Channel 4 released an interesting documentary on the dismantlement of the
largest British military camp since World War II – “The Billion-Pound
Base: Dismantling Camp Bastion”. It illustrates not only the obscene sums of
money spent on the British mission in Afghanistan, but also the absurdity of
the handover of responsibility to the Afghans. In an attempt to avoid the
unintentional equipping of the Taliban and other militias with vital weapons,
construction workers responsible for the dismantlement of Camp Bastion received
the order to destroy everything of value. The distrust and fear remaining after
the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan shows that it is not a
sign of victory but rather one of surrender.
Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Sunday, 23 November 2014
Committment to More Women in Security jobs
Jonnie Quick sends us details of Afghanistan's decision to beef up the number of Aghan women in the Security Forces:
As international troops end their decade-plus engagement in Afghanistan, the country’s government has taken a decisive step toward lasting security for its people. Last month, 21 deputy ministers and agency heads approved a new national action plan (NAP) to engage both women and men in sustaining a peaceful transition.
As international troops end their decade-plus engagement in Afghanistan, the country’s government has taken a decisive step toward lasting security for its people. Last month, 21 deputy ministers and agency heads approved a new national action plan (NAP) to engage both women and men in sustaining a peaceful transition.
Friday, 26 September 2014
Afghanistan’s Failed Transformation
For a GLOOMY perspective on Afghanistan read this piece from someone who thinks US troops should stay even longer. Surely it is past time to let Afghanistan stand on its own two feet? Do they really still need more Western meddling?
Thursday, 25 September 2014
Hooray for Ashraf
The Presidential inauguration is with us in a day or two. Karzai is going around trying to be independent by saying how much better off Afghanistan would be if the USA and Pakistan simply did not exist.
But the point is that Ashraf Ghani, the new President, is such an intellect. He is one of the world's great thinkers. He's given to bouts of anger. But what a star. Can we but hope he may be Afghanistan's redeemer. We certainly need some better way. Ashraf is the future whereas Abdullah Abdullah is the representative of the warlords of the past.
But the point is that Ashraf Ghani, the new President, is such an intellect. He is one of the world's great thinkers. He's given to bouts of anger. But what a star. Can we but hope he may be Afghanistan's redeemer. We certainly need some better way. Ashraf is the future whereas Abdullah Abdullah is the representative of the warlords of the past.
Friday, 4 July 2014
Afghan Election Chief Resigns
 |
| IEC Chief Election Coordinator - Zia Al Haq Amerkhel |
What was initially perceived as a remarkable achievement of democracy, the Afghan
elections have since been on a downward spiral threatening the stability of Afghanistan.
Following the elections on 5th April, Dr Abdullah secured 45% of the
votes and Dr Ashraf Ghani gaining 31%. Having failed to secure an overall
majority of 51%, a runoff was decided. The runoff was held on 14th June
2014 and was marred by complaints. On Election Day more than 2000 complaints
were recorded by the Independent Elections Complaints Commission (IECC).
Preliminary reports showed that Ghani was leading by 1.4 million votes. According
to his supporters this was expected, asserting that in the first round the
candidacy of other Pashtuns figures had divided Ghani’s vote. As early reports
of Ghani’s victory quickly spread across the country, Abdullah convened a press
conference, in which chief coordinator of the Afghan electoral process Zia
Al-Haq Amerkhel was accused of fraud in favour of Ghani, thus casting doubt on
the entirety of the election process. Unless the current government took
action, Abdullah threatened to contest the results published by the Independent
Elections Commission (IEC).
Meanwhile, protests erupted throughout Kabul and the Northern provinces
under the red banner of “Movement against Fraud”. Abdullah called on supporters to stage
peaceful rallies. Protestors held signs condemning the IEC and many camped
outside Parliament with some members of Parliament even joining in. Addressing
the protestors, former Director of Intelligence Amarullah Saleh declared “we
must remain peaceful in our path to justice if we want to maintain our
integrity”.
Questions were raised as to how Abdullah was able to obtain such
confidential information before the release of any results. It is widely known
that Abdullah has little confidence in the IEC and his call for peaceful
protests would have been validated if it was done so after the election results
were announced. Ghani’s supporters further claim that Abdullah’s position is
untenable as he would declare results in his favour not to be fraudulent, while
he would automatically invalidate any result favouring Ashraf Ghani.
Ghani
supporters emphasis that Abdullah plays the role of a bad loser because if the
vote is in his favour there is no discrepancy involved but if the vote is
against him he has a tendency to whine and accuse others of fraud. On June 20th,
the UN prevented the IEC from broadcasting the election results for fear of
igniting further unrest in the country given the current political climate in
the country.
Abdullah’s team also released audio tapes which purportedly include
recordings of Amerkhel asking several IEC officials in different provinces to
"take sheep to the mountains, stuff them and bring them back."
Amerkhel is also accused of ordering other IEC officials in the Faryab province
to replace Tajik and Hazara elections staff with Pashtuns, Uzbeks and Ismailis,
tribes traditionally more supportive of Ghani’s candidacy. With more and more
evidence mounting against him, Amerkhel was stopped by Kabul police on Election
Day transporting dozens of boxes filled with ballot papers to an unknown
location without police escort.
Amerkhel resigned as chief election coordinator despite denying that the
voice heard on the audio tapes was his. He declared “I resigned for the sake of national unity and to bring
confidence back to the Election Commission. I take pride in resigning at this
critical moment of history”. Individuals from Amerkhel’s inner circle have
confirmed that the voice on the recordings was indeed that of Amerkhel, casting
even more doubt and suspicion.
In such fast-paced and hectic developments, it is surprising to see
President Karzai has remained overall very passive and has failed to comment on
the current situation. President Karzai’s silence looks like an attempt to
distance himself from the growing scandal and as a way of postponing the
handing over of power. Karzai has been subject to such accusations in the past.
Many of Ghani’s Pashtun supporters have hinted at a possible Tajik conspiracy
to disturb the course of the elections.
The Afghan people’s faith in the electoral system seems to have been
shaken, the reputation of the Election Commission tarnished and the future of
the country in tatters. After 13 years of trying to install democracy,
Afghanistan continues to remain deeply divided on ethnic lines. Despite failing
to defeat the Taliban, the US will start to withdraw from Afghanistan leaving
9,800 troops after 2014, that number will halve in 2015 and by 2016 only a
vestigial force will remain to protect the embassy. With the heavy cost of
human lives, a mediocre election and allegations of corruption, all hopes for
democracy, meritocracy and national unity seems lost.
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Conflict in Afghanistan’s Second Round of Voting
On June 14 Afghans went to the polls again to vote in the second round of
the Presidential Elections. News channels around the world showed images of
voters standing in long queues at polling stations to decide the political
destiny of the Afghan nation.
The struggle for the presidency is between former Mujahideen Commander Abdullah Abdullah and former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani, both of whom failed to secure a 50% majority in the first round of the elections. In the first round Abdullah and Ghani gathered 45% and 31% of the votes, leaving Ghani trailing behind by 14%.
Although no statistics have been released by the Independent Election Commission (IEC), according to the media, voting turnout had dropped considerably compared to the previous round. Controversy arose when Yousof Noristani, head of IEC informally estimated the turnout as more than 7 million; an assertion that Dr. Abdullah categorically dismissed, arguing it was merely impossible that the turnout would be higher than in the first round of elections.
President Karzai called on citizens to “come out and vote and determine your country’s destiny”. Karzai has been passive in the run-up to the second round unlike the first round where his tacit support was behind Zalmai Rasoul. He is thought to remain an influential figure in the country after he ceases to hold power.
The secretary of the IEC Zia Al Haq Amarkhel was accused of vote rigging in favour of Ashraf Ghani. He was stopped by Kabul Police while transporting dozens of boxes of filled with ballot papers to an unknown location without police escort. Election laws outline that ballot papers can only be moved with police escort. A scuffle broke out between Amerkhel’s bodyguards and the police when his bodyguards attempted to prevent police from searching the vehicle. Amerkhel rejected the accusations, insisting he was transporting the material to Sorobi, a town east of Kabul where extra ballot papers were requested.
Although such incidents remain isolated, there is speculation that the scuffle was a likely result of ethic and political dissentions as Kabul’s police commander, an ethnic Tajik and supporter of Abdullah, of stopping Amerkhel, a Pashtun and potential supporter of Ghani.
In a news conference on Sunday, Abdullah confident that fraud had been widespread and on-going called for Amarkhel’s suspension from his post and expressed a lack of trust in the transparency of the election Ashraf Ghani’s spokesman claimed that Abdullah’s comments seem to indicate that any results that would not be in his favour would prove to be problematic for him to accept; and denounced Abdullah’s claims the Amerkhel incident was being used to cast a shadow of doubt over the impartiality of the election process. Amarkhel vehemently denied all allegations of vote rigging stating it was a conspiracy against him.
It is clearly evident from these incidents that there is deep mistrust between the parties. The election complaints commission reported a total of 664 complaints from Abdullah, 573 complaints from Ashraf Ghani and 507 complaints from government officials.
Tribalism and ethnicity are important factors in influencing the people’s decision. The sad reality is, tribal loyalties play a huge part and there is no doubt that the election has become ethnically based. The Pashtuns clearly favour Ghani and the Uzbeks, thanks to Ghani’s controversial alliance with General Dostam, favour Ghani too. Tajiks favour Abdullah and the presence of influential Hazara leader Haji Mohammad Mohaqeq has brought Hazara support to the Abdullah camp too.
The Ministry of Interior reported 150 attacks nationwide in the midst of the election process, leaving 10 dead and another 150 injured. Afghan journalists reported higher figures, including the death of 11 policemen, 15 military, 20 civilians and 60 Taliban throughout the country. In many rural areas, fear of the Taliban and the high security threat kept voters away. In the Herat province, eleven men had their index fingers cut off by the Taliban because they were stained with the indelible ink that marked them out as voters.
The struggle for the presidency is between former Mujahideen Commander Abdullah Abdullah and former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani, both of whom failed to secure a 50% majority in the first round of the elections. In the first round Abdullah and Ghani gathered 45% and 31% of the votes, leaving Ghani trailing behind by 14%.
Although no statistics have been released by the Independent Election Commission (IEC), according to the media, voting turnout had dropped considerably compared to the previous round. Controversy arose when Yousof Noristani, head of IEC informally estimated the turnout as more than 7 million; an assertion that Dr. Abdullah categorically dismissed, arguing it was merely impossible that the turnout would be higher than in the first round of elections.
President Karzai called on citizens to “come out and vote and determine your country’s destiny”. Karzai has been passive in the run-up to the second round unlike the first round where his tacit support was behind Zalmai Rasoul. He is thought to remain an influential figure in the country after he ceases to hold power.
The secretary of the IEC Zia Al Haq Amarkhel was accused of vote rigging in favour of Ashraf Ghani. He was stopped by Kabul Police while transporting dozens of boxes of filled with ballot papers to an unknown location without police escort. Election laws outline that ballot papers can only be moved with police escort. A scuffle broke out between Amerkhel’s bodyguards and the police when his bodyguards attempted to prevent police from searching the vehicle. Amerkhel rejected the accusations, insisting he was transporting the material to Sorobi, a town east of Kabul where extra ballot papers were requested.
Although such incidents remain isolated, there is speculation that the scuffle was a likely result of ethic and political dissentions as Kabul’s police commander, an ethnic Tajik and supporter of Abdullah, of stopping Amerkhel, a Pashtun and potential supporter of Ghani.
In a news conference on Sunday, Abdullah confident that fraud had been widespread and on-going called for Amarkhel’s suspension from his post and expressed a lack of trust in the transparency of the election Ashraf Ghani’s spokesman claimed that Abdullah’s comments seem to indicate that any results that would not be in his favour would prove to be problematic for him to accept; and denounced Abdullah’s claims the Amerkhel incident was being used to cast a shadow of doubt over the impartiality of the election process. Amarkhel vehemently denied all allegations of vote rigging stating it was a conspiracy against him.
It is clearly evident from these incidents that there is deep mistrust between the parties. The election complaints commission reported a total of 664 complaints from Abdullah, 573 complaints from Ashraf Ghani and 507 complaints from government officials.
Tribalism and ethnicity are important factors in influencing the people’s decision. The sad reality is, tribal loyalties play a huge part and there is no doubt that the election has become ethnically based. The Pashtuns clearly favour Ghani and the Uzbeks, thanks to Ghani’s controversial alliance with General Dostam, favour Ghani too. Tajiks favour Abdullah and the presence of influential Hazara leader Haji Mohammad Mohaqeq has brought Hazara support to the Abdullah camp too.
The Ministry of Interior reported 150 attacks nationwide in the midst of the election process, leaving 10 dead and another 150 injured. Afghan journalists reported higher figures, including the death of 11 policemen, 15 military, 20 civilians and 60 Taliban throughout the country. In many rural areas, fear of the Taliban and the high security threat kept voters away. In the Herat province, eleven men had their index fingers cut off by the Taliban because they were stained with the indelible ink that marked them out as voters.
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