Karzai Admits Cash Payments

The Karzai administration in Afghanistan has confirmed reports that they have been accepting cash donations from Iran amongst other countries but strongly denies links to corruption.

Last week the New York Times reported that Iran had been handing bags full of cash, largely denominated in Euros , to Karzai's aides for the past couple of years. The Times' journalists said that the money was used in order to buy influence in Kabul and to strengthen Iranian presence there. But President Hamid Karzai said that many countries, including the US, gave money in this way and it was all part of a "transparent" process.

Doubts remain however as to, transparent or not, this is a source of funding that should be endorsed. The whole process of handing over bags of cash, in Iran's case hundreds of thousands or millions of euro's once or twice every year, seems to be an effort to work outside the framework for aid that is in place for the government. As more and more about the story comes out it appears the main reason for doing so is that Karzai and his administration could then used the money for personal use rather than public.

The fact that there is corruption in Afghanistan probably comes as no surprise to anybody but the way it occurs and the source of the funding is another issue entirely.

Two Afghan Nominees for the International Media Awards

Hanif Hangam

Hanif Hangam is a writer and comedian who puts his life on the line with every show that is aired. He is most famous (or infamous) for his starring role in the prime-time weekly satire ‘Alarm Bell’, a show that lampoons Taliban rebels, warlords, UN diplomats, pilgrims to Mecca, and petrol pump attendants. Despite complaints and threats after every broadcast, the producers, and Hangam, maintain that ‘Alarm Bell’ is crucial for the political health of the country.

In 2006 Hangam was forced to flee Afghanistan after a film in which he starred, ‘Kabul Express’, cause offence to many in the country – particularly the Hazara community.

To see an Al-Jazeera report on the phenomenon of ‘Alarm Bell’:

http://english.aljazeera.net/video/asia/2010/09/201091723517107879.html

Saad Mohseni

Saad Mohseni is an Afghan-Australian, who along with his brothers Zaid and Jahid and sister Wajma, set up Moby Group, Afghanistan’s largest media company, in 2002. Prior to establishing Moby, Mr. Mohseni was the head of the equities and corporate finance division of an Australian investment bank.

Moby’s interests include Tolo TV, Afghanistan’s most-watched television channel. Tolo TV is best known in the West for ‘Afghan Star’; the series that followed the pop idol talent-show format, and gave many Afghans their first taste of democracy via a mobile-phone voting system.

Despite its relatively short lifespan, Moby Group has developed a reputation for quality productions which address issues facing ordinary Afghans, including The Kite Runner (in collaboration with Dreamworks and Paramount Vantage) and the drama series Raaz Hai En Khana (“The Secrets of This House”). These both explore issues of family, tradition and change within the context of contemporary Afghanistan. (Held from 2009)

Succeeding in Afghanistan?

The Henry Jackson Society has put out a positive report on Afghanistan:
http://henryjacksonsociety.org/cms/harriercollectionitems/Succeeding%20in%20Afghanistan.pdf

I wish I could share their optimism. And with regard to Afghanistan: When will journalists use normal terminology - calling a spade a spade? Not that their report is culpable at that level. But sending reinforcements is not "a surge" and an increase in violence is not "a spike". I heard the great polemiscist Robert Fisk saying as much yesterday in Old Chelsea Town Hall. Not that I agree with him on much but on this he and I are one.

We have lost control of the border Afpak area and are swiftly losing control of the entire country. Minister of Defence Wardak cannot even visit his own province. Things aren't good.

The Last Jew in Afghanistan

One man, living alone in a small room next to a crumbling synagogue is the only remaining Jew in Afghanistan. He is the last of 4,000 and a thriving community that has been decimated by years of war and oppression. Zabolon Simantov believes that he has to keep the Jewish history in Afghanistan alive:

"I don't want my Jewish heritage erased. My father was a rabbi, my grandfather was a rabbi. We were a big, religious family. I feel like the lion of Afghanistan, nobody can touch me."

But Zabolon has faced a fair amount of persecution at the hands of fundamentalists and radicals, who constantly pressure him to convert.

"They are dumb. For me, that kind of talk is like a matchstick you use to light a cigarette. You throw it away without a second thought," he says.
However, he is doubtful that any Jews will return to Afghanistan and, if he leaves, hundreds of years of tradition will no longer have a representative.

Thoughts on Afghanistan

The current state of Afghanistan is subject to perspective. General Petraeus believes that military operations in Southern and Eastern Afghanistan have begun to “reverse Taliban momentum”. However, some people believe that the Taliban are, in fact, gaining in strength, or at least holding off the British and American advances. Either way, there needs to be a strong Afghan government to support a counterinsurgency strategy and gain the trust of the Afghan people, which is likely to be complicated in the upcoming election of 18^th September.

A major problem that has to be addressed by the government is the continuing recruitment and radicalisation of young people by the Taleban. There are three main reasons for the Taleban’s success. Firstly, the Afghanis tend to resent the West. Historically, Britain has had a turbulent military involvement in Afghanistan (the first in 1839), which may lead some Afghanis to believe that the invasion is some sort of vengeance. This resentment is strengthened by the American air-strikes and bombings, which often lead to civilian casualties, and consequently the villagers are likely to be more inclined to support the Taleban. Secondly, the Afghanis feel that there is a lack of human interaction with the American soldiers, who patrol the streets heavily armed and wearing sunglasses. Although this is a minor issue, it does have an effect on the allegiances of the people, who see the soldiers as a repressive and frightening force rather than one that could help. However, most importantly, it is a matter of demographics. The percentage of people under 25 is currently 65%, set to rise to 80% by 2015. Considering that there are very few jobs for young people, and that the Taleban pay better than the Afghan security forces (by $60), combined with the previous reasons, the Taleban seem to be a very attractive organisation. Furthermore, the Security Forces are pervaded by factionalism and tribal loyalties, effectively excluding a lot of potential recruits. Indeed, 90 of the first 100 generals appointed to the new army were Tajik, reigniting ethnic struggles. Thus, to slow the Taleban’s recruitment program, which would be a huge step in the stabilisation of Afghanistan, the government has to somehow address the jobs available to young people, the fractious nature of the Security Forces and work with the British and Americans to promote a positive image of the western troops.

However, it is doubtful whether President Karzai’s government has enough strength or legitimacy to enact any consequential change. The British and American influence can only go so far, and President Obama’s plan to make the Afghan Security Forces independent and self-reliant by 2011 depends on a strong and legitimate government, elected in a fair and non-fraudulent election. Indeed, this legitimacy was an important factor in General McChrystal’s assessment (August 2009), which suggested a counterinsurgency strategy to ‘protect the Afghan population’. Unfortunately, corruption is a major problem in the government. Indeed, a US report claims that up to $3 billion in funds has been embezzled by Afghan officials since 2005. Furthermore, a U. N report states that 59% of Afghans think corruption is more important than the security concern. Thus, Karzai evidently lacks the legitimacy or credibility needed from his people to create a strong government.

So, the upcoming election could go two ways, depending on the response of Karzai to western pressure to cut corruption and clean up the Security Forces. Firstly, if the troops pull out in 2011, as planned, then Karzai will not survive. Presently, the Security Forces are neither strong enough nor organised enough to pull off a successful counterinsurgency operation. If this happens, then it is likely that the Taleban will take control. Alternatively, some believe that if Karzai can be seen governing competently by the Afghans, and taking “measurable” steps against corruption, then there might be a way to regain his legitimacy and take the steps needed to effectively protect the Afghan people.

So very sad

The news of the killing of the aid workers is so very very sad. What can any of us say? It has traumatised us all. Depressing and dissheartening in a disturbing world, and a reminder that we should heed the lessons of history and leave the Afghans be:

6 Americans on medical team killed in Afghanistan
By KATHY GANNONAP
KABUL, Afghanistan -Ten members of a medical team, including six Americans, were shot and killed by militants as they were returning from providing eye treatment and other health care in remote villages in northern Afghanistan, a spokesman for the team said Saturday.
Dirk Frans, director of the International Assistance Mission, said one German, one Briton and two Afghans also were part of the team that made the three-week trip to Nuristan province. They drove to the province, left their vehicles and hiked for hours with pack horses over mountainous terrain to reach the Parun valley in the province's northwest.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press that they killed the foreigners because they were "spying for the Americans" and "preaching Christianity."

Frans said the International Assistance Mission, the longest serving nongovernmental organization operating in Afghanistan, is registered as a nonprofit Christian organization but does not proselytize.
"This tragedy negatively impacts our ability to continue serving the Afghan people as IAM has been doing since 1966," the charity said in a statement. "We hope it will not stop our work that benefits over a quarter of a million Afghans each year."
The team, made up of doctors, nurses and logistics personnel, was attacked as it was returning to Kabul after the two-week mission in Nuristan, Frans said. They had decided to travel through Badakhshan province to return to the capital because they thought it would be the safest route, Frans said.
Among the dead was team leader Tom Little, an optometrist from Delmar, New York, who has been working in Afghanistan for more than 30 years, Frans said. Another relief organization, Bridge Afghanistan, said on its website that the group included one of its members, Dr. Karen Woo of London.
Little, who oversaw eye hospitals in Kabul and two other major cities as well as small clinics in three smaller towns, had been expelled by the Taliban government in August 2001 after the arrest of eight Christian aid workers — two Americans and six Germans — for allegedly trying to convert Afghans to Christianity. He returned to live in Afghanistan after the Taliban government was toppled in November 2001 by U.S.-backed forces.
Frans said he lost contact with Little on Wednesday. On Friday, a third Afghan member of the team, who survived the attack, called to report the killings. A fourth Afghan member of the team was not killed because he took a different route home because he had family in Jalalabad, Frans said.
According to Frans, two members of the team worked for IAM, two were former IAM workers and four others were affiliated with other organizations, which he did not disclose. He said five of the Americans were men and one was a woman. The Briton and German also were women.
Gen. Agha Noor Kemtuz, police chief in Badakhshan province, said the victims, who had been shot, were found Friday next to three bullet-riddled four-wheel drive vehicles in Kuran Wa Munjan district. He said villagers had warned the team that the area was dangerous, but the foreigners said they were doctors and weren't afraid. He said local police said about 10 gunmen robbed them and killed them one by one.
He said the two dead Afghans were interpreters from Bamiyan and Panjshir provinces. The third Afghan who survived "told me he was shouting and reciting the holy Quran and saying 'I am Muslim. Don't kill me,'" Kemtuz said.
Frans told The Associated Press that he was skeptical the Taliban were responsible and that the team had studied security conditions carefully before proceeding with the mission. The team trekked from village to village during the two weeks, treating about 400 people for eye disorders and other illnesses.
"We are a humanitarian organization. We had no security people. We had no armed guards. We had no weapons," he said.
In a blog posting last month, Woo said the expedition would include an eye doctor, a dental surgeon "as well as me as the general practioner."

"The trek will not be easy; it will take three weeks and be done on foot and with packhorses — no vehicles can access the mountainous terrain," she wrote. "The expedition will require a lot of physical and mental resolve and will not be without risk but ultimately, I believe that the provision of medical treatment is of fundamental importance and that the effort is worth it in order to assist those that need it most."

UK pull out from Sangin

There has been much discussion in the press about the British pull out from Sangin in early July. It was the area in which the UK suffered its heaviest losses; around 100 deaths since 2001. Though only having a tenth of British troops in Afghanistan, it contributed almost a third of total British military losses.

In some ways, the move seems entirely logical – even routine. The US has recently increased troops in Afghanistan by 30,000 which means that the ratio of British to US troops has shifted and so the ratio of responsibilities should shift too. Furthermore, British troops need to consolidate the gains they have made in Central Helmand and freeing up troops from Sangin would help do that.

However, there are some worrying things to be noted from this episode. The first is the reaction from the military itself; they were insistent that it be called a re-deployment, and not a retreat. In some ways, by vehemently claiming it was not a retreat, the military actually made it look more like a retreat. The phrase “methinks he doth protest too much” really comes to mind!

Another area for concern is that many of the problems faced by British troops in Sangin are similar in other areas of Afghanistan. The volatile mix of clans around Sangin highlighted the lack of planning in Britain’s venture, as they did not have the adequate knowledge to deal effectively with these local tribes. The difficult terrain required more British helicopters, which never came. Local militants, who knew the lay of the land, were able to kill British troops through mastering two tactics, the use of the sniper rifle and the use of the Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Asked about the vulnerability of British troops in Sangin, Brigadier George Norton said: “We are all vulnerable to IEDs, but the insurgents are increasingly using long-distance small arms.” Major General Gordon Messenger, the Ministry of Defence’s chief military spokesman, said Taliban-led insurgents were resorting to what he described as an “increasing use of single shots at range”. The issue is, if British troops couldn’t think of adequate tactics to deal with this type of insurgency in Sangin, how can we have much hope for the rest of Afghanistan?

Finally, the reaction of the Taliban to this is absolute delight. Over and above the physical workings of the war, the war to win the hearts and minds of ordinary Afghans is raging. Afghan support for coalition troops is already very strained, not helped by the “collateral damage” by which thousands of Afghans have been killed. Now, what the Taliban will portray as a coalition failure, will further encourage ordinary Afghans to switch their allegiance; why wouldn’t they if they think the Coalition forces are beginning their retreat?