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The place: Kabul, Afghanistan.
The time: Christmas, 2001.
The gift: the best present any seasoned Afghan hand could hope for – watching the people of Kabul savour their first taste of freedom from the Taliban, whose regime had been ousted a month earlier.
We few Christian scribes and photographers marked the occasion by sending a taxi off to the Panjshir Valley, where three outstanding turkeys were retrieved for our table on Christmas Day. We laughed and swapped war stories, and shed a few tears, too, remembering colleagues who hadn’t lived to see the liberation.
The sweetest sound came from the streets – the voices of the Afghan people, talking excitedly about the future, about rebuilding their lives.
Their joy was infectious. Our own heads spun with expectations, too. The world’s concerted response to 9/11 gave us a fourth chance to finally get it right in southwest Asia. In the previous two decades, the West had blundered and lost out in Afghanistan three times: to the Soviets in 1980; to the Pakistan-backed elements of the former Mujahideen in the early 90’s; and then to the Taliban, who seized Kabul in 1996, also with support from the Pakistan military.
Now, in 2007, Christmas is upon us again. But instead of peace, it is fear, violence and corruption that stalk the villages, towns and cities of Afghanistan.
More civilians have died in the past year than since the darkest days of civil war in the 1990’s. Soldiers, policemen and security personnel continue to fall. Journalists, translators and aid workers try to push reconstruction forward, but do so at immense personal risk.
Brave and committed soldiers with the international forces sacrifice their lives combating the Taliban, while in their sanctuary in Pakistan, the Taliban’s ruling council feed their own young men into the machinery of bloodshed and death.
We in the West cannot deny that this unforgivable backslide into chaos has happened on our collective watch. We’ve stood silently by as our political leaders have demurred to the policies of an inept, doctrinaire ruling elite in Washington DC.
The Bush administration wanted to have it all its own way in Afghanistan. The President demanded complete command and control of a political, diplomatic and military initiative that is international in name only. Our Western governments caved in to the Bush administration’s “our way or the doorway” mentality. Now we harvest the ashes.
Remarkably, the president and his men complain that America’s NATO allies are trying to “get off the hook” in Afghanistan. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week shamelessly berated NATO nations for not contributing more men, material and money. He said he was frustrated by their failure to “step up to the plate.”
Quite by accident, but in the most revealing of ways, Secretary Gates chose a bad day to draw baseball analogies. The revelations concerning baseball’s chemically-enhanced heavy hitters pall in comparison to the performance of the Bush White House and the Pentagon in Afghanistan. The US command and control effort is nothing less than incompetence on steroids - a disgraceful concoction of failed foreign policy, blind vengeance and brazen corruption.
The U.S.-backed Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, says his government is “too weak” to go after human rights violators. Meantime, those violators entrench themselves further within parliament, Karzai’s cabinet and the multi-billion dollar per year heroin trafficking industry.
Evidently, Karzai’s regime is also too weak to root out corruption. The President’s hand-picked Attorney General remains in his post, despite having triggered the Kabul Airport heroin scandal (pls see AFGHAN HEROIN in the early pages of Recent Stories).
Similarly, Karzai’s anti-corruption chief, a convicted heroin dealer, holds on to his job. The President’s ally, Abdul Sayyaf, the head of the parliamentary minority, feels no heat despite the many accusations laid at his gilded doorstep, charges of land grabbing, influence peddling, and installing stooges in counter-narcotics posts at both the Attorney General’s office and the Interior Ministry.
As skyreporter has suggested previously, take a look at the Bush administration’s list of fugitives from the international drug trade, at:
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/fugitives/internl/internllist.htm
One lone Pakistani face? Where are the Afghan druglords, the Khans of the heroin industry? With all the massive resources deployed by the U.S. government in Afghanistan, are we to believe that the D.E.A. knows nothing of the trade’s big dealers? Sure, sure - and Santa wears a flak jacket.
Skyreaders, this holiday season, let’s remember the people of Afghanistan. Let’s call to mind, too, the many people from around the world – diplomats, aid workers, journalists and soldiers – who are risking their lives today, right now as you’re reading this, to help bring peace and reconstruction to the most magical, most persecuted country on the planet.
But let’s also acknowledge that we’ve condemned the Afghans and their true friends to the opposite of progress.
Let’s put something different under the tree this year, a promise we won’t break. The New Year, 2008, will mark the 30th anniversary of the Communist coup that triggered the Afghan war. Let’s face up to reality, and acknowledge that it’s time for a new commander, and a whole new ethic of command – one that demands a result, an achievement called peace.
Unless we deliver on our talk about contributing to stability in Southwest Asia, we not only fail the Afghan people, we fail ourselves, and our own communities. Finding a pathway to peace will be much, much easier than giving up in Afghanistan and pulling out, only to wait for the consequences to come crashing home on us.
Please put a few of these thoughts on your mantle this holiday season, and do it with care.
4 Comments
When I was in college I had an entire semester of Afghanistani history.
These brave people stood up to the Communists when they dragged the children away to "re-educate" them.
These are the same people that welcomed our troops in the hopes of finally freeing themselves, not only from the Taliban but also from the Warlords and the drug trade.
It is a shame that George Bush and Company only care about their own needs, propoganda, and agendas. They never researched the history of either Afghanistan or Iraq before they decided to invade and impose their will on the people of these areas.
Thank you for keeping us posted on the situation.
The images that stay in my mind of Afghanistan are those of the beautiful terrain. The mountains, the clear streams, the caves, the people -- such a handsome country. Thank you for these reminders, Arthur. I will definitely be thinking of Afghanistan this holiday season, and hoping the New year brings Afghanistan the freedom it so rightly deserves. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with us.
I too will be thinking of the people of Afghanistan, Iraq, Dafur and every country in turmoil this Christmas. Thanks Arthur. re bush. That crowd likes to remind people that Texas was once a "sovereign" country. That's a big clue to their demanding attitude.
Carolyn described and investigated very well the trouble of the Nation of Afghanistan in short comment excellent in the past and at the present time, thanks a lot for your excellent analysis, the Nation of USA was and is friend of freedom and peace, this we are pretty sure.
Mr. Bush did not hurt only brave people of Afghanistan, he hurt the Nation of USA too, he discredited USA over the whole world, he damaged the economy of USA, it seem to me, he is the President of some oil, gas and weapon companies. I watched the films of Mr. Michael Moore on TV many times, then the reports of Arthur and many others.
I am wondering very much, that such guy can cheat the whole world till now, I thought, the uneducated people can be cheated very easy, but he demonstrated very nice, that the educated people have more affection to be cheated than the uneducated.
I am optimist, the Mullah Bin Laden & Mullah Omar company will be close in the near future and the warlords will be brought to the court and I hope very much, we will have every where peace on the earth!
I wish TO ALL OF YOU " MERRY CHRISTMAS" and a "VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR 2008!"
I appreciate the truthful and honest analysis of the Afghan situation by the real friend of Afhgans Mr. Kent Aurthur. We have a lot of views to be shared for the benifit of Afghanistan and its all the international partners who are trying tovhelp Afghans.
Karzai has no leadership skills and competency, American has been cheated by Khalilzad and Karzai, who has been pursuing his own ethnical path and has been thinking of Pashtun promotion, rather than Afghanistan as a whole.
Our friend, Americans, Canadian and all other should know that whatever strategic plan they have for themsevles and the Afghans it can not be achieved the way Karzai Khalilzad is proceeding, it will be a total failure and will gain bad reputation to the name of democracy, human rights and other western social values. There is no true justice system building in Afhanistan, everything is about the politics. It is more political agenda rather than justic, freedom, democracy and human rights issu. We have not food, no drinking water, no proper health care and education, no shelter and many other basic rights, everyone talk about civil rights rather than other rights.
Afghanistan needs the consensuse of the international community as much as it needs the ethnic integrety and national unity. But to day it seems Afghanistan is becoming the play ground for political game amongst severl powers.
This is Khalilzad gift for Afghans and its partner, he misguide everyonw to the wrong way of thinking. There is a big difference between doing the right things and doing the things right. Khalizad may have done the things right for Pashtun satisfaction, but he has not been doing the right thing that can be a long term interst for Afghans, American and other international partner. Now Khalilzad is trying to run for President of Afghanistan, he should realize the situation of Afghanistan to day is not the same as of the year 2002. People are disapointd with the British and others action in Afghanistan and nothing has been done for Afghans. Few achievement and development everyone is counting on is kind of cheating justification. I can tell you there is no proper service provided to Afghans yet. Kabul the capital city of Afhganistan is without water and electricity,isn't it a shame?
For instance, everyone is talking about over 6 million childern going to school. Do we know what are the standard and quality of education in Aghanistan. There are many issue I would like to write to you Mr. Kent Arthur, because you are the real friend for Afhans and you have more realistic thinking for Afhans and their international partner interst with wide and long term vision.
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All I want for Christmas is a honest assessment of Harper / Manley report . Please stay well and enjoy life . The Globe & Mail Greg Van Zandt from Canada writes: Geoffrey May can you provide a source for your numbers? You say 'Nato has completely failed the Afghan people, and Nato's continued presence only makes life worse for Afghans' Here are some results of NATO being in Afghanistan: 1. Millions of girls are back in school with 400,000 new female students starting school for the first time this year; 2. Over 100,000 women benefited from micro finance loans to set up their own business; 3. Over a quarter of parliamentarians are women; 4. Over 7 million girls and boys are in school or higher education; 5. 83% of the population now has access to medical facilities, compared to 9 percent in 2004; 6. 76% of children under the age of five have been immunized against childhood diseases; 7. More than 4000 medical facilities opened since 2004; 8. Over 600 midwives were trained and deployed in every province of Afghanistan; 9. GDP growth estimates of between12-14% for the current year; 10. Government revenues increased by around 25% from 2005/06 to 2006/07; 11. Income per capita of $355, compared to $180 three years ago; 12. Afghanistan is one of the fastest growing economies in South-East Asia; 13. Over 4000 km of roads have been completed; 14. Work has begun on 20,000 new homes for Afghans returning to Kabul; 15. Over 1 billion square metres (roughly 32 km X 32 km) of mine contaminated land cleared; 16. 10 universities are operating around the country, against one (barely functioning) under the Taliban; and 17. 17,000 communities benefited from development programmes such as wells, schools, hospitals and roads through the Government’s National Solidarity Program (NSP) http://www.nato.int/issues/afghanistan/factsheets/reconst_de...
Posted 20/12/07 at 9:39 AM EST | Alert an Editor
Merry Christmas, Arthur, from the top of Nob Hill! Rediscovered the site after not checking in for a long time - to my great regret, as I see so much terrifc reporting has continued. A lot to digest...
A very good New Year's Resolution - pressure political leaders to live up to the responsibility we have to the people of Afghanistan. Since 2001, I've been making contributions as able to NGOs working within, if only to provide some balance (and karmic apology) to the lack of care & concern exhibited by the current administration.
Best of luck in your campaign - too bad you can't work the fair shores of San Francisco Bay for votes! Be very thankful you're not out stumping for votes for years & years & years, as with the run for President.
Mary Beth, thanks. Skyreporter's support from the Bay area has been terrific, and as you'll see throughout our archive, there's literally a world of concern and good will, among our comment column regulars, for the people of Afghanistan.
Best wishes for the holidays - and here's to a New Year we can be proud of, at home and abroad...
artur, happy christmas, i hope you stay with your family,this christmes.
Thank you, Naijil, and peace to you and your family, too.
comments of our friends like afghan and sroush show the reality today in afghanistan, but i am not so optimist like afghan as the drama goes on like this. when a president of a country like karzia who has a supporter like bush discloses his weakness to reorder the country then there is nothing remaind to be hopeful about.
the result for khalil zad attempts for pashtoons is something tragicly funny. on one side he has made the US and other helping countries chose only pashtoons for leadership and ignore other ethnic groups in afghanistan but on the otherside lets see who is killing the US troops and it's allies and exactly who are taliban really? its so obviouse those pahstoons who are more pakistani than afghan.
the reality today in afghanistan is that day by day its not only the pashtoons but other ethnics are aslo getting distance from the governtment. at least they are not thinking support full for the karzai US backed government any more.
its the people of west the real friends of afghan people to not let thier leaders update the chaos more and more here in afghanistan.
Arthur, let me wish you a happy merry christmas and a joyfull holidays at end.
If we look back to the time of the former King, he was a little human being, but still his regime ran base on ethnic just by name, in fact his regime collected from each ethnic trustful follower and the rest of all ethnic had a very primitive life conditions, no one ethnic had any kind of development in its region.
Then he started to open the door for so called democracy and it appeared parties, but the frame of those parties was base on ethnic, it means, this clan set the stone foundation for the difference of ethnic through the parties too, he could reflect to outside the start of democracy in country and in side in country increased the conflict through the so called selected educated people, even the family clan nominated for each ethnic group connection person.
It started the coup of Sardar Daoud with help of communists 1973, he was egoist and from that time started the disaster in Afghanistan, he made it possible for former UdSSR to interfere direct in Afghanistan and the communists are the main guilty group for the creation of whole disasters in country, that is the fact.
I think, we so called educated people could learned from the uneducated nation during the 30 years at all, they defend united the country, we saw every where from Hazaras, Uzbeks, Pashtoons, Tajiks and other small groups, that they reflected united VOICE in the world for defending their country, unfortunately the self called sold leader of Mujahiddin followed the instructions of Pakistan and Iran intrigues, they have given to the foreigner countries free possibility to divide the nation base on ethnic and CIA misused and linked this for its own benefit. it follow!!!
1995 was realized, that the country can come out with help of EU and USA from existed disaster through the sold leader of Mujahiddin, so, it should create a group, who have to collect weapons over all the country, then it should establish a grand Assembly to fix the leader of the country.
It was explained to them the whole weakness of this family in the past, but EU and USA insisted to create such group under supervising of former King, they said, this guy is very old, his dream is it to see his nation at the end of his life united, let him to do it and the patriot will be around him, it will be in their hand, how they will put the right foundation stone for the country, otherwise they will not support it. The patriot did not want to go down the great defend resistance of the nation, therefore it was the requirement to involve by weapon collection one group of Mujahiddin, it was very known, that those groups are sold people, but they were known as such leader, the supporter were agree, but former King clan was against this idea, finally it was succeed und the decision was made for Mr. Ahmad Shah Masoud, he was known in EU a little bit democrat and dynamic.
It was meeting regard this matter in London with his brother Mr. Ahmad Zia Masoud 1995 in month June. Mr. Sardar Abdul Wali (son in law of former King) went to Pakistan to create such group for weapon collection 1995 in month July, it was fixed in advance, who should be.
He did his job, but he has given to the group the name “ TALIBAN”, he was asked, why he did it, he replied, because the Taliban should give lesson of religion to the religion professors.
The patriot took it as fun, in fact here started the naïve being of patriots, it ran the weapon collection very well 6 months, but after 6 months disappeared the whole selected group and appeared a new group under Mullah Omar, then it was realize, that the former King clan had a separate agreement with CIA, specially when former King announced via BBC “ Taliban guaranteed for freedom, sovereignty, integrity of the uniting of nation of our country” , the name of Mr. Karzai was never appear during the whole time, after such announcement of former King, it was to late for the patriots to do against them any things except to stop the support.
All Afghan know, that by each changing will be find very easy blind follower and they found them and we see what is the out put of it. CONTINUE!!!
The decision to involve Mr. Ahmad Shah masoud ( his around was killer, rubber and criminals) was correct, otherwise he would be not eliminated, it is very easy to put every thing into shoes of Taliban or Al Qaida, we know already such games during the communist regime, when it was some body unpleasant for them, they eliminate them, then they said Ashrar did it.
Afghanistan was always optimist and Afghanistan will be optimist in the future too, because the nation found always its way and at this time are the assumption not bad to get the nation honest, qualified government. CONTINUE!!!
This government should be not based on ethnic, this government will be based on qualification and honest being, this government should be able to create harmony among the educated people, especially to put such foundation for the coming generation. It should create a frame, that every body (specially next generation) to make it possible, that every body should have the ability to speak and write both languages and the small ethnic languages should not die, it should exist a plan, how can be promoted and developed.
It was never exist Pashtoon government( I am talking from since 1929 till now).
Mr. Karzai is President, Afghan Mellat leader Dr. Ahadi is in government , but the whole Pashtoon areas destroyed and killed most of them innocent people, they enjoy such conditions and they are busy with corruption and nepotism, they are thinking the ISAF, NATO and USA will do for them the job as communists leaned on former UdSSR at that time.
No body can condemn the whole pashtoon because of such people or Taliban or because of the pashtoons in the past, no body can condemn the Tajik because of them present and because of the few people in past and never should be condemn Hazaras and Uzbek or other ethnics because of few people, it should stop such primitive think mechanism.
The educated people should get up and realize, that such rubbish conflicts will never solve the problems of the nation, except we have to work together for the uniting and respect each other and try to get trust to each other.
It exist possibility to bring out the country from existed disaster, if the Afghan start united for the same goal like the uneducated demonstrated it for us during the 30 years.
We have to wake up and learn from the developed countries, how could they came out from their disaster in the past, if we should not have such quality, then we should avoid at least not to increase the existed disaster.
The possibility exist to get stable government, we should not lean and depend us on people, who have many and power at the present time, those people misused the horrible situation for their own wealth and influences, they are involve every where.
We should lean and depend us on qualified, honest and patriot people and believe in our clean and proud nation.
TO ALL OF YOU AGAIN " MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008"!
Hi Arthur,
As always, I thank you for keeping this site open and for furnishing us with the timely and unfiltered news and information on Afghanistan.
Just wanted to have a few words on the comments of our friend who posts under the nick "Afghanistan." For some reason, this poster never stops lashing at non-Pashton Taliban opposition commanders whom he calls "warlords", parroting the ISI coined term "Northern Alliance warlords." He seizes every post and opportunity to whip them up. He praises Ms Joya, the so called spokesperson of the Peshawor based Rawa group, whose only struggle for "women's rights" was to diss the commanders of the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan(Mr. Afghanistan's "warlords.")
This poster, who says, "the warlords will be brought to the court...," should understand that as long as those "wardlords" were cabinet members, the ethno-fascist Pashton Taliban forces were driven out to the southern borders. That meant less Canadian casualties if nothing else. I am positive that the Canadian nation is already asking themselves this unnerving question: "What happened to our "Afghan" natural friends who had waged war against those Al-Qaida and Taliban terrorists way before our sons and daughters were flown there?" I am sure you have an ethnic answer for them: they were "warlords." But now this word is a sad joke overplayed by ISI and Ms Joya, whom Afghan women consider as simply its mouth piece.
Yet he doesn't evidently seem intereted in bringing to justice the former Taliban comander, Mullah Abdul Salam Raketi, who currently sits at the law-making body of Afghanistan's parliament. This can be taken as a notoriously hilarious political irony of our war on terror: extending amnesty to USA's enemies and castrating USA's friends as "warlords."
If Karzai quits pursuing the ethnic policies of his Pashton predecessors, Mullah Omar included, Afghanistan might perhaps, for once in its history, function as a nation-state; otherwise Afghanistan will again be a Taliban-era state with the only differece that this time its leaders will appear shaved and in suits and ties as most of them do now.
My final word goes for our well-intentioned friend Ted:
Afghanistan has many unsung women heroes whose names do not hit the headlines, as does Joya's name. Since they do not have foreign backers, you haven't heard of them. Lady Fawzia Kofi, an Afghan parliamentarian, will be a great starter should you be interested in women's cause in Afghanistan before she is dismissed as a"warlordess" I believe. She fits the current criteria for a "warlord": she is a non-Pashton, she is a loud critic of the Taliban, and is genuinely interested in Afghan cause, irrespective of ethnic leaning.
After all it was this media-unfamiliar outspoken woman who brought to light the sickening plight of the women prisoners in the Pol-E-Charkhi prison.
Merry Xmss Arthur and readers :)
Sorry, we are in democratic world, the whole world is aware about the criminality about those people, if they would have any positive point, I would mention it with pleasure, but we see and hear corruption, occupation of land and houses with power, without corruption can be not taken any step forwards in present administration. We saw the FUNCTIONING of so called Mujahiddin from 1992 to 1996, Kabul was divided in zones, in fact there ruled 8 so called Mujahiddin leaders, Gulbuddin selected a special location at that time, all of them destroyed Kabul totally and Mullah Gulbuddin attended destroying with full enthusiasm, also we had such HISTORICAL government, then came the Taliban, they kept the people in cities like a herd, specially the women and turn the country more to the stone Age. Those people are not opposition, they are working together, Taliban are getting support from Pakistan and Iran and Iran paid the wohle Expences of Afghan embassies at that time, through Iran came those trained solder and trained Taliban solder together, this why they created a dirty " Allianz of nation".
Ms Joya is gourageous woman, here is not the question of ethnic, here is the question of honest being to the nation and she is one of them, I believe, that Ms Fawzia will be a good personality in parliament, she could announce her doubt and their criminality in different way in Parliament. One of them is Mr. Bashardoost, he is the honest real parliament member. How should be possible, that murder communist and in your view the member of clean North Allianz built a such criminal Allianz?
In parliament and in government are sitting criminal communists, criminal Taliban, criminal Gulbuddin people, but the rescuer of the nation and strong opposition against Taliban close its eyes as were every thing in order. This criminal action of reconciliation created for the country more trouble, it will not work any more the organized intrigues!
Criminals are criminals, it does not matter if they are Pashtoons or none Pashtoons, also, no body can forbid me to act base on facts against them, lash mechanism will be used used by criminals and their blind followers and who had double faces like we had before and we have at the present time.
So far I could get the information, Ms Joya does not belong to RAWA and my information are always reliable.
Friend or enemy of nation, it is really a notoriously hilarious political irony, that the commanders of the United Islamic and communist Front let the Taliban to go to the Gulbuddin area based on made agreement to destroy him. We should never forget the disaster of those questionable Front in the past and later on, they united always themselves depend on the situation to create a new Front against each other, through such horrible actions were killed lot of innocent people and destroyed the country.
Remember on the time, when Saiaf killer killed many innocent Hazara, further remember on the time of Dostum communist killer and criminal actions, remember on the time of Hazara leader, remember on the time, that Gulbuddin killed in his occupied area many innocent people. Those so called islamic Front switched always from one Front to other, it is the question now, why Taliban stopped by commando to go forwards, I will tell you, because of agreement among them. Those so called united Front misused Islam for their greedy being, every body knows now, that they never been honest Muslim and they did not care about the nation, as example above mentioned criminal actions and their present wealths.
They announced always like the communist did it in the past, that Islam is our uniting sign, who will make such difference of languages and ethnic, they are following the inheritance of our enemies.
Communist came back to the language and ethnic intrigues at the end and those trained are following it now.
Those are trained to change their friends very easy any time.
Do not worry, NATO, ISAF and USA are aware already about those secret connections, they are ready to work for every body so far they can keep them on the power. Even Mr. Rabani announced during his government, that he wants to take Hamid Gul ( previous chef of ISI) als adviser, he announced not very long too, when the Taliban will come to Kabul, we will not fight against them! Your united islamic Front is really an ironic Front !
Merry Christmas to all of the Christians who freqent this website from this member of the Baha'i Faith, as we gather together with family and friends to celebrate the birth of Christ. And, for me, with my Baha'i friends to comtemplate the joy of Christ's message and the day when there will be world unity and peace.
Let me to write few words, defense minister of Canada was warning Iran for weapon delivering to Taliban recently , what I mentioned it in my previous comments, that the Iran is supporting Taliban and Iran is playing a key rule between the former Mujahiddin commanders and Taliban, who are sitting in government, in parliament and in other high positions. It is not only Iran, Russian are selling the weapon to Taliban too. Our information are always true and they are fact, it is fact too, that those criminals needed to achieve in parliament the majority, therefore they created such dirty " Alliance of Nation", it include to this the grand son of former King too, it is the goal to bring the government to a standstill.
They are trying to make it possible, that the attacks of terrors should increase, so that the fully chaos and anarchy will start over the whole country, specially in cities, this will give to the sold criminals the possibility to announce from parliament, that this government is helpless, former Mujahiddin should take the control over the country. The friendship with Taliban will be only for short time until they get the fully power again.
We have lot of information, but we will use them step by step, we will try, that neither Taliban or those criminals win at the end, the nation (all ethnic equal) should get the possibility to earn peace, freedom and prosperity and it should stop the corruption, larcenies and criminal actions. Those criminals are giving to USA wrong information about many innocent people under the name Taliban and the Afghan Mellat criminals are carrying out their duties as translators in jails over the world and they are getting between 13000 and 15000 USD per month. It is ironic, that the former official representative of Taliban in Europe was President of Kabul University and he is attending regular the international conferences and USA projects and his deputy this is active at the Khost University, government is weak, ISAF, NATO and USA are bombing the country, governors are corrupt, even they are taking the money from Taliban, we are sure, that the war in Afghanistan will take longer, but we are not sure, if NATO, ISAF and USA countries can digest the payment for such long war?
Happy Holidays and a very Happy Birthday, Arthur, from Plum Island, north of Boston! Throughout the years I have appreciated any and ALL of your reports about the Afghan people and their struggles just to stay alive and survive! I wish I, just one individual,could do something to help them. Seems the Taliban are stronger than ever. Are these people doomed to live this existence? From your reports I am informed. Too bad most people in the media seem to have forgotten them. Any thoughts about that new movie, CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR? Have a great New Years, Arthur and all here posting! I am happy I found this provoking website!
The killing of Ms Binazir Bhutto will create additional instability in country and this will influence negative Afghanistan very much too. She was strong woman and she went into the country to start a democracy process as she announced it and fight strong against terrorism, although she was known during her government as supporter of Taliban, she recognized the regime of Taliban at that time, her mistake was it, that she ignored the reality, that Pakistan changed very much during her absence, she did not take serious the ambition of military politician and she under estimate the ISI deep involving in terrorism matter, she acted extremely base on her outside support and she wanted, that the world and her party should see her as person of destruction of terrorism in Pakistan. All these points are showing, that the manager of her party could not reflect enough to her the current existed situation and specially they could not manage her security at all, she moved from one euphoric location to an other one.
All together the hysteria ruled her election campaign. She ran at least two times government, it should expected from her at this sensitive time more level-headed instead euphoric being and adjust on there existed situation.
She was dynamic, purposeful and full of energy, but she could not use it proper, she lost senseless her life, it is very pity!
I allowed me to make a short comment regard this barbaric happen. We know it, what is in Pakistan and Iran going on and what kind of politic they are following concern Afghanistan?
May you all have enjoyed a wonderful Eid, Hannukah, Christmas or whatever you choose to celebrate. I hope your holiday time was spent with family and friends and that you further your commitment to peace, stability and the betterment of our bedraggled species. Good health and peace in your hearts.
yea i have to agree with afghanistan comments
Peter macky talks so big that iran provide this and that
where the heck iran get them from russia. my question is that Bush was providing mujaheeden( which is the same ppl today known as terrorist) through pakistan to fight USSR. Have USSR forgoton i doubt so, now it dont have to be the govt. of iran to do this USSR can provide talib with weapen through many country including iran n pakistan there isnt a thing canada or usa can do about it all they do by these talk that pakistan give weapon n iran does increasing the tension between neighbouring country with afghanistan. if usa really want talib not to have weapons they should tell USSR not to do so if they have the gut. like showing his big tail to iran n pakistan isnt gona help anything. it is been 6yrs that USA try to restore peace half the time that USSR did the result and progress are exactly alike same manner and the result will be the same and the poor ppl will suffer the most. just like they restored peace in vitnam.
The advising and supporting of Ms Binazir Bhutto to go back to Pakistan to share with Mr. Musharaf the power, it was as usual insidious mistake, it was misused by them her strong ambition on power definitely, her killing will cause more instability in region, it will be very difficult to control it any more.
She had excellent education, she came from very rich and known family, she was excellent speaker, but she had a lot of weaknesses, those were misused by her supporter, I mentioned it before her fall, those none intelligent adviser and supporter increased the resistance against the government and they supported indirect the terrorism now.
ISI can play its insidious roll much better now.
USA will lose the game in these regions, they never understood the think styles of the people in those regions, they are dealing only with DOLLARS. USA lost Dollars and trust in regions now, it seem to me, that the CIA are students of ISI.
Russian is happy, that the situations are getting worst day by day, many experts are giving different views about Mr. Putin ambition, but in reality he united the people of russian, they realized, that only he can manage it, to become Russian again supper power in the world and Iran wants it, that Russian should play an important roll as supper power in the future.
We have sold people in Afghanistan and we have cover up policy in Pakistan, they are at the same level corrupted like the installed government in Kabul.
Sitara mentioned points are great and where USA entered, it will be there chaos and anarchy at the end. The politician of EU should wake up and realize the coming worst situations in those regions!
Mr. G. W. Bush never understood politic, specially in islamic world, he made more worst mistakes than the former UdSSR made it at that time, because he involved in his stupid actions EU, Canada, Australian and an other countries too. It is impossible to establish the democracy type of USA or west countries in those regions, therefore it is urgent requested a strong and stable government by the Afghanes self, it exist such quality people in Afghanistan, but they should be let, it should be ignored the pseudo knowledges from written books, separate from the created intrigues of ethnic differences and ill proportions of former empire of GB and later on from their followers.
Yes politic is not every body matter!
Dear Arthur, you described the country and the situation in country excellent, the killing of Ms Bhutto will create a new horrible disaster over the regions, therefore it is very important to appear your voice base on your collected views regard present happening.
We are sure, that the situation will get in those regions more worst and the disaster can be not stopped any more and we believe strong, that Afghanistan will be influenced after this barbaric happening very much too.
Mr. Zalmay Khalilzad put a very dangerous foundation-stone for Afghanistan’s future 2001. He enjoys the trust of USA, EU and other countries, therefore he has to correct his made huge mistakes.
Mr. H. Karzai is not only weak, around him are all corrupted and intrigues people, also, he has to resign and the present pseudo parliament should dissolve.
A new strong government under leadership of Mr. Zalmay Khalilzad should take place.
Mr. Zalmay Khalilzad can be support and his security can be guaranteed, if following steps can be realized:
1. Mr. Khalilzad should be not a deputy of USA, he has to separate from the influence of USA, CIA and USA advising. Any kind of interfering from USA should avoid very clear, these should be guaranteed by UN.
2. He has to announce his made mistakes via medias very clear and stress, that he took the responsibility for the reason to correct his made mistakes for the good future of his country,
the military of USA should stop it bombing actions, the new government should be not built base on ethnic, it should be base on professional qualification and honest being, this new government should not built base on election, it should act for short term without election to stable and to clean the country from terrorism.
3. The guarantee of elimination of terrorism and security of the country will carry the Afghan government self, over the whole country should start the projects, those projects should be not use as business style from the supporter countries.
4. The all kind of killer and criminals should be brought to court, here can play UN its important roll, the boarder of country will be controlled by Afghanese self, what the foreigner forces to do, to watch the situation in their basis and on request of Afghan government can they offer their support.
5. After 7 year should start elections, such election will be then under stable condition and it will be not seen any more as artificial election or using by force.
Continue!
At the present because of special situation needed special actions in Afghanistan, the nation of Afghanistan collected very bitter experiences during the 30 years, the nation of Afghanistan is more than 90% uneducated and conservative, the nation is not familiar with types of democracy of foreigner developed countries, the parties should learn to act for the nation, but they should not misuse the parties for their own benefits and intrigues.
It is time for the supporter countries to come to the level of reality and give their arrogance and peak-head style, the Afghanes have their right to tell those countries very open and without any misunderstanding, that they are not be able base on books or using the created intrigues of former empire of United Kingdom( government base on ethnic).
It is only this way to avoid the expanding of instability over the whole regions, I pointed just few points as suggestions.
Mr. Khalilzad should act for the reason, that the USA should be sure, that the new government will not act against the USA, EU and other friend countries and he will be witness, that the interfering or influence of Russian and other neighbor countries will not happen.
In an interview with David Frost Ms. Bhutto said Osama Bin Laden had been murdered.Frost did not follow up on the statement but then BBC censored the statement.What's going on here???????
http://existentialistcowboy.blogspot.com/2007/12/bbc-censore...
To hear the censored version click on the link right below the screen.
@ Ted,
Ms Bhutto had to eliminate, because she knew and aware about the cause of existed disaster in Afghanistan and in Pakistan very much and she had even to cooperate by the creation of Taliban during the years 1995 and 1996, before never existed the movement of Taliban, it started at the end of 1995.
She knew it too, that Zial ul Haq could not carry out coup against his father and not execute him without back up from out side.
Later on we were witness, that Mr. Zia ul Haq was killed by mysterious airplane accident, where the Ambassador of USA lost his life too.
It looks like, he was no more needed and he acted too independent in additional.
It was very known, that Ms Bhutto wanted to get power in Pakistan, this weakness of her used by her supporter to motivate her to go to Pakistan, but she realize it later on, that she will be killed, she was despaired, this why she announced such information and she hoped to survive with help of her party, but the party acted very euphoric.
Ms Hillary Clinton pointed very clear, she would send to be killed.
Many media sources got different information, such confuse information was sign to cover up the truth, this dirty game worked.
The phrases of democracy and elimination of terrorism are none sense, those words are used just for misleading!
Yes, as it is saying: "politic is dirty subject" !