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Afghanistan and future of long years of struggle
Comment
Debbie Menon
THE Afghan people have a great strength; a dignity in their lives,
and a pride in their culture. Long years of war and struggle have
put the Afghan people in a position of hopelessness. They are now
weary of war. They are determined to make the best of the situations
they live in. Much depends on the seldom talked-about $15 billion
international aid shortfall in Afghanistan.
We know that the purpose of the USAid is, and has always been,
wherever in the world it is given, is to provide them with
sufficient US public funds to buy goods and services from American
corporate interests, to the vulgar and obscene profit of such said
corporations. This aid is used to achieve military and political
objectives, not to reduce poverty.
The corporations, of which I speak, see no short-term profits of
sufficient levels in peace. Coordinating, and sharing for more
meaningful development, flies directly in the face of their limited
policies of “dominate or destroy. “ for after they have destroyed,
they can go in and dominate the restoration. Yes, I am pessimistic!
Set up a separate, independent body to monitor aid delivery and
identify where they can do things better?. No, American corporations
will never give up any sort of body, government, and advisory,
investigatory or inquisitional which they do not control.
The way aid is spent is crucial. There are a number of ways aid is
failing to maximise its potential. It needs to be approached
differently in Afghanistan or anywhere for that matter. It’s
essential that local people are the owners and leaders of the aid
projects that affect their lives.
Let’s face it... nobody wants to feel that anything is imposed on
them. Local control, involvement and consent are essential. There
are scores of young jobless Afghan boys and girls, fresh out of
Kabul University, technical institutes and medical college.
Hire them, guide them, and involve them. If such steps are taken,
you could build on the strength of the Afghan people and help bring
peace to some of the people if not all of the people after years of
conflict and struggle. There are no short cuts, no quick deals. Aid
and assistance usually comes with too many strings attached which
ignore the needs of the people.
We do not need to build dams and power stations for a people who
basically barely have electric lights, and who need a well or a
large clay pot in the yard in which to purify river water!
Unfortunately, the ones who make the money decisions see more profit
in building dams than providing wells or clay urns for settling
water. They would prefer to build four lane highways for a people
who do not have automobiles, instead of providing a man with a
donkey and a cart, with which he can run a farm and haul his crops
to market! And, no one has ever asked that man what he really needs!
The local council concept, empowered with real powers of decision,
is the way. This is what the Viet Cong offered and, although much
like the Taleban, did not always deliver... but it was a more
appealing offer than government by an absentee governor in some
palace high on a hill or a foreign capital in a far-off land.
Remember when John McCain went to Iraq, for three days I believe, he
strolled through a marketplace clad in armour, surrounded by armed
guards, and came away knowing all there was to know about Iraq? This
is symptomatic of the problem. Experts who know nothing! McCain is
not unique! He is representative! My other crucial exception is, as
I have said before, that I believe we cannot win in a firefight with
the Taleban, and as long as the small group of extremists among them
has the guns and the keys to the palace, they must be dealt with in
an amicable manner. They are, after all, men, not too unlike most
others. Show them the benefits, political, personal and financial of
co-operation, they can be bought or won over.
Following that, they will self-destruct as a fanatic and ignorant
gun-slinging mob and start showing up in business schools all over
the world looking for MBA’s. Remember... when the Taleban reigned,
they destroyed the only cash crop and profitable Industry in
Afghanistan... and they are going to have to fill that vacuum with
some other profitable and productive industry.
Anyone who expects to survive in Afghanistan, Pakistan or that area,
must eventually come to terms with the Taleban, like them or not. It
is the people of this spirit and dogged determination who have
repelled every invader since Alexander the Great.
The invaders know this. The Americans are blind, and their “dominate
or destroy” foreign policy stands in the way of any dialogue or
accommodation. It is always wiser to hold dialogue with an armed
fanatic than it is to try to fight him. Especially when he is on his
own turf and has the persuasive power of “...we’re being invaded,
again!” on his side.
Sneak in his back door, convert him or corrupt him, and he will
self-destruct! When will they realise the futility of armed
confrontation, and what has to be done? “Winning The Hearts And
Minds Of The People” was an official programme in Vietnam but it
soon became a joke when the policy shifted to “Kill As Many As
Necessary To Protect Them From Themselves.”
“Winning hearts and minds” is more than a slogan... it is the
solution. It must begin with and include the people, at the base
local level. Self-determination, self-involvement and development,
starting at grass roots, not in some palace or far-off foreign
Congress! All of this US military adventurism is doomed to fail.
There are more and better ways, less violent, less costly in lives
and money of doing that. Which would achieve the same ends, leaving
everyone involved living in peace. But that does not seem to be the
policy or the American way, which seems to have become, “if you
can’t defeat and dominate them, destroy them!” Obliterate or
flatten. No one has ever defeated or subdued the Afghans. It is a
great folly.
—Khaleej Times
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