Security-An Everlasting Wait for A Ray of Hope that Has Yet to Shine       (Part II) 

Last week, we talked about the failures of the DDR/DIAG and arming new militias. This week, we will talk about the other key elements that have caused security concerns.

 A. The International Forces – Foreignfully Yours:

 Most of the foreign forces enter Afghanistan like aliens come to the planet Earth. They are completely oblivious to the culture and religious sensitivities, haven’t been oriented about the country they are deployed in, at all, or have come to kill the enemy whom they don’t even fully know. However, little can you expect from them when their president says that Afghan-Americans, who know Urdo well, should be employed and sent to Afghanistan to help his country’s troops in smooth running of their daily operations while interacting with the locals. In Afghanistan, only Dari, Pashto and Uzbeki are the official languages. Urdo is spoken in Pakistan, not Afghanistan.

 About a year ago, I remember watching a documentary film on Iraq. In one of its segments, a US marine, who was part of the invading troop in Iraq, narrated his findings at the Iraq border. The marine said that he asked his commander what the “code of conduct” was. In other words, he wanted to know who to shoot at and who not to shoot at. His commander told him to shoot at anyone who seemed like enemy to him. He confessed that as he hadn’t been out of his home state in the United States, everyone in Iraq seemed to be enemy and was to be shot at.

 Now, supposedly, if a soldier is deployed in Afghanistan without orientation and someone describes the physical features of a Talib/insurgent to him in the same vein as did the US commander in Iraq, what will they be? A man who wears a turban (mostly black), has beard and mustache, wears long dress with pantaloons of the same color and supposedly looks mad. With such physical features in mind, how many people are Taliban in Afghanistan? The number is extremely high. If we suppose that the soldier is kind-hearted and doesn’t shoot at all such figures, can we infer that the percentage of the innocent Afghans who are jailed in the foreign forces bases are high because they are “guilty” according to such description? The documentary film “Taxi to the Dark Side” released in 2007 is a sad account of one of such case we are talking about.

 According to HRRAC “Afghan Perception of Insecurity” report, a school girl in Kabul had commented that the international forces prioritized their own security over Afghans’ security and did not hesitate in jeopardizing Afghans lives for that. She had added that with such attitude of the international forces, Afghanistan would never be secured. We have seen how the international forces drive around the cities. It is nothing short of a wild rollercoaster ride. One such incident caused a big riot in the Kabul city a few years back. Minimizing their movement in the city will do a world of good both to them and the Afghans.

 The frisking and searching of Afghan women by men is an unforgivable act. How many of the foreign forces know that? How many of them have made this mistake and how many of them are completely oblivious to it?  

 Night raids are not only wrong but are also uncultured. As much as Afghans are hospitable, they don’t like intruders, especially with sniffing dogs who scare the daylight out of their mothers, sisters, wives and children, to come to their homes at night, turn their homes upside down and arrest and take away anyone they find suspicious or they please. Only one such incident is enough for an Afghan to decide that he should kill all the violators and to do so, he has to join the Taliban. It is needless to say that the doors/gates they have are to be knocked, not to be broken. It is the sign of uttermost disrespect apart from being an economic loss, Remember, “in Afghanistan hearts and minds are to be won” and no hearts and minds can be won by breaking doors and offering nothing but humiliation and inconsideration.

 In the foreign forces countries of origin, the aforementioned acts are serious violations (armed intrusion/trespassing) and such violators are even shot by the landowners or the police. How can they consider one very act violation in their countries, but make it a routine in Afghanistan? Do Afghan citizens not deserve the human rights enjoyed by any human being around the world? Do they not practice what they preach?  Have the foreign forces come to Afghanistan to fight Al-Qaeda and the Taliban or have they come to try and see what it is like to be wild and brutal? Do the foreign forces really know that Afghanistan is not the second Vegas?

 Aerial strikes are condemned universally. They have, thankfully, been reduced considerably. However, it is high time to make that as a non-option.

 B. Economy:

 One of the main causes of insecurity in Afghanistan has been its bad economy. “Poverty” and “unemployment” have been identified as the two major economic causes of insecurity. One reason why Afghans join the Taliban is that they are greatly disappointed and angered by the foreign forces acts as mentioned above. Another probable cause, which could be the root cause of the people joining the Taliban/insurgents or the armed groups, is that they haven’t seen enough employment and income opportunities. Currently, the majority of Afghans live under the poverty line. Poverty and unemployment give birth to crime and, in Afghanistan, to the Talibanization and serious crimes. When the Taliban/insurgents/armed groups offer easy money for their activities, they may find a lot of Afghans who will offer their services for them.

 C. Drugs:

 Poppy cultivation and the whole nine yards of the drug industry have defamed Afghans internationally although growing poppy and drugs is forbidden in Islam and is not favored in the Afghan culture. Drugs should be annihilated in Afghanistan. The big fish of this notorious industry should be identified and sent behind bars. Air spraying or getting rid of the poppy fields of small-time farmers will not do much. Asking farmers to grow wheat instead of poppy is no different than asking someone to replace their golden ring with a stone. Giving away only money to the farmers is no different than giving away money to the DDR’ed/DIAG’ed militias. It will only produce short-term results and the farmers will go back to growing poppy once the money is finished. The international forces along with the (border) police have to make sure that the export of poppy is made impossible both by land and by air. Once the drug-traffickers are sent behind bars and the export routes are blocked for the farmers, they will be left with no option but to grow a produce that has market and salability.

By: Zaid E