disunity of /uslims. The use of enemy within has
been the lethal strategy of the rusaders. *an4sheris were used in
Afghanistan and 8urds in ra+.
Now$ they plan to use Baluch$ Arabs$ Tur"men$ 8urds and
Bahais in ran. 9imilarly$ as the war progresses$ the ethnic
diversity of *a"istan will be e(ploited in fulfillment of the evil
design. The )ong 5ar 9trategy clearly spells out the use of
&dissidents' in achieving the intended goals.
The term dissident$ however$ does not include 8ashmiris$ hechens$
/orros and other /uslim groups see"ing an end to oppression. t only
means the groups in slamic countries which could be useful for
further fragmentation of the /uslim 5orld.
/oreover$ rulers in slamic 5orld have been intimidated and coerced
to support the war on terror unconditionally. This has resulted in
yet another "ind of division in the /uslims. The rulers and
the ruled have been alienated from each other which will obviously
result in birth of more dissidents.
:
&futility' of military option even in opposing invasions and
resisting occupation of /uslim countries.
They only tal" of need for dialogue between two civiliations$
despite the ever increasing belligerence of the other side.
onse+uently$ *alestinians have been left to starve% the core issue
has been buried under the debris of composite dialogue%
hechens have been completely forgotten% /uslim minorities in
*hilippines and Thailand have been left at the mercy of the
pro(y crusaders.
All this has been paid in advance as price of the anticipated
peace. But$ rulers of the /uslim 5orld have ignored the basic fact
that there can be no peace for the one who is not prepared and
willing to wage war. That is why they have lot of roadmaps but no
peace. ;or *a"istan$ the peace process has only yielded onions$
potatoes$ meat$ films$ sugar$ and cement.
The march of the rusaders in pursuit of the )ong 5ar 9trategy
continues. ndia has been formally inducted as strategic partner to
further escalate the rusades. They are now galloping towards
ran$ which is not far from *a"istan.
ran owed a lot to the &terrorists' who have been and continue
fighting resolutely against occupation of ra+. n the absence of
their resistance$ the rusaders would have been in Tehran by now and
preparing to advance towards slamabad$ bringing them closer to the
achievement of final goal of destroying military capability
and nuclear deterrence in entire slamic 5orld.
/uslim rulers have ignored the importance of unity and opted
for falling one by one in misconception of being on the right
side of the rusaders. They are sleep-wal"ing towards their
unenviable end. The situation demands that they must listen to the
message of +bal )ahori conveyed a century ago in his
poem Jawab-e-Shikwa.
3<th /arch 2<<=
JAAFARI JAM
Bloodshed in ra+ continued and analysts "ept debating for an
appropriate name for the tragedy. 9ome called it insurgency$ or
resistance to occupation% the &nobles' preferred to term it
cross-border terrorism% and others named it sectarian strife$ or
civil war.
aafari$ the 9hiite nominee for prime minister's post$ resisted
manipulation and intimidation by the occupation forces and refused
to step down. This resulted into political stalemate causing
frustration in the interested parties.
America pondered over ranian leaders' offer. &The slamic
0epublic of ran will hold tal"s with the #nited 9tates about ra+ to
help the process of building a government there$ and to support the
ra+i people'$ said /otta"i. 0ice said tal"s with Tehran on ra+'s
slide toward civil war &might be useful'$ but they would
not cover ran's nuclear programme.
There was no progress in 9addam trial. The accused$ however$ while
appearing in the court on 1:th /arch urged ra+is &to unite
and resist the invaders and their bac"ers. 7on't fight among
yourselves.' ,e also wanted his trial to remain in ra+. Bush
however vowed to finish ra+ mission.
n *alestine$ ,amas continued facing opposition of the civilied
world and srael. 6ven Abbas re4ected smail ,aniya's proposed plan
to form government because he wanted ,amas to be clear on demands
of international community regarding srael.
ritics of war continued condemning illegal and immoral &holy
war.' Thousands of protesters in Britain$ Australia and Asian
countries demonstrated on third anniversary of ra+'s invasion and
demanded pullout of occupation forces. ran also "ept causing
embarrassment to the superpower and its willing allies by stic"ing
to its right to ac+uire nuclear technology.
ROUGH SEAS
>
ra+ "ept bleeding. Two intelligence officers were shot dead in
western Baghdad on 11th /arch. Ne(t day two blasts in 9adr ity
"illed 3= people and wounded 1< others. 9i( persons were
"illed and 13 wounded when a #9 convoy was attac"ed near Baghdad
Airport. Two civilians were "illed and si( wounded in mortar fire
in the capital and three were shot dead in another incident. ;ive
soldiers were wounded in roadside bombing. Two policemen were
wounded in 7ura. Two persons were shot dead in 7uluiyah. ?ne person
was "illed in /o+dadiya and a police ma4or in /ahmudiya. A
policeman was "illed and four wounded in Ba+ouba. About @<
persons$ including #9 soldiers were "illed on the day.
*olice recovered more dead bodies on 1 th /arch from in and
around Baghdad bringing the total to >@ in two days. Two days
later$ authorities found 2: more dead bodies. #9 forces launched
biggest post- occupation operation in 9amarra area with 1$:<<
troops and :< aircrafts.
?n 1@th /arch$ thirteen people$ including si( #9 soldiers$
were "illed. The sie of operation was curtailed. Ne(t day$ four
people were shot dead in drive-by shooting in /osul. 9i( persons
were wounded in similar attac" in )atifiyah. A policeman was "illed
by roadside bomb blast in 8ir"u". A civilian was "illed when a
left-over cluster bomb e(ploded in Ba+ouba. 9eventeen dead bodies
were found in Baghdad. #9 forces arrested =< people in the
ongoing operation in 9amarra area.
Three police commandos and three civilians were "illed near Baghdad
on 2<th /arch when a bomb targeted a police patrol. Three
persons were "illed in roadside bombing near 8ir"u". Another
roadside bomb "illed four persons protecting
infrastructure near /usayyib. unmen "illed one policeman and
wounded another in Amiriya. ?ne policeman was "illed and another
wounded by a suicide bomber in Ba+ouba. #ndisclosed number of
dead bodies was found in and around the capital. Nine people were
wounded in drive by shooting nears 8arbala.
?n 21st /arch$ gunmen attac"ed a 4ail north of the capital and
more than 3< prisoners were freed. Ne(t day #9 troops thwarted a
dawn attac" on another prison and captured :< of the
attac"ers.
@
insurgents. ?ne policeman was "illed and a doen others wounded in
s"andariyah. Two policemen were "illed and two wounded in an ambush
north of the capital. Two persons were "illed in drive-by shooting.
Three civilians were wounded in mortar fire. ?ne person was wounded
by troops in armou". 9i( dead bodies were found in the capital and
eight more were brought to hospital in ;allu4ah by #9 troops.
6ight policemen were wounded in car bombing in ,aditha. Three
hostages were freed by #9 troops in Baghdad after a successful
raid.
Bombing outside a 9unni mos+ue in 8halis on 2th /arch "illed
five people and wounded 1: others. unmen "illed three
policemen in west Baghdad and three wor"ers of a power station were
"illed in Ta4i. ;our persons were "illed by gunmen in
9aydiyah and one policeman was "illed in roadside bombing. Baghdad
police found 13 more dead bodies. Two policemen and two
civilians were "illed in roadside bombing in Baghdad. Ten persons
were wounded in mortar fire in Tal Afar. ?ne policeman was "illed
and a doen wounded in s"andariyah. A 7anish soldier was "illed and
another wounded near Basra.
?n 2=th /arch 3< dead bodies were found near Ba+ouba. #9
troops attac"ed a mos+ue near Baghdad and "illed 1= people. Ne(t
day a suicide bomber "illed < people and wounded 2<
others at an army base near Tal Afar. 9even people were "illed and
23 wounded in mortar fire in Baghdad. Three more people were "illed
elsewhere in the country. unmen in police uniform "illed people in
Baghdad on 2th /arch.
heney blamed al-Caeda for fomenting civil war in ra+$ but said
their attempt had failed. Allawi blamed occupation forces for
civil war in which ra+ was losing :< to =< people every day.
After the raid on mos+ue$ 9hiite #A said$ 	 forces and ra+i
9pecial ;orces committed a heinous crime by attac"ing the /ustafa
mos+ue in the neighbourhood of #r. Baghdad overnor refused to
cooperate with occupation forces.
?n 3<th /arch$ the Boston lobe criticied Arab )eague.
&The most dramatic D and pathetic D failing of the summit was
its effort to address the twin specters of sectarian warfare and
ranian influence in ra+.'
STAYING THE COURSE
associates D who are describing their own situation and must be
watching with fear the progress that ra+ has made over the past
three years.'
&onsider that in three years ra+ has gone from enduring a
brutal dictatorship to electing a provisional government to
ratifying a new constitution written by ra+is to electing a
permanent government last 7ecember. n each of these elections$ the
number of voters participating has increased significantlyG'
&The terrorists are determined to sto"e sectarian tension and
are attempting to spar" a civil war. But despite the many acts of
violence and provocation$ the vast ma4ority of ra+is have
shown that they want their country to remain whole and free
of ethnic conflictG Another significant transformation has been in
the sie$ capability and responsibility of ra+i security
forces.'
&Though there are those who will never be convinced that the
*+, /0
I+ / 3o5 5 *o$ anyone loo"ing realistically at the world today D at
the terrorist threat we face D can come to only one conclusionH Now
is the time for resolve$ not retreat.'
0umsfeld said a +uic" withdrawal would tantamount to handing
over ermany bac" to Nais. Bush announced that #9 troops would
stay in ra+
until 2<<. T5 lo66/ li"e ohn ,ughes "ept supporting the
contention
of Bush Administration.
5hile refusing to e+uate ra+ with Iietnam$ he wrote$ &in
Iietnam the enemy was inspired by a nationalistic bid to seie
territory and install a socialist regime$ whereas the enemy in ra+
is motivated by a perversion of slamic dogma and a fanatical
intent to impose it upon an entire region.' Jn Iietnam insurgency
was inspired by socialist ideas$ but in ra+ it was perversion
of slamic dogma with fanatical.K
&n ra+ the hope of the enemy is that the American public will
grow tired of the continuing casualties and the lengthy political
maneuvering over the formation of a new government$ and put
such pressure upon the Bush Administration to withdraw American
troops that *resident Bush would be unable to resist it.'
&5hat B,5 5+ 0o 60 3o08 about is his passion for the
promotion of democracy in ra+ and countries elsewhere to
whose people it has been deniedG Iictory in consolidating freedom
in ra+ would be an e(ample that would inspire hope for freedom in
countries elsewhere in the /iddle 6ast.'
1<
&The conse+uences of failure would be far-reachingG eorge Bush
may be faulted for some things but not his belief that freedom is
od-given for all people. t is not appropriate that America$ founded
on the cornerstone of freedom$ should see" to e(tend it to others
presently less fortunate.'
harles 8rauthammer discussed the difficulties faced in
9:o*+/;+/o0 o< I+. &Now the 8urds have 4oined with the
opposition 9unni and secular parties to oppose the 9hiite bloc. The
result is two large competing coalitionsH JaK the
8urd-9unni-secular bloc$ which controls about 1< seats in the
2>:-seat parliament and would constitute the barest
ma4ority% and JbK the 9hiite bloc$ which itself is a coalition of
seven not-always-friendly parties and controls 13< seats$
slightly less than a ma4ority.'
&But to protect minorities and force the creation of large
governing coalitions$ the ra+i constitution essentially re+uires a
two-thirds ma4ority to form a governmentG The result for now is
stalemate$ which could lead to disaster if the whole system
disintegrates because of the impasse. ?r it could lead to a more
effective$ less sectarian government than aafari's.'
&The :+/0 o6=*/> o< US A:6++9o Falmay 8halilad$ who
wor"ed miracles in Afghanistan$ is to ma"e sure that the nterior
/inistry is purged of sectarianism by giving it to some
neutral figure$ perhaps a secular 9unni with no ties to the
Baath *arty. 9imilarly$ with the 7efence /inistry which controls
the army.'
&The 8urd-9unni-secular bloc wants a new prime minister who
will establish a national unity government. Because the #nited
9tates wants precisely the same outcome$ the ,9 9<*/o0 /
> 8oo9 03 in a landscape of almost unrelenting bad
news.'
7avid gnatius loo"ed at the problems from slightly different angle.
&The country's political leaders seemed to realie$ as they
stood at the brin" that they would either come together or
ra+ would fall apart. 9o far they seem to be choosing unity D or at
least serious tal"s about unity.'
&8halilad told me in an interview in his office after
5ednesday's session that the tal"s had produced 0+/> +8:0 o0 3o
6+/*
?o/0H ;irst$ the parties endorsed the idea of a unity government
that would include all the ma4or factions. 9econd$ they agreed that
this government should have a top-level &national security
commission' that would include representatives of all the ma4or
political parties. ?perating by consensus$ this
11
body would frame the broad outlines of policy$ sub4ect to the
ra+i constitution.'
&The ra+i political 9/+lo8, 3/ll :o> /0o + 03 +09
?o0/+ll
<+*/o, +8 soon$ when the leaders begin bargaining over who
will hold top positions in the new government. Those negotiations
could blow apart the fragile hopes for a unity government.'
The ,indu wrote$ &with ministry-ma"ing running into serious
difficulty$ ra+'s political leaders have sought to brea" the
impasse by setting up a National 9ecurity ouncil that will
formulate broad policies on security and economic issues. The hope
is that the 1-member ouncil$ which will represent all the ma4or
political formations$ will be able to draw the different sects and
ethnic groups into the decision ma"ing process. T5/ ?l+0 / 0o
l/@l o 3o@. 5hile the *resident and *rime /inister will be the
members of the ouncil$ they will be free to override its collective
decisions that affect their spheres of authority. 9ince there is no
constitutional provision for creating such a body$
non-official members can have no real authority over the
e(ecutive branch.'
MAING HAY
srael "ept perpetrating + o/: with renewed vigour. ?n
1th
/arch$ sraeli troops bro"e into ericho prison$ pulled out prisoners
and guards$ destroyed much of the building$ and captured a group of
prisoners lin"ed to the assassination of an sraeli cabinet
minister$ who had been ac+uitted by a *alestinian court. Three
*alestinians were "illed in the raid. British and #9 had removed
their monitoring teams from the site 4ust before the attac".
*alestinians attac"ed #9 and 6uropean offices in aa 9trip and 5est
Ban" in retaliation and destroyed British ouncil building in aa
ity. Ne(t day$ *alestinians held a general stri"e against sraeli
raid.
?n 1=th /arch$ one sraeli soldier was "illed in 5est Ban".
sraeli troops detained five *alestinians. 9i( days later$ a
*alestinian activist was "illed and another wounded in sraeli raid
in ericho. Ne(t day$ sraeli troops "illed three more *alestinians
in aa 9trip.
,amas was able to secure some +uiet support from Arab countries$
including 9audi promise on aid. ?n 1@th /arch$ it announced
completion of <o:+/o0 o< + 8o>0:0 two wee"s
ahead of deadline. The cabinet will be approved by Abbas
before sending it the *arliament. 9enior ,amas
12
leader$ 9hei"h /ohammad 9ayyam$ while addressing annual
congregation of in *eshawar$ said ,amas would continue struggle
against ews.
?n 2th /arch$ Ol: ?+ 3o0 /0 l*/o0. Bush and Blair
wasted no time in congratulating the democratically elected
&state' terrorist. The winner wasted no time in announcing that
srael's borders will be fi(ed unilaterally. The same day$ /ahmud
Abbas led Arab opposition to sraeli acting premier's plan to set
the borders of the ewish state unilaterally after his
election win. 9udan's ?mar al-Bashir urged his Arab counterparts
not to succumb to the international community's efforts to isolate
,amas over its refusal to recognie srael$ disavow violence and
honour previous peace agreements.
5alid / 9adi advised ,amas to show fle(ibility. &H+:+ 5+
o
*@o0 3/5 5 ,l o< 5 8+:$ especially state succession rules.
overnments don't go around rescinding past accords by the stri"e of
a pen or a whisper. There are rules for canceling accords$
stipulated either in the accords themselves or in international law
relevant to bilateral and international agreements.'
&,amas "nows now the rules of the game. ,amas as an insurgency
is one thing$ but ,amas as part and parcel of the established
government in the *alestinian territories is +uite anotherG The
thorny issue in this vein may not be recogniing and accepting
srael's right to e(ist or the various accords already struc"
between the *alestinians and srael$ but rather to what e(tent ,amas
would want to impose slamic fundamentalism and the 9haria on the
*alestinian peopleG f ,amas chooses to depart from this road$ then
there could be problems along the way$ given the fact that the
*alestinians are a multi-religion people and have got used to
separating religion from state affairs.'
7r Caisar 0ashid had similar advice for both sides. &,amas has
to do something tactical lest the time should seal the famous
two-state solution in the favour of srael. 9imultaneously$
cornering ,amas at this 4uncture may catapult *alestine into chaos
and anarchy. This holds the potential to destabilie the /iddle 6ast
region. ,ence$ the time *+ll <o ?,90* <o:
6o5 /9.'
Arab News was of the view that showing <l/6/l/ +09 ?,90*
3o,l9 6 /::+/+l. &This situation might not ma"e much of a
difference. srael under 9haron was not negotiating with the
*alestinians when ;atah of *resident /ahmoud Abbas was in
charge% now that ,amas is forming a government$ srael is still not
tal"ing to the *alestinians while deciding for
13
itself what and what not to concede. As the outlines of ?lmert's
plans emerge$ it loo"s increasingly clear that they do not leave
the *alestinians with much.'
The News agreed with Arab News. &srael really has no
&problem' with either ,amas or /r Abbas. t's only that / ?:+00
?ol/* /
o??o//o0 o< ?+* 3/5 5 %+l/0/+0$ by actively sabotaging it
and!or simply dragging its feet on it. That's the "ey to what
srael calls its security$ indeed to its very survival. /r 9haron's
stand-in 6hud ?lmertGis ably doing both.'
The uardian agreed too% &srael is now demanding of a ,amas
government that it discharge the same role of preventing all
physical threats to srael that it earlier demanded of the much less
intransigent asser Arafat and the *)?$ but with absolutely no
incentive to do so$ e(cept the possibility that the leavings of a
unilateral partition of the 5est Ban" will at some future point be
labeled a &state' and handed over to them. This is + */?
<o
9/+ that is obvious to most outsiders but seems invisible to
those li"ely to form srael's ne(t government.'
immy arter wrote$ &the ?-:/00 o6+*l o ?+* / I+l
*olo0/;+/o0 o< %+l/0. There were 4ust a few hundred settlers in
the 5est Ban" and aa when became president$ but the )i"ud
government e(panded settlement activity when left office. Although
*resident Bill linton made strong efforts to promote peace$ a
massive increase in settlers occurred during his administration$ to
22:$<<< Jnot including 6ast erusalemK$ mostly when 6hud
Bara" was prime minister. Their best official order to the
*alestinians was to withdraw 2<L of them$ leaving
1@<$<<< in 2< settlements$ covering about :L of the
occupied land.'
&t's ,l 9/8+*<,l 5+ 5 /00+/o0+l *o::,0/
/0<<*,+ll +09 6 as aans are deprived of staples$ such as
bread and dairy products due to srael's two-month closure of the
8ani cargo crossing between aa and 6gypt'$ said )inda 9
,eard.
&#nder Article :: of the fourth eneva onvention &to the
fullest e(tent of the means available to it the ?ccupying *ower has
the duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the
populationG But who cares about eneva onventions nowadaysE srael
has consistently displayed a total disregard for them with its
?ol/* o< *oll*/> ?,0/5:0 while its closest ally the #9
has circumvented themG'
&9urely$ the #9 is angered over the humiliating 4ail siege$
especially when it$ li"e Britain$ signed an agreement guaranteeing
the safety of 9a'adat
1
and others. ou've guessed it. t isn't. n fact$ the #9 has made it
clear that it would veto any #N censure motion.'
/a"au /utua wrote$ &the #nited 9tates and the 6uropean #nion
D who write the chec"s for the *alestinian Authority D must
not *, o<< +/9 to the ,amas government. 7oing so /
5o/859 ,09:o*+/* +09
<ool5+9. )iberation movements normally mellow in the aftermath
of political victory.'
,amid Ansari said$ &away from the controversy about academic
freedom$ an sraeli comment has defined the bottom line in the
debateH &7efending the occupation has done to the American
pro-srael community what living as an occupier has done to srael D
:,99/9 6o5 / :o+l
*o:?+ +09 / +/o0+l l<-/0 *o:?+.'
Albadr 9 9 al-9hateri opined that in reality srael is 0o lo08 +
@
US +. &*assionate attachment of one nation for another produces
a variety of evils'$ said eorge 5ashington. ,e added$ &sympathy
for the favourite nation facilitating the illusion of an imaginary
common interest in cases where no real common interest e(ists$ and
infusing into one the enmities of the other$ betrays the former
into a participation in the +uarrels and wars of the latter without
ade+uate inducement or 4urisdictionG But$ that is what has e(actly
happened in the #9-srael special relationship.'
Arab News observed$ &what is disturbing is that the
international community 9o 0o : o +??*/+ 5+ 5/ 03 6+l+0* o<<
5
6 > +/08 ?o/0 for a real settlement. JAs the two hard line
parties from either side are in power.K No one e(pects the
Americans$ with their narrow world view and purblind support
for srael$ to recognie the opportunity.'
R+/9 o0 =+/l /0 J/*5o invited widespread bitter criticism.
/athew Tostevin wrote$ &srael acts alone as 5estern countries
ac+uiesce +uietly and *alestinians scream condemnation in powerless
rageG The seiure of 9a'adat$ accused by srael of involvement
in the "illing of an sraeli cabinet minister in 2<<1$ will
certainly help interim *rime /inister 6hud ?lmert ahead of a /arch
2@ election he was e(pected to win.'
&Go-/-+lo0 :o> + l/@l o 6 *0+l o Ol: ?l+0 to set
borders by giving up some isolated ewish settlements but
"eeping big chun"s of the occupied 5est Ban"G The unilateral
approach appeals to many sraelis cynical about prospects for
negotiated peace with the *alestinians and an(ious to fi( borders
on srael's terms to ensure a ewish ma4ority$ ma(imie security and
"eep all the erusalem.'
1:
&5hile ?lmert stresses his aim of setting a permanent border$
it is already pretty much a fait accompli along the line of a 5est
Ban" barrier e(pected to be completed this yearG 5estern
diplomats say they see no signs that Abbas is willing or able to
stand up to ,amas in a way that could let them continue weighty
dealings 4ust with him.'
&That was apparent in the way that #9 and British monitors$ who
had been at ericho prison under a deal since 2<<2$ left
their posts on Tuesday minutes before sraeli forces stormed inG
British and the #nited 9tates had warned Abbas a wee" ago that the
monitors would go if he did not address security concerns. Neither
country criticied the sraeli raid.'
&The *alestinian response to the operation e(posed the
difficulty of countering unilateral sraeli measures. Abbas
and ,amas ali"e could do little more than fulminate against the
raid$ warn of perils ahead and hold Britain and the #nited 9tates
responsible for what had happened.'
ulf News opined$ &the barbaric offensive by srael on the ericho
prison$ literally under the noses of the two western great
powers$ ?l+/0
o0* +8+/0 35 5 ?+* /0 5 M/99l E+ :+/0 + :/+8G n attac"ing the
prison and arresting Ahmad 9a'adat and others$ with perhaps the
blessing of the #nited 9tates and Britain$ srael again undermined
the leadership of *alestinian *resident /ahmoud Abbas. The attac"
showed him unable to protect his people. t also provided
*alestinian factions$ some of which do not recognie the peace
process$ with more reasons to continue their armed struggle.'
8haled 7udar was of the view that &today we can + 8oo96 o
5 ?+* ?o*. The political process was finally buried in ericho and
srael has no intentions or even interests in finding *alestinian
partners. srael thin"s that it is today in a position where it can
impose a solution on the *alestinians. srael believes that it is no
longer obliged to fulfill its obligations.'
/anal Alafrangi said$ &it is common "nowledge that srael does
whatever it wants$ whenever it wants. N/5 5 US 0o B/+/0 3/ll
8
/0 5 3+ o< 5 I+l/ +809+ . A close loo" at the current situation
in the region reveals there is an incessant attempt by the sraeli
government to stir up angry Arab sentiment$ undermine efforts
to form a viable *alestinian administration$ ma"e ,amas loo"
powerless$ and divide *alestinians amongst themselves.'
&5hile 5ashington and )ondon have cited concern for the safety
of their citiens as the 4ustification$ it is inconceivable
that either the
1=
*alestinians or sraelis would have harmed the monitors. This has
been established by the fact that most 5esterners ta"en hostage
during the riots that followed the raid were soon set free. All in
all$ the 3/59+3+l o< 5
,?>/o +??+ o 5+> 60 /0099 o ?o>o@ H+:+ into an
indiscretion'$ wrote the ,indu.
9eumas /ilne focused on British policy. &ac" 9traw has brought
Britain's standing in the Arab and /uslim worlds to its lowest
point for half a century. By withdrawing British monitors
from a *alestinian 4ail in ericho on Tuesday$ the government as
good as 5+099 o> o I+l 5 ?/o0
/ 5+9 :+9 +0 /00+/o0+l +8:0 o ?o*. n doing so$ it colluded with its
American co-sponsor and D at the very least tacitly D with the
sraeli occupation regime in an armed attac" on the prison and the
seiure of an elected political leader regarded by many *alestinian
as a national hero.'
&n srael the ericho operation is of course highly popular and
regarded as a boost for ?lmert's electoral credibility as a tough
successor to 9haronG t certainly represents an un4ustifiable
abandonment of international responsibilities to protect an
occupied people and help achieve their human and national rights$
denied by nearly si(ty years. But it is also a 5/85l 9+08o, ol o
+9o? /0 5 :o /0<l+::+o *o0<l/* on the planet D
and one which puts at ris" the security of people in Britain$ as
well as the /iddle 6ast.'
Andrian ,amilton said$ &what we have now is a <o/80 ?ol/*
5+
5+ lo / 3+ since ra+ went sour and a foreign secretary who
chatters on$ putting a burbling$ brave face on whatever he's as"ed
to do ne(t. 5hether he believes in it at all no one "nows and$
worse$ few seem interested in finding outG The British this time
conveniently scampered leaving the sraelis to do their worst. t
wasn't brave. t breached all our commitments to the
*alestinians. But it did not get us out of a hole.'
The New or" Times blamed ,amas for the raid. &The list of
misdeeds is$ as usual$ lengthy and widespread. The H+:+ 5o,l9 0o
5+>
?o>o@9 I+l 3/5 *5+ +6o, </08 A5:+9 S+9++ $ the head of
the *opular ;ront for the )iberation of *alestine$ who is being
held in the "illing of 0ehavam Feevi$ the sraeli tourism minister$
in 2<<1.'
&5hatever the 5est might say$ for the ma4ority of /uslims$
H+:+
:+/0 + :6ol o< 5 %+l/0/+0 <9o: ,88l $ and is not seen as a
terrorist outfit. This is a difficult realiation for the 5est$ but
what is more
1>
important is to realie that the reasons for this support rest in
unfair international politics and not slamic ideology'$
opined /asooda Bano.
0amy Baroud elaborated$ &even srael's initial sense of
vindication has turned sour$ as ,amas D despite its lac" of
e(perience in international politics D has managed to win the
trust of various governments outside of 5estern hemisphere$
and is proving e+ually savvy in ma"ing its conditions for a final
settlement with srael appear plausibleG %+l/0/+0 5+>
,**<,ll :+0+89 o /:? 5/ ?ol//*+l 3/ll as an irrevocable
part of their regions political reality% a very disturbing
realiation indeed in the eyes of the #9 and srael who have
diligently wor"ed for decades to undermine the *alestinian people's
aspirations.'
&But even more dangerous is that *alestinians were +uietly
rewor"ing their political and ideological divergence in intense
meetings in aa$ with the hope that a national unity government
would replace the less favoured option of a ,amas-only
government.'
&5hat's troublesome is the fact that a national unity
government that includes the defeated pro-#9 ;atah movement would
deny the Bush Administration and srael the chance to scrutinie$
undermine and eventually topple a lone ,amas government.'
The uardian wrote on the outcome of I+l/ l*/o0. &The new
*alestinian government led by the slamist ,amas has scorned /r
?lmert's plans and there are scant prospects of negotiations.
But it is worth remembering that *resident linton's parameters D
the closest the two sides ever came to a deal D assume that the
biggest settlements$ illegal under international law$ are now
immovable$ and can be swapped for land elsewhere.'
&f that is to happen$ there will have to be negations$ with
international involvement as laid down by the currently morbid
&road map' to peace. U0/l++l/: :+ 3o@ <o + 35/l D and
any withdrawal is better than none D but it can be no substitute
for agreement between the two peoples who are destined to share
this one small country.'
O%%OSING &INDS
Analyst 7aniel 9chorr observed that three years after the invasion
of
ra+ the 5o/* o< >/*o has been replaced by
&progress.' &There is
evidence of real progress'$ says *resident Bush. &5e continue
to ma"e great
1@
progress' echoes eneral eorge asey. Nic" ?livari was of the
view that 	 forces now find themselves potentially caught in
the middle of a sectarian civil war as 9hiite militias have stepped
up reprisals after years of 9unni guerrilla attac"s.'
*hillip 8nightly as"ed occupation forces to be prepared for the
worst. &f sectarian violence escalates further$ #9 troops must
be withdrawn from patrol and confined to their barrac"s and
garrisonsG M+ +0?o :,
6 :,9 <o +?/9 3/59+3+l of those troops from volatile cities
in the e(plosive central region of ra+Gin greatest dangerG'
&The #nited 9ates lost one war not too long ago in Iietnam.
onditions are ta"ing shape that could result in the same outcome in
ra+. No o ?l+0 0o3 <o 5/ +?o*+l?/* ?o/6/l/ 3o,l9 +0+:o,0 o
*/:/0+l 08l* on the part of our political and military
leadership.'
&The character of warfare and violence is being transformed.
The warfare of the future is not 5orld 5ar $ or even 8orea or
Iietnam. t is /ogadishu and ;allu4ah D low-intensity conflict among
tribes$ clans$ and gangs. 5e are not prepared for that "ind of warG
The #nited 9tates is /0
9+08 o< </09/08 *o:6+ <o* +??9 in a civil war that
they cannot prevent$ control$ or win. America's army is in
danger$ and that danger is possibly 4ust around the
corner.'
ary ounge wrote$ &for if the last si( years have proved
anything$ it is 5 l/:/+/o0 o< 5 :/l/+ :/85 + 5 *0+l ?l+0@ o<
<o/80
?ol/*. ndeed$ shorn of meaningful diplomacy or substantial
negotiation$ it has failed even on its own narrow$ nationalistic
terms of ma"ing America safer and securing its global hegemony. n
short$ in displaying his strength in such a brash$ braen$ rec"less
and ruthless manner$ Bush has asserted power and lost
authority and influence both at home and abroad.'
&As events in ra+ have soured$ the ability of the Bush
Administration to deliver on these threats has diminished
considerably. 5ith its military overstretched and its diplomatic
goodwill spent$ it has been forced bac" to the table from a
relative position of wea"ness$ because nobody trusts it or
particularly fears it. f anything$ 6o5 I+0 +09 No5 o+ 5+>
60
:6ol909 6 / <+/l, /0 5 G,l<.'
&The most important single factor that shapes Americans'
attitudes to any war is whether they thin" America will win$
e(plains hristopher elpi$ an associate professor of political
science at 7u"e #niversity who specialies in public attitudes to
foreign policy. ?ver the past year$ the percentage of
Americans who believe the #9 is &certain to win' has
1
plummeted from >L to 22L% those who are either certain it
will not win or believe this to be unli"ely have risen
from 1L to 1L.'
/a( Boot opined$ &it might have been possible to avoid such a
costly and protracted conflict in ra+ if entral ommand and the
7efence 7epartment had been better prepared for the
&post-conflict' phase of operations. But$ as we now "now$
there was a horrifying and /0?l/*+6l
<+/l, o ,09+@ +9,+ ??++/o0 for running ra+ after the fall
of 9addam ,ussein.'
9yrian political commentator ;aisal Cassem said the ra+ war$
supposed to herald the demise of autocratic rule in the region$ had
in fact 6ol9 A+6 8o>0:0 which offer their citiens stability$
security and in some cases prosperity. &?ne of the conse+uences
of the invasion was to give new life to these regimes.' ary ounge
wrote$ &The issue is not whether the developing world is ready
for democracy D as the administration "eeps arguing D but if the #9
is ready for the democratic choices made by the developing
world.'
Arab News criticied the raid on a 9hiite mos+ue. &The only
things that seem apparent from these actions is that the #9
military$ increasingly
concerned at the 8o35 o< S5// :/l//+ and their influence
within the
ra+i police and armed forces$ are 6l+9l /08 o *l/? 5/ 3/08 .'
&The nightly tit-for-tat "illings leave a dawn harvest of
corpses. The authorities seem powerless and$ as the rest of a local
police chief suggests$ there are probably death s+uads operating
among the police themselvesG All this is a far cry from
5ashington's *l+/: 5+ + l/+6l *+9 o< I+/
?ol/* +09 +: / 6/08 *+9 to ta"e over from coalition forces.
ndeed one recent &success' story of which *resident Bush
boasted D the #9-ra+i military base at Tal Afar near /osul was
yesterday the scene of a suicide bombing in which over <
would-be recruits were slain.'
brahim al-aafari$ however$ ban"ed a lot on ra+i security forces.
&The long-term solution to this problem will be multifaceted.
5e must ensure that all *,/ <o* */> ?o? +/0/08 +09 5+ 5 /
+
*5+/0 o< *o::+09 that holds commanders and officers
responsible for such abuses. n addition$ the various militias that
fought 9addam ,ussein's regime honourably must be fully integrated
into ra+'s security forces without concentrating any particular
group into any one division.'
/any analysts felt that no criticism of ra+ 5ar could be
complete
without B,5 6+5/08. ary ounge wrote &5ith his approval
ratings at
2<
Ni(onian lows and the mid-term elections on the horion$ many
of his fellow 0epublicans regard him as a liabilityG 9tumbling
across the political landscape$ rallying support for lost causes$
he resembles 6rnest ,arrowden in the *icture of 7orian ray$ a
character whom ?scar 5ilde described as &one of those
middle-aged mediocrities$ who 5+> 0o 0:/ 6, +
5oo,85l 9/l/@9 6 5/ </09.'
/olly vins wrote$ &it loo"s as though Bush does better on
foreign policy when he's being +0 /ol+/o0/. /aybe he should
4ust stay at home and cut more ta(es for the rich$ or go e(pose
some A agent for political paybac" against her husband$ or
4ust spy on American pacifists.'
/aggie /itchell 9alem opined$ &Bush is not concerned about the
defection of neoconservatives who once bac"ed the war$ li"e 5illiam
Buc"ley and ;rancis ;u"uyama. ,is problem is with millions of
Americans who are /0*+/08l 9//ll,/o09 3/5 5/ l+95/?.'
7avid /artin described B,5 +6/l/ o 5/0@ +5+9$ by +uoting some of
his remar"s in the recent news conferenceH
• &The decision to end the #9 military presence in ra+ will not
be hisG
it will be for &future presidents' to decide.'
• &As far as the increasing national debt$ future presidents
will have to
tac"le that problem.'
• &iven the precarious state of the economy$ it would be
irresponsible
of me to interfere at this point in time. really thin" it's best
if someone else handles it.'
• & handed out those ta( cuts. 9o how would it loo" if all of a
sudden
too" them bac"E Again$ thin" it's better that someone new ma"es
that decision.'
• &t's unrealistic to e(pect a war on a concept to end any time
soon. 9o
'll leave that one to a future president to deal with as
well.'
• About drug plan he said$ &tin"ering with the plan now could
ma"e the
situation even worse. Best is to let some future president try to
fi( it.'
• ?n hurricane relief he said$ &wait a few years and see where
help is
really needed. Then some future president can clean up the
mess.'
• &)et's face it. Anything tried to do now would 4ust need to
be fi(ed
up by some future president anyway. thin" it's best for the nation
if 4ust do nothing.'
21
The Boston lobe had polite advice for Bush after he sought
e(planation on some issues. &But as a first step toward
regaining public trust$ Bush would be wise to *+ +/9 5/ /,:?5-l/
5o/*. nstead of asserting his will to stay the course and win
an undefined victory against enemies whom he also declines to
define$ Bush ought to level with the American public about the
comple( problems that are so apparent in ra+.'
&B,5 09 o ?l+/0 why it is worth trying to help ra+is avoid
such a war$ what he is doing toward that end$ and what will happen
if the arduous deal-bro"ering efforts of the #9 Ambassador to ra+$
Falmay 8halilad$ fail to forge a national unity government that
includes 9unni Arab leaders as well as 9hiites and 8urds. n the
same vein$ Bush should e(plain his design in authoriing 8halilad to
open discussions with ranian officials about ways 5ashington and
Tehran may cooperate to prevent the disaster of a civil war
in ra+.'
&f the ongoing tal"s 8halilad has been supervising among ra+'s
parliamentary factions does produce a broad-based unity
government able to stamp out the insurgency$ it will be those
friends who$ sooner rather than later$ will want the Americans to
discuss a timetable for their departureG f it will be
necessary to tal" to ra+'s politicians about a timetable$ it ought
to be possible or Bush to begin discussing that imminent
prospect$ and other realities of the ra+ 5ar$ with the
American public.'
)os Angeles Times advised$ &as it enters its fourth year$ the
3+ /0
I+ 9</ /:?l//* *5++*/;+/o0 from both ends of the political
spectrum. The heroism of #9 forces and of ordinary ra+is going
about their daily lives is inspiring. But the future of ra+
remains shrouded in gray uncertainty.'
Arab News counseled him to desist from adopting cheaper ways.
&5hy were #9 officials so "een to publicie the attac"$
releasing video footage almost as soon as it startedE *resumably o
*o0>/0* + 3+
A:/*+0 ?o?l o?/0/o0 that there is much more to do in ra+ and
that this is not the time to lose heart and want American troops
out.'
B/ 9/9 0o ?+ 5 ?oo9l. Andrian ,amilton said$ &the
charge against Tony Blair is not that he made the wrong 4udgment
but that he never properly made the 4udgment at all. H oo@ 5 8+>
9*//o0 +
?ol//*+l l+9 *+0 :+@ +09 30 +lo08 3/5 B,5 because supporting
America seemed the right thing to do and because it was actually
much easier to do so than to face all the problems that a refusal
would have brought. t would have ta"en far more courage to
refuse Bush than to 4oin
22
himG Being prime minister$ Tony Blair told *ar"inson$ it was all
about &ma"ing decisions.' But leadership is about 4udgment. And
where ra+ was concerned$ Blair made the one without e(ercising the
other.'
Andrew /urray wrote$ &both ac" 9traw and the #9 Ambassador to
Baghdad have recently been instructing the ra+is as to what sort
of government they must form D three months after the
supposedly decisive national elections too" place.'
&0eliable estimates for violent civilian deaths under the
occupation range well over 1<<$<<<. ;ai" Ba"ir$ the
director of the Baghdad morgue$ has had to flee the country after
revealing that more than >$<<< people had been
"illed$ often after torture$ by officers of the #9-supervised
interior ministryG B/+/0 5+ +?9 5 *o0,0*. /ost people
understand that the terrorist threat &over here' is in large
measure a conse+uence of what we are doing &over there.'
?ne of the conse+uences$ both for Britain and America$ is that
5ashington has been forced to loo" towards Tehran to help get them
out of the +uagmire. &9ome people have pinned their hopes
on ran's offer to engage in tal"s with the #nited 9tates regarding
9hiite slamist groups. ?thers see even that as problematic since
this might &fuel resentment among 9unni Arabs who already are
deeply suspicious of Tehran'$ wrote ;arah Fia.
&The #9 goal is a coalition government that can stay put for
ne(t four years. But the danger$ in the words of one 9unni
leader$ isH &5e first need to see if the country can hold
together for the ne(t four years before worrying about whether the
government will last that longG ra+'s dissolution into three ra+is
is on the cards and there's little being done to prevent
that.'
A9+:+0 I+0 once again threatened to use oil as weapon.
5est
wanted 2-wee" deadline for ran to stop nuclear wor". ran threatened
to +uit world nuclear treaty$ but said 0ussian proposal was still
negotiable. ?n 13 th
/arch$ Tehran vowed not to bac" down in nuclear standoff. #N9
failed to forge united stance as hina said diplomacy can still
resolve the issue.
?n 1=th /arch #9 reaffirmed its policy of pre-emptive and
warned that ran might pose the biggest threat to its national
security. apan cut oil imports from ran over nuclear crisis.
Britain was still in favour of drawing #9 into tal"s with ran.
5hite ,ouse said ran's offer to hold tal"s with the #9 on ra+ was
probably 4ust a ploy to &divert pressure' Tehran has drawn over
its nuclear programme.
23
?n 2<th /arch$ five nuclear powers and ermany "ic"ed off
tal"s to map out a long-term strategy to deal with ranian nuclear
crisis. Ne4ad said ran will master nuclear technology and tal"s
with #9 will only be for ra+is' interest. ?n 2th /arch$
Big-: agreed on te(t of statement urging ran to abandon uranium
enrichment. /eanwhile$ 8urd rebels in 5est ran "illed three ranian
0evolutionary uards in a clash.
Ne(t day the #N9 unanimously approved a statement giving ran
3< days to abandon its uranium enrichment activities$ but did
not mention steps it might ta"e if Tehran fails to comply. ran
re4ected #N9 demand. /utta"i said ran was prepared for possible
sanctions. ran formally offered ®ional' venture for nuclear
enrichment. 6lBaradei said ran posed no imminent threat and
imposing sanctions on Tehran would be a &bad idea.'
8amal /atinuddin was of the view that &strategic defiance would
ma"e him JNe4adK a hero in the eyes of many in the /uslim 5orld but
may spread disaster for his nation. Totally halting the process of
the enrichment of uranium would mean capitulation and would be
unacceptable to a proud nationG #nfortunately$ while + ,??o3 *+0
>/ol+ /00+/o0+l
+/ and norms and get away with it$ 3+@ 0+/o0$ which depend on
the international community for their prosperity$ *+00o 9o o.
Ahmedine4ad must accept this brutal fact of inter-state
relations.'
&T5+0 6l/> / *+0 3/5+09 +0*/o0 by the 9ecurity ouncil.
ran has several options if the matter is referred to the #nited
Nations 9ecurity ouncil and sanctions are imposedG t can restart
enrichment of uranium on a large scale. t can ban A6A
inspectors from coming to ran. t can use oil as a weapon. t can
provide active support to those opposing #9 and allied forces in
ra+.'
&ranian leadership is aware that even the mighty U0/9 S+ /
0o
/0 + ?o//o0 o o?0 ,? +0o5 <o0G ran today stands at a crossroad.
5isdom not bravado is needed. ts leadership must weigh carefully as
to which path it must adopt.'
,oward )a;ranchi wrote$ &as the #nited Nations 9ecurity ouncil
ta"es up ran's nuclear programme this wee"$ the US +09 F+0* 3/ll
6
+09/08 /9 6 /9 in opposition to any leniency for the Tehran
regime$ a far cry from the bitter antagonism over ra+ that bloomed
in the same venue three years ago.'
*ascal Boniface opined$ &ma"ing a comparison between North
8orea and ran$ Tehran has come to the conclusion that a regime with
nuclear
2
weapons can "eep the #9 off its shores. The ranians feel that had
ra+ been in possession of nuclear weapons$ there would have been no
#9 invasion.'
&The 3/00 o< 5/ 3+ : o 6 I+0 . ts strategic influence has
been reinforced$ it could play an active role in ra+ and see
with great pleasure the #9 trapped in the ra+i +uagmire. 7ue
to its involvement in ra+$ 5ashington has lost a large part of its
bargaining power with Tehran.' 5ashington never believed in
bargaining power$ while possessing means to intimidate and
invade.
;arah Fia said$ &ran's ability to stir S5/+ :+=o/ /0
0/856o,/08
I+ / /099 + US 3o . But most important are the natural resources
it's endowed with. t is the fourth largest producer of the world's
oil$ the second largest e(porter of oil among oil producing and
e(porting states and possesses the world's largest gas
reserves. The world desperately needs ran's crude oil thus allowing
it to use it as a weapon. 5ith Tehran's potential of
manipulating oil prices providing a &real' bac"-drop$ *resident
Ahmadine4ad's threat does not seem an empty one when he saysH
&The world needs the ranian nation much more than the ranian
nation needs the world.'
*atric" 9eale said$ &belatedly and reluctantly$ the #9 has come
to realie that ra+'s neighbours cannot be e(cluded from what
happens in that country and must be consultedG ,ardliners in both
camps$ ranian conservatives and American neo-conservatives$ neither
want dialogue nor compromise. I+l +09 / A:/*+0
</09 who have great influence in shaping American policy
3o,l9 l/@ 5 US o 9o I+0 0o +l@ o /. The #9 wants to limit the tal"s
to ra+ while$ at the same time$ continuing to mobilie the world
against ran to force it to abandon its ambition to master the
uranium fuel cycle. This is a recipe for future.'
CONCLUSION
Blair in the company of senior rusader$ Bush is spreading od's
messageH "eep the /uslims bleeding. To this end ra+'s ethnic and
sectarian divide has been e(ploited successfully not only to bleed
ra+is but also spread it to the entire region as and when
re+uired.
9hia-9unni fighting has helped in saving casualties of occupation
forces by shifting the focus away from them. ra+'s possible
dissolution through 9hia-9unni civil war &would create ideal
conditions for srael to e(pand and dominate the area'$ in words of
/ B Na+vi.
2:
The prospects of civil war have been brightened by constant
dictations to the elected members of the parliament and aafari's
refusal to step down from the candidacy of premiership. The
situation has been muddied to the e(tent that even if aafari
decides to step down the fighting is li"ely to continue.
The critics of war have influenced American public opinion against
the war in ra+$ but not to a degree which could force Bush to
change the course. The rusaders were still wor"ing on spreading the
holy war to liberate ranian people "ept &hostage' by the
clerics.
31st /arch 2<<=
INGDOM OF ARZAI
nsurgents were able to intensify their operations in 2<<:.
Fawahiri praised the martyrs in Afghanistan. ;oreign
/inister$ Abdullah accused al- Caeda and Taliban of suicide
attac"s. Afghan defence ministry$ however$ denied lin"s between
ra+i and Afghan fighters. The only lin" was the inspiration drawn
by *ushtoons from Arab 9unnis.
8arai$ while on visit to 7evos$ said on 2>th anuary that
foreign troops would be re+uired for about ten years. 6(pansion of
NAT? began with arrival of vanguard contingent from Britain in mid
;ebruary. NAT? planned to complete its e(pansion as
occupation force by end of the year. /ilitary chief said NAT?
troops would be in Afghanistan for years.
7rugs remained a concern of the civilied world. 0eports indicated
rise in poppy cultivation and drug smugglers were growing bolder in
Afghanistan. Taliban were lin"ed to drug traffic"ers and were
blamed for deadly violence.
The ritual of democratiation of Afghanistan had been completed.
8arai boasted that there were no warlords in Afghanistan. n fact
all of them were now wearing robes of overnors or ministers
or democratically elected parliamentarians. That was why /alalai
oya feared assassination.
/ore than half a million Afghans faced ris" of starvation during
the current winters. *overty and corruption were blamed for fueling
insurgency$ yet reconstruction of the country did not receive due
attention of the donors. ,owever$ trial of Afghan convert to
hristianity under slamic 9haria law in /arch caused concerns to the
hristian 5est and 8arai was forced to &e(tradite' the convert
to taly.
INSURGENCY
*ashtoons continued resisting the occupation of Afghanistan. ?n 1=
th
anuary a suicide bomber in 9pin Bolda" "illed 2< and in4ured the
same
2>
number of people. Another suicide bomber "illed three Afghan
soldiers and two civilians in 8andahar% four soldiers and ten
civilians were also wounded. Ne(t day$ Annan condemned attac"s on
anadians$ as in4ured anadian soldiers were being sent home.
?n 1@th anuary$ Taliban commander$ /ulla 7adullah said
hundreds of guerrillas were ready to carry out suicide
missions. Ammunition cache was found on Ta4i"-Afghan border. ;our
days later$ five captives were got freed from Taliban in chance
encounter with police in rishi". A police commander was shot dead
in an ambush in hani. 9even Taliban prisoners escaped from
*ul-e-har"i 4ail. A-run secret detention camp was reported near
8abul.
Taliban attac"ed an army post in *a"ti"a on 2 th anuary and
"illed two soldiers and wounded two others. Ne(t day$ a grenade
e(ploded outside ndian consulate in 8andahar. 9ecurity forces
arrested two suspected suicide bombers. ;innish soldiers were
attac"ed near /aimana. An army base in #rugan was sub4ected to
roc"et attac". ;our *a"istanis were arrested in 8andahar at an army
chec"point.
A tan"er supplying fuel to #9 troops was destroyed on
2=th anuary in 8andahar area. Two policemen were "illed in
roc"et attac" on their chec"point. Two #9 soldiers were
wounded in roadside bomb blast in 8unar. Ne(t day a roadside bomb
"illed two policemen and wounded two others in ,elmand province.
Another bomb targeted #9-led convoy near 8andahar.
?n 2th anuary$ three more schools were torched in ,elmand.
Three policemen were wounded in a bomb attac" that targeted a
convoy of #9-led forces in southern 8andahar. Ne(t day$ an
Afghan-#9 convoy was attac"ed southeast of 8andahar. 9econd #9
soldier was found guilty of punching detainees in Afghanistan and
was awarded =-month 4ail.
;ive Bangladeshis were arrested on 31st anuary with suspected
lin"s to Taliban. A roadside bomb was defused near #9 6mbassy and a
Taliban commander was held in 8andahar province. Ne(t day$ three
*a"istanis$ one ra+i and one ranian were arrested in Nimro province
after crossing over from ran. An army vehicle was damaged in
remote-controlled bomb e(plosion near 8andahar. Nine suspects were
arrested.
?n 2nd ;ebruary$ a suicide bomber in woman dress "illed three
soldiers and two road wor"ers in 8host. t was reported that
al-Caeda fighters were coming from ra+ to fight in Afghanistan.
Ne(t day$ fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban
erupted in ,elmand province
2@
and the coalition ground and air forces were mobilied to bomb the
area. Twenty-three people$ including three policemen$ were reported
"illed. Taliban claimed "illing several policemen.
Taliban "illed a district chief and two policemen in ,elmand on
th
;ebruary. Twenty-five Taliban were "illed in two encounters in /usa
Cala and Nawad areas and in operation that had started a day
earlier in ,elmand province. Two people were "illed and three
wounded in 8andahar by remote-controlled e(plosion. ?ne Taliban
commander was "illed in southern Afghanistan near *a"istan border.
Ne(t day$ a landmine blast "illed si( people and wounded four
in 8andahar.
Taliban claimed "illing five soldiers in 8host on =
th ;ebruary. #9 forces "illed a suspected militant and wounded
another at a crossing point on border with *a"istan.
/ilitants attac"ed a #9 patrol in eastern Afghanistan "illing a
serviceman. A suspected al-Caeda suicide bomber was arrested in
/aar. Three policemen were wounded in ,elmand. ?ne person was
wounded by bicycle bomb in 9pin Bolda".
?n >th ;ebruary$ a suicide bomber "illed 13 people outside
police head+uarters in 8andahar. n another e(plosion a Tur"ish
engineer$ an ndian and his driver were "illed in ;arah province.
Taliban also claimed "illing two British and two Afghans with
remote-controlled bomb.
unmen burnt down a girl's school in )aghman province on th
;ebruary. 9i( people were "illed in sectarian clashes. Ne(t day$
two Afghan soldiers were "illed in roadside bombing on the border
between 8unar and Nuristan. A convoy sent to their aid was
attac"ed with e(plosive device "illing si( soldiers and wounding
seven. ;our anadian soldiers were wounded when a roadside bomb
damaged their armoured vehicle near 8andahar. Two persons
were in4ured when police fired at anti-9hiite protesters in
,erat.
Two Nepalese were "idnapped in 8abul on 11th ;ebruary. 9even
Afghan detainees returned from uantanamo Bay. Two days later$
Taliban ambushed a convoy and "illed @ Afghan soldiers in ,elmand%
one Taliban was also "illed. ;our #9 soldiers were "illed in bomb
blast in #rugan and some #9 soldiers were "illed in fighting. ?ne
Afghan soldier was "illed and five wounded in roadside bombing in
8unar. *olice seied ><< homemade bombs in 8unar
province.
?n 1th ;ebruary$ a female /* escaped attempt on her life in
*arwan% her guard was in4ured. Ne(t day two security agents were
beheaded in ;arah.
2
9ecurity forces arrested a Taliban commander in hani% a policeman
was shot dead and two soldiers were "illed in roadside
bombing.
?n 1=th ;ebruary$ four policemen were "illed in an attac" by
gunmen and two were "illed in bomb blast. Taliban attac"ed a post
in Nimro and "illed one policeman and wounded four others. ;our #9
soldiers were "illed in landmine blast in #rugan. 7ead bodies of
two talian aid wor"ers were found in 8abul. Ne(t day$ one health
clinic was torched in ,elmand.
Two dead bodies were found in a river in ;aryab on 1@
th ;ebruary. Two days later$ ,B) transport car was robbed in
8abul. Taliban burnt a school in ,elmand. ?n 22nd ;ebruary$ a
bomb attac" targeting erman troops in 8undu "illed two persons and
wounded 13 others.
Taliban claimed attac"ing #9 vehicle in Nangarhar on
23rd ;ebruary. 9uicide bomber was "illed in a failed attac" on
#9 convoy near 8andahar. Taliban "illed four Afghan soldiers in
,elmand. Two days later$ an e(plosive device was destroyed in front
of oalition base in 8abul.
?n 2=th ;ebruary$ two persons were wounded in bomb blast in
8host and a girls' school was bombed. 6ight persons were "illed in
riot in *ul-e- har"hi 4ail. 9i(ty Taliban surrendered to Afghan
government in ;aryab and aw4an provinces. Ne(t day$ Afghan
prisoners handed over dead bodies as tension eased in *ul-e-har"hi
4ail.
Iiolence again flared up in the 4ail on 2@th ;ebruary.
8idnappers freed a Nepalese and another died in captivity. Two days
later$ one Afghan soldier was "illed and two wounded in
attac" by Taliban in ,elmand province. Nine people were
arrested in ,erat in murder case of three 6uropean aid
wor"ers.
?n 3rd /arch$ five anadian troops were wounded in suicide
attac" near 8andahar. *olice claimed "illing eight Taliban
and arresting ten in ,elmand% four policemen were also wounded.
Taliban "illed the chief government official in 9angin
district.
?n th /arch$ a anadian soldier was wounded in a clash
near 8andahar% one rebel was "illed. n another incident a
;rench soldier and two rebels were "illed. Afghan intelligence
agent and four others traveling with him were "illed in roadside
bomb blast in ,elmand. Taliban attac"ed ndian onstruction ompany in
a western province on a road lin"ing Bandar Abbas% some
vehicles were destroyed and 2< Afghan guards were missing.
n4ured anadian soldiers died of wounds on :th /arch.
Another soldier was wounded in attac" by an Afghan with an
a(e. Afghan authorities
3<
claimed that 1= Taliban commanders surrendered in ,erat$ ;arah$
hor$ and Badghis provinces. A #N wor"er was shot dead in ;arah on
>th /arch.
?n 12th /arch$ former Afghan president$ 9ibghatullah
/u4addadi$ head of a commission for encouraging Taliban defections$
was slightly wounded in suicide car bomb attac" in 8abul% four
persons$ including two attac"ers were "illed. ;our #9 troops were
"illed in roadside bombing on a convoy in 8unar. Afghan official in
alalabad claimed capturing a *a"istani three days earlier on
suspicion of lin"s to al-Caeda and Taliban.
Nine policemen were "illed on 1>th /arch in a bomb
blast in /aiwand area while escorting the bodies of four Albanians
"idnapped and "illed last wee". Taliban "illed one security guard
of a construction company in Fabul.
?n 1@th /arch$ Taliban fighters "illed Cari Baba and four
persons traveling with him in an ambush in hani area. Cari Baba was
a former governor and /u4ahideen commander$ who had 4oined
Ahmad 9hah /asood. Three Taliban were "illed when they attac"ed a
convoy in ulan district.
Taliban raided a police post near 8andahar and "illed two policemen
on 21st /arch and four policemen were missing. A suicide
bomber rammed his car into convey of ;rench troops in 9pin Bolda"
area. Ne(t day$ Taliban claimed "illing a #9 soldier in
8unar.
?n 23rd /arch$ a police chief was shot dead by his guard in
,elmand province. oalition forces claimed "illing si( Taliban
in ongoing operation in southern Afghanistan. Three days later$
four Afghans were "illed in landmine blast in ,elmand.
9even Taliban were "illed and si( Taliban$ one civilian and one
soldier were wounded on 2>th /arch in gun battle in
9angin district of ,elmand. A roadside bomb blast "illed three
villagers and wounded two others in the same province. Ne(t day$ a
remote controlled bomb blast in Nimro province "illed two
foreigners and three Afghans employed by a #9 security firm.
?n 2th /arch$ militants attac"ed the coalition base in 9angin
district of ,elmand province with mortars$ 0*s and small arms
"illing one American and one anadian soldier and wounding four
foreign and one Afghan soldier. ?ccupation forces retaliated by
dropping :<<-pound and 1$<<<-pound bombs. The
coalition forces claimed "illing 12 attac"ers. )ater$ the forces
attac"ed surrounding areas and "illed 2< more people.
31
A police director and his brother were shot dead in ,elmand on
3< th
/arch. A remote-controlled bomb struc" a police truc" in 8host
wounding si( policemen. A suicide car bomb attac" on a anadian
convoy in 8andahar failed as attac"er detonated e(plosives
prematurely wounding seven civilians.
?n 31st /arch$ Taliban attac"ed a police post in ,elmand
province and lost si( men in the process. A suicide bomber was
"illed in unsuccessful attempt in 8andahar province. Border police
commander accused of "illing 1> *a"istanis near 9pin Bolda" was
detained by Afghan authorities.
#nidentified gunmen "illed the spea"er of Ta"har provincial
legislature on 1st April. A botched suicide attac" on a #9-led
coalition convoy "illed the bomber. 9ecurity forces shot dead an
alleged accomplice on the bomber. A blast hit #9 forces convoy in
8unar. Ne(t day$ a Taliban pretended to be a traveler was
allowed to stay at a police post in ,elmand and as policemen went
to sleep$ he "illed four of them and escaped.
Taliban shot dead a senior intelligence official in hani province
on :th April. Two days later$ a suicide attac"er wounded two
#9 soldiers and one American civilian in ,elmand. Ne(t day$ a
suicide car bomber attac"ed a NAT? base in ,erat "illing two guards
and one policeman and wounding seven people$ including an talian
soldier. t was fourth attac" on foreign troops in three days.
Three #9 soldiers were wounded in suicide attac" on >
th April and ne(t day two Afghans were "illed in a similar
attac" in the west. ?n th
April$ two bombings within minutes of each other wounded 11 people
in 8andahar. A suicide car bomber attac"ed an army base in *a"ti"a
and wounded si( soldiers.
unmen "illed five wor"ers at a clinic in Badghis province on 1<
th
April. Two policemen were "illed and two wounded in roadside
bombing in ,elmand. ?ne driver delivering supplies to foreign
troops was also "illed. Ne(t day$ seven children were "illed
in roc"et attac" in 8unar province.
?n 12th April$ a roadside bomb in 8andahar "illed one
policeman and wounded two others. *olice claimed arresting three
Taliban in a separate incident. #9-led forces launched ma4or
operation in 8unar province and claimed "illing si( insurgents. The
#9 military investigated the reported sale of military secrets
smuggled out of its main base on stolen computer discs and sold in
a baaar. The information included classified military assessments
of enemy targets$ names of Afghan officials alleged to be corrupt
and details of American defences and personnel.
32
Three policemen were "illed in roadside bombing in 8host on 13
th
April. A suicide bomber attac"ed a convoy wand wounded three
British soldiers and an Afghan national near )ash"ar ah. Afghan
forces "illed two insurgents and arrested two others in #rugan.
9ecurity forces e(changed fire with insurgents in a village south
of 8andahar. oalition helicopters fired roc"ets at a village where
/ulla ?mar lived once. Ne(t day$ #9 military bought bac" stolen
flash drives from shop"eepers.
?n 1:th April$ 1 suspected Taliban and = policemen were "illed
in a battle near 8andahar. Taliban attac"ed three police
posts in Fabul and lost 1 fighters. *olice arrested 1: people. Ne(t
day$ police "illed four suspects in Fabul. 9even civilians were
"illed by coalition forces in 8unar. ;orces recovered roc"ets and
landmines and "illed an insurgent by artillery fire. Taliban
torched tan"ers in /aiwand supplying fuel to #9 forces. *olice
arrested 12 people for alleged involvement in "illing of a local
commander in ;aryab province. British troops vowed to see"
and destroy insurgents.
The tactics of suicide bombing adopted by the insurgents caused
concerns to occupation forces. n mid ;ebruary$ Taliban vowed to
increase attac"s. ,e"matyar also urged Afghans to e(pel foreign
troops. ;orces in Afghanistan and ra+ shared intelligence to curb
suicide blasts and a #9 commander warned of more attac"s by
rebels.
#9 nstitute of *eace said that A<85+0/+0 3+ :o 9+08o,
5+0 I+. #9 military apprehended negative effects on NAT? and
other allies. But$ it claimed that Taliban had abandoned
attempts at serious military campaign and were now fighting a
propaganda war.
&t is becoming increasingly obvious that Afghanistan has not
stabilied since the #9-led invasion in 2<<1 followed by the
installation of the hand-pic"ed ,amid 8arai as president. ?n
the contrary$ the situation is worsening rapidly with increased
violence'$ wrote Burhanuddin ,asan.
,e added$ &the Taliban$ meanwhile$ have gained control of large
parts of the country. t is feared that Afghanistan may prove to be
another ra+ for the #nited 9tates. The *a"istan government is
also coming under pressure from the opposition for playing
America's game in its tribal belt where civilians are being "illed
almost daily.'
OCCU%ATION
+;+/ @? ?l+9/08 <o + o< o**,?+/o0 <o* for
indefinite period. n anuary$ he warned that country could
again be used as terror base. Border security
conference opened in Catar on 2> th ;ebruary$ to focus on
increase in cooperation with the country's seven neighbours. ?n 23
rd
/arch$ 8arai told the opening session of a two-day conference on
global terrorism in An"ara that &terrorism is in today's world
the worst menace. t is a challenge that we all have to address
together.' #N supported 8arai's viewpoint by showing concerns over
worsening security.
America continued wor"ing for e(pansion of NAT? mandate in
Afghanistan. 7uring third wee" of anuary$ #9 officials visited
,ague to discuss 7utch role anew. *ressure was mounted on 7utch
government to deploy troops in #rugan. 8abul also appealed to
,olland for continued military support. ?n 3rd ;ebruary$ 7utch
government ?"ayed troops for #rugan% NAT? hailed the 7utch
decision to send 1$<< soldiers.
0est of the e(ecution of e(pansion plan went smoothly. ?n
2<th
anuary$ 9lova"ia agreed to send military e+uipment. n ;ebruary$
Australia decided to double the number of its troops. 7anish
*arliament decided to increase its military contingent. Bulgaria
too" over command in 8abul. A contingent of 1:< British soldiers
arrived for new mission.
?n 1st /arch$ anada too" over command in 8andahar and its
*rime /inister slammed critics of Afghan mission. After attac"s on
anadian soldiers$ they were ordered to fly only Afghan flag on
their posts and vehicles. anadian lawma"ers mulled review of Afghan
mission.
n ;ebruary$ ndia urgently dispatched 3<< commandos to
Afghanistan to provide security to the ndian wor"ers in area
between 8andahar and ranian border. The area is ad4acent to
troubled Baluchistan where ndia has been supporting the
terrorists with money and weapons.
/usharraf had re+uested America for not allowing few things in
Afghanistan$ out of which deployment of ndian troops in Afghanistan
was the only one which had not been disregarded. As *a"istan failed
to raise the issue forcefully at the right level$ America was
encouraged. 7uring his visit to New 7elhi Bush invited ndia for
more involvement in Afghanistan.
nvolvement of NAT? in Afghanistan as occupation force faced last
minute opposition from some 6uropean countries. 5illiam *faff wrote
about >+/o0 o< F+0* on e(tension of NAT? mandate.
&;rance bloc"ed a proposed NAT?-6uropean #nion meeting on
terrorism because NAT? &was not intended to be the world's
gendarme.' t is a military defence alliance of
3
e+ual partners. A ;rench diplomat said$ &we do not wish to have
NAT? involved in everything$ or imposing its agenda on the
6#.'
&This is part of ;rance's consistent opposition to e+ually
consistent American efforts to turn NAT? into an agent of #9
policy$ and to convince the 6# members that NAT? should be the
e(clusive security organiation of the 5estern alliance$ and
that 6urope should abandon its embryonic independent security
policy and 6uropean rapid reaction force.'
&The Bush Administration is firmly committed to the notion that
+l-
+9+ ?0 + :/l/+ ?o6l: 5+ ,/ + :/l/+ ol,/o0 . t has to stic" to this
story or else it has no e(planation for the invasions of
Afghanistan and ra+. 9o *resident eorge 5 Bush "eeps ma"ing
speeches about al-Caeda's supposed conviction that it could go from
success in ra+ to mobiliing all of slam$ restoring the rand
aliphate and con+uering the world. That's a military
problem.'
,e then commented on the reason behind ;rance's reluctance to
active military role in war on terror. &0adicaliation of young
/uslim militants in 6urope is superficially religious$ but usually
ta"es place outside mos+ues and &more often than not involves
individuals with college education.' The sources of e(tremism are
social and political alienation$ e(clusion Jand unemploymentK among
the offspring of immigrant communities$ but the international drama
mobilies them.'
5hen D,*5 9+889 5/ < on e(pansion of NAT? mandate$ )os
Angeles Times urged them on. &The 7utch are usually reliable #9
allies% if it had been$ say$ Belgium getting in the way of a "ey
NAT? initiative$ it would have been neither surprising nor
significant. 9o the 7utch reluctance was especially worrisomeGit
reflects popular attitudes in the Netherlands$ where half the
respondents in a recent poll opposed the deployment and only 3@L
favoured it.'
&t is hard to "now whom to blame more for thisH the 7utch$ who
apparently fail to recognie their own e(posure to terrorist
threats$ or the Bush Administration. 6uropeans are concerned about
5ashington's unilateral approach to foreign policy$ which has
turned 7utch sentiment against the once-non-controversial Afghan
missionG But in the end$ it's important for 6uropeans to
ac"nowledge that their continent is not a secondary theater in the
war on terror D it's center stage.'
America was able to get NAT? involved in Afghanistan in occupation
role despite opposition from some 6uropean countries. The uardian
wrote$ &NATO$ which until recently was floundering for a
purpose in the post-cold-
3:
war world$ was left out of the war for Afghanistan and split over
ra+$ 5+
<o,09 + *5+ll08/08 03 ://o0 . ts $<<<-strong force is
about to e(pand to 1:$<<<.
"ram 9ehgal did not agree. &Anyone with even scant "nowledge
of the &*rinciples of 5ar'$ and it is applicable in
terrorism as much as in modern warfare$ will appreciate that
A<85+0/+0 / 0o >/+l 8o,09$ the *ersian ulf is. 7espite all
the rhetoric about going the distance it is most li"ely that #9
troops will pull out of Afghanistan in the near future$
rather than out of ra+. ;or the moment #9 troops are being
replaced by NAT? forces but what happens when NAT? countries begin
ta"ing casualties in some numberE The #9 may "eep a to"en presence
in Afghanistan to ensure ,amid 8arai$ who is probably more fearful
from his friends than his enemies$ doesn't ta"e off into the blue
yonder.'
anadians were the first to stutter after suffering some casualties.
0andi Adamson did not li"e that. &As civilian and soldier
deaths continue$ C+0+9+ 3/ll 5+> o l+0 o 9+l 3/5 5+5 +l/ . 6ach
death also brings about a roller coaster of public surveys.
?ne indicated that =2 per cent of respondents were against anada's
involvement in Afghanistan$ once it was e(plained that we were
there in &combat' capacity. ,ave we forgotten that anadian
citiens were murdered on !11E ?r that we are included on ?sama bin
)aden's list of target countriesE f it weren't so frightening$ the
idea that a nation was surprised its military might be involved in
something$ well$ dangerous and violent$ would be laughable.'
The uardian also found the ground reality a bit harsh.
&ndependent e(perts have coined the ominous phrase
&ra+isation' to describe what is happening in ,elmand and other
southern provinces where anadian and 7utch troops are based. S,/*/9
6o:6/08 o0* ,0@0o30 /0 A<85+0/+0
+ o0 5 /. ncidents are growing in fre+uency$ intensity$
sophistication and cruelty.'
t added$ &NAT? insists its personnel will not be destroying
poppy crops D which provide up to ><L of the country's income
D leaving that to the Afghan authorities. But it is hard to argue
with the notion that the more successful the deployment is at
impeding the drugs trade$ the more British troops are li"ely to
come under attac" by those involved. T5 0,
630 o?/,: +09 /0,80* : </850/08l *l+.'
7rugs were still a ma4or threat$ according to a #9 official. The #N
also "ept raising alarm about poppy cultivation. n anuary$ 8arai
as"ed his country to end poppy growing before it ends us and
alleged that drugs
3=
financed suicide blasts. n ;ebruary$ some of his ministers were
reported involved in drug trade.
8abul sought help from Thailand to combat poppy cultivation.
/eanwhile$ crac"down against drug trade continued. ?n
23rd ;ebruary$ two 9outh Africans were arrested with heroin at
8abul Airport and Ta4i" border guards clashed with Afghan
drug smugglers. Ne(t day$ policemen were arrested with @<<"g
of heroin. ?n 3rd April$ biggest ever operation was launched
on a notorious drugs baaar on the border with *a"istan. About a
wee" later$ an Afghan drug smuggler was held in Ta4i"istan.
&,asty poppy eradication in Afghanistan can sow more problems.
*easant farmers left without new livelihoods are heeding the call
to 4oin the insurgency'$ warned Ianda ;elbab-brown. A #8
parliamentary report said the same. &Attac"ing drugs trade
could ma"e the country more dangerous for British troops and
other NAT? peacema"ers$ and provo"e more violence in the short
term.'
RECONSTRUCTION
0econstruction of Afghanistan suffered due to donors' fatigue.
Annan hoped that )ondon moot scheduled for 3<th anuary
would ease Afghan concerns. The international conference was
e(pected to unveil a five-year blueprint on security$
human rights$ development and narcotics.
?n 2@th anuary$ 8arai planned to see" M billion for
reconstruction. 9pea"er of the *arliament wanted foreign aid going
to the government. Two days later$ 8arai discussed country's needs
with 0ice. But$ wastage in aid came under spotlight at )ondon
conference.
#N chief while addressing the conference said the world has sta"e
in helping war-ravaged country. 7onors pledged M 1<.: billion
out of which #9 promised M 1.1 billion e(tra and ran pledged
another M 1<< million aid. ;inance /inister hailed the
outcome the conference$ but #N called for more.
5orld Ban" said investment climate in Afghanistan was improving and
offered M 3< million for health sector. 7espite the pledges$
lac" of funds hit food aid programme for *a"istan and Afghanistan.
*a"istan planned to build a faculty bloc" in Nangarhar
#niversity. n April 8arai visited New 7elhi and ndia pledged M
:< million more for Afghanistan.
7uring the period completion or start of some development pro4ects
was reported. n ;ebruary$ ndian engineers started building a big
dam in the
3>
province of ,erat. oalition forces installed windmills in the
south. Two new TI channels started transmission in ,erat. n /arch$
uplift plans were launched in ,elmand province. talian team
completed construction of two schools in ,erat.
8abul continued striving for regional economic cooperation. n
anuary$ Afghanistan promised security of TA* gas pipeline. ran$
Afghanistan and Ta4i"istan agreed to sign /o# on electricity
e(change. Afghan refugees' problem$ however$ was yet to be
addressed seriously. ran too" decision unilaterally and announced
that all refugees must leave by 9eptember% otherwise they will be
treated as illegal immigrants.
Afghanistan continued e(periencing the impact of multi-national
inter-action. n ;ebruary$ 8abul deported > hinese women for
selling wine and se(. The worst impact was felt after an Afghan
court wanted to try an Afghan convert to hristianity under slamic
9haria law on 1 th /arch.
Before the court could formally start the legal proceedings$ the
civilied world reacted. ?n 23rd /arch$ 0ice raised concerns
with 8arai over the case. Ne(t day$ ,oward vowed to press the case
with 8arai and said the case has made him feel sic". Afghan clerics
responded by demanding that the convert should be "illed.
?n 2:th /arch$ 8arai intervened to find an &amicable'
solution. 9upreme ourt 4udge$ /aulawiada insisted the court would
act independently. &5e have nothing to do with diplomatic
issues. 5e'll do our 4ob independently.' The very ne(t
day the honourable court ruled$ &the case$ because of
some technical as well as legal flaws and shortcomings$ has been
referred bac" to the prosecutor's office.' Afghans protested
against dismissal of the case and the convert sought asylum
overseas.
The puppet regime found the way out. t announced that mental tests
would decide the fate of the convert. ?n 2@th /arch$ #9 said
it understood that the convert would be freed from 4ail. Ne(t day
talian *rime /inister offered asylum to the convert. ,e was
+uietly sent to taly$ perhaps due to lac" of facilities for
carrying out mental tests in Afghanistan.
?n 2nd April$ Afghan clerics threatened violence if the
convert was not brought bac" from taly and put on trial. Two
days later$ 8arai defended release of hristian convert saying that
the 4udiciary had acted properly and had not been swayed by the
international outcry over the case.
&;our years after the Taliban's fall$ *o0,*/o0 <<o
/0
A<85+0/+0 :+/0 +9'$ opined 9u"hmani 9ingh. ,e added$ &the
plan
3@
includes ambitious goals li"e disbanding all illegal militias by
2<<>$ enrolling =< percent girls and >: percent boys
in primary schools by 2<1<$ and e(terminating the opium
trade.'
,e attributed the failure in implementation to indifference of
donors. &Two previous international donors' conferences ended
in pledges of a little more than M 1 billion$ but eventually less
than M : billion was deli