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Nov
14
2007CORRUPTION & COVER UPS PUT AFGHAN ARMY AT GRAVE RISK
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Troops Die While Washington Insiders Get Rich
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Betrayed: the Afghan Army is undermined by greedy dealmakers from Washington DC
This week at a news conference in Kabul, an Afghan man told his President, Hamid Karzai, that “the government and cabinet members are sucking the blood of innocent people.”
“We can’t tolerate the corruption in every government office,” he went on to say.
Karzai was forced to agree with him. The president admitted what we’ve reported since skyreporter went on line last March, that corruption is rife throughout the Western-supported Karzai regime.
In New York, the Bush administration’s ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, an Afghan-American neo-conservative crony of vice-president Dick Cheney, went even further, demanding that Karzai take action.
But are Khalilzad and Karzai – and the president’s brothers Qayum, Mahmood and Ahmed Wali – the kind of people who should be lecturing us about corruption?
Or should they be investigated and punished for their role in throwing the internationally sponsored Afghan aid initiative into reverse?
You decide.
Please read CASHING IN ON KARZAI & CO., as published in the Nov. 2008 edition of Policy Options, the monthly publication of Canada's Institute for Research on Public Policy:
The Canadian Forces in Afghanistan have been left exposed at a critical point of their mission, but not due to a lack of public support – it’s the Harper government that’s absent without leave. While the Forces can point to significant, if painful, gains in flashpoints such as Panjwai and Zhari districts, as well as Kandahar City, the prime minister and his team can boast of not a single clear policy gain, especially not where diplomatic intervention is needed most: pressuring the Taliban leadership in their safe havens in Pakistan, and rehabilitating the Karzai regime in Kabul.
The Harper government continues to acquiesce to the Bush administration’s results-barren command of an aid and security mission that is international in name only. Washington’s blunders have compromised a force whose success is crucial to Canada’s hopes for an eventual end to its combat obligations: the Afghan National Army, or ANA.
At issue is a web of political influence, backed by enormous sums of US military and humanitarian aid dollars, extending from the White House through an array of government officials, neo-conservative outriders and avaricious Afghan-American businessmen. Afghans and foreign observers who’ve witnessed the web’s growth describe it as a network of aggressive political adventurers, hungry for influence and lucrative development contracts.
“These people have hijacked a weak system,” says a senior member of President Hamid Karzai’s staff, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “People here initially welcomed diaspora Afghans with open arms and looked to them for guidance. But that’s changed. It’s clear that too many Afghan-Americans paraded their patriotism only to promote their careers, or to advance ethnic agendas, or just to fill their pockets. On top of that, their scheming has distorted policy in Washington, a lot like Chalabi and the Iraqi National Congress at the start of the Iraq war.
“It doesn’t matter who Karzai appoints as Interior Minister or Attorney General,” the source says. “That’s just the visible surface. What really matters is who’s making deals behind the scenes, at the US Embassy or over a cosy meal at the Presidential Palace.” Member of Parliament Ramazan Bashar Dost says: “The United States and other western countries are not following their own laws. It is obvious to everyone that the contracts go to a minister's son or brother. You cannot get a contract unless you have connections.”
Across town from parliament stands an institution that attests to that charge: the Karzai regime’s Ministry of Defence. Ask to meet the minister, Rahim Wardak, and you’ll be referred to a public affairs desk at the American Embassy. Ask to meet the beneficiaries of the Afghan army building boom, and you’ll be invited to leave. But regime insiders will happily recite the names - with Minister Wardak’s son, Hamed, at the top of the list.
For Canada and Canadians, the raising of a capable Afghan army is not only vital to stability in southwest Asia. Until the ANA can stand its own ground, Canada and its NATO partners will be forced to maintain combat forces to hold off the Taliban. Yet successive Canadian governments have done little to address the failings of the US-financed army project. Incompetence, conflict of interest, nepotism and corruption has led to chronic shortfalls in troop training targets. Instead of tackling the problem, US and NATO officials have concealed it by padding statistics.
Since 2001, the Bush administration has committed $12 billion to Afghanistan’s security forces. A 70,000-man army was called for, but only 25,000 soldiers can be proven to exist today. Of these, perhaps 18,000 are combat-ready. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has admitted to Congress that its investigators are probing criminal misconduct related to $6 billion worth of equipment and service contracts for Iraq and Afghanistan. Keeping track of dollars and troops can’t have been easy, given the proclivity of Washington’s generals to massage the numbers.
By the end of 2003, only 9,000 army recruits had gone through basic training. Half of these promptly deserted. At the time, US Gen. Peter Pace brushed criticism aside, claiming that the ANA would have 12,500 men in arms by the summer of 2004. That seemed laughable by the Berlin Conference in April, 2004, where the record revealed only 5,721 trained men, with 3,056 recruits in the system. Yet only four months later, Donald Rumsfeld insisted that the ANA was up to 13,000 troops. In January of 2005, US officials claimed 17,800 Afghan soldiers trained, with 3,400 more in the works. By January of 2007, Maj. Gen. Robert Durbin declared: “Currently 36,000 strong, the ANA is on its way to an end state of 70,000 combat and combat support soldiers skilled in counterinsurgency operations.”
Which was plainly nonsensical: in February, 2007, it was widely agreed that the Afghan National Army numbered at most 22,000 men. Six years on, Hamid Karzai has less than a third of the force he and his allies regard as minimally capable of defending his regime. An Afghan official familiar with problems at the MoD, says: “It remains a token army. It doesn’t reflect the ethnic reality of the country, or even all regions. Finances go to battalions said to be 600 men strong, but in reality there’s not a single full-strength battalion in all of Afghanistan. Unfortunately it is still the case that the best Afghan militias are private ones.”
Some 2,000 private militias still exist, totalling 120,000 gunmen, according to the joint UN-Afghan disarmament agency. At least 500 of the groups are controlled by regime insiders – ministers, MPs and commanders. Many militias enforce goods smuggling, land grabs and drug trafficking. None battle the Taliban and al Qaeda. That job goes to “the internationals,” who have been left by the Bush administration with only one way out of Afghanistan: build up the ANA’s combat forces to replace their own.
According to eyewitnesses, one piece of diplomatic theatre from 2005 typifies how global diplomacy has been conducted in Afghanistan since the collapse of the Taliban regime. Though the event focused on governance, not the army, the same unilateralist strong-arming that ensued has undermined the program to build up the ANA.
The setting was the residence of Jean Arnaud, the U.N.’s special representative. Arnaud had invited the heavyweights of Kabul’s foreign diplomatic corps to debate voting systems for Afghanistan’s first parliamentary elections. Among European and Asian embassies, there was unease about the option advocated by the biggest foreign aid donor on the scene, the Bush administration. The single non-transferable vote, or SNTV, would render political parties irrelevant. Because President Karzai had failed to forge his own party, American officials wanted to prevent the emergence of a parliamentary group that might challenge him. But SNTV had a downside: the stifling of parties might well compress the powder-keg of Afghan politics to critical mass.
The discussion was interrupted by a late arrival: Zalmay Khalilzad, the American Ambassador. “I’ve just spoken with President Bush,” Khalilzad announced. “He said that SNTV is the choice. SNTV is going to happen.” Then he turned and walked out.
This was not the first time Khalilzad (known as “King Zal” or “The Viceroy”) had cold-shouldered foreign policy professionals espousing views different from his own. According to an Afghan legal aide who has worked closely with Karzai: “Frequently the European ambassadors would be angry with Khalilzad. They knew it didn’t matter what agreements were made at their meetings with ministers. The key decisions were made over private dinners at the palace, with Khalilzad and his Afghan-American circle from the US Embassy dictating policy. The Europeans said ‘why should we contribute to a policy if we have no say in the decision making process?”
This discord belies the multi-lateral intent of the Afghan project: some 70 nations and organizations back the current aid protocol, the Afghanistan Compact. Militarily, 37 nations contribute to the NATO-run International Security and Assistance Force. But one government - the Bush administration – has provided as much financial aid as all others combined. And as people like Zalmay Khalilzad are quick to point out, money not only talks, it shouts out loud for ultimate control.
For an activist-envoy who has left gorilla-sized footprints all over Asia for more than two decades, Khalilzad might be assumed to be have earned his way by making the right calls at the right times. Instead, his career path reveals two constants: a genius for advancing himself by way of influential connections; and a penchant for policies that sooner or later reveal their author’s knack for blowback.
When Khalilzad served the Reagan administration in the 1980’s, he backed anti-Soviet Afghan resistance figures of his own Pashtun ethnicity – despite their extremist views. He favoured fundamentalists like Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and allied himself to Pakistan’s campaign against the Afghan nationalist leader, Ahmed Shah Massoud, an ethnic Tajik. Today, Hekmatyar is among America’s most-wanted Afghan terrorists. Massoud is revered as a hero who prevented the Taliban seizing all of Afghanistan, but whose warnings about al Qaeda went unheeded by the U.S.
By the time the Taliban seized Kabul in 1996, Khalilzad’s geopolitical aim had not improved. As a director of the RAND Corporation, he lobbied the Clinton administration to recognize the Taliban regime. At the time, he was a paid consultant for the proposed UNOCAL trans-Afghanistan gas pipeline. In the March 30, 1999 edition of the Washington Post, Khalilzad was quoted as saying: “In the rural areas, what the Taliban is seeking to impose is not very different than what the norm has been.”
Today, Khalilzad’s “norm” is almost as evident as the Taliban’s, as befits a hard-charging neo-conservative loyalist. A one-time protégé of Paul Wolfowitz, Khalilzad headed the Bush-Cheney transition team in 2000. Later, he was a counsellor to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Then came a chance to shape post-Taliban Afghanistan, first as President Bush’s special representative, and later as Ambassador to Kabul. Says a source close to the Presidential Palace: “He encouraged Karzai to rid his government of Tajiks, and except for a few positions, he has succeeded. Ethnic fascism is not too strong a label for Zal and his friends.”
Khalilzad’s plan was to weaken the Taliban by co-opting the Pashtun tribes that the movement feeds on for recruits and support. Stack Karzai’s ruling elite with Pashtuns, the reasoning went, and the Taliban movement would fade away. “But in many cases, Zal’s Pashtuns were the wrong Pashtuns,” says a member of Europe’s diplomatic corps in Kabul. “Advancing ministers on the basis of ethnicity was a mistake.” Figures like Information Minister Khorram and Attorney General Sabet bear that out. Both are unabashed fundamentalists, and long-time aides to fugitive warlord Hekmatyar. While they were empowered, respected Tajiks, notably former Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, were pushed aside.
This strategy has borne bitter fruit: the Taliban have stepped up their insurgency, not eased it, and the regime’s ineptitude and corruption have run rampant. “The role of Khalilzad in Afghanistan is like a poison that has no treatment,” says MP Ramazan Bashar Dost. “As US Ambassador, he was supposed to act according to the good will of Americans. But even though he is an American citizen and has studied in America, his way of thinking about Afghanistan is according to old Afghan standards. It’s more about a tribal system than democracy.”
If Khalilzad’s concepts of tribalism reveal one Western tendency, it is a passion for promoting Afghan-Americans friendly to the Bush White House. In the 1990’s, a new generation of displaced Afghans, the sons and daughters of diplomats, businessmen - and former guerrilla commanders - took root in their parents’ adopted homeland. It was within this diaspora that Hamed Wardak came of age.
A somewhat chubby, intensely studious young man, Hamed was destined to emulate, if not exceed, Zalmay Khalilzad’s gifts for political networking and hyper-drive careerism. Hamed’s father, Rahim Wardak, brought his family to the U.S. from Pakistan. There, in the 1980’s, he had garnered a reputation as one of the least accomplished commanders of the American-backed Mujahideen resistance to Soviet occupation forces. By the time of the 1990’s civil war, Rahim Wardak had vanished from the Afghan scene.
Bizarrely, his young son, Hamed, would help ignite Rahim Wardak’s unlikely comeback. At Georgetown University, Hamed wrote his senior thesis under the mentorship of Jeane Kirkpatrick, formerly Ronald Reagan’s ambassador to the UN, and the godmother of the neo-conservative movement. Graduating in 1997, Hamed won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford. During this period, he flirted with pro-Taliban sympathies, due both to his ethnic Pashtun fervour and peer pressure from young DC-area extremists.
Gradually, however, Hamed came under the influence of Kirkpatrick’s philosophical soul mates, notably Marin Strmecki, a Republican essayist and political facilitator with the Smith Richardson Foundation. Strmecki worked at the Pentagon under Dick Cheney in the first Bush administration, along with Lewis “Scooter” Libby – and Zalmay Khalilzad. It was during Hamed Wardak’s reappraisal of the world, via these American political heavyweights, that he came into contact with a group of upwardly-mobile players on Washington’s Afghan-American scene: the Karzais; specifically, two of the six Karzai boys – Qayum and Mahmood. Unlike their younger brother Hamid, who had spent much of his life in Pakistan, Mahmood and Qayum were accomplished US-based businessmen.
The brothers recognized a bright prospect in the young Rhodes Scholar. In turn, Wardak saw the benefits of aligning himself with the Karzais’ dazzling circle of friends. This paid enormous dividends. By the time war drums sounded in the aftermath of the Sept. 11th terror attacks, Hamed Wardak had toned down his pro-Taliban sympathies and was on his way to becoming vice-president of the Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce, founded by Mahmood Karzai. He also nabbed an advisor’s post with Karzai’s first Finance Minister, Ashraf Ghani. But his real breakthrough was joining a Virginia-based contracting firm, Technologists Inc., founded by Aziz Azimi, a close friend of Qayum Karzai.
Hamed Wardak’s new alliances proved extraordinarily advantageous as George W. Bush launched his “war on terror,” particularly with Khalilzad and Strmecki enjoying direct access to vice-president Dick Cheney’s office. The melding of the Wardaks’ business and political connections had catapulted them into the front ranks of an advancing legion of state-building, doctrine-spouting capitalists. Along with the leading lights of the Afghan-American business community, they returned to their ancestral homeland, which had become a cradle of treasure and influence few Afghans could have dreamed of after the displacement and loss of the Soviet and Taliban eras.
On the policy front, members of Khalilzad’s coterie, notably Marin Strmecki and Martin Hoffman, a former college roommate of Donald Rumsfeld, stepped up their efforts to Pashtunize the Karzai regime. Strmecki had already taken the campaign to the op-ed pages of American newspapers, alleging that the Tajik-led Northern Alliance was plotting against both the Karzai government and former King Zahir Shah. By the time Khalilzad took up his ambassadorship to Kabul in Dec. 2004, Strmecki had been appointed Rumsfeld’s “Afghanistan Policy Co-ordinator.” That same month, Karzai removed his Minister of Defence, the Northern Alliance’s Mohammed Fahim, a Tajik. Faim’s replacement: Rahim Wardak.
Meanwhile, Khalilzad assembled a team of Afghan-American consultants, technocrats and publicists within the bunker-like precincts of the US Embassy, some on salaries of $200,000 or more. This group had direct links with Washington, where they enjoyed an additional back-channel fixer and communicator, the Karzai regime’s Afghan-American Ambassador, Said Jawad. Within Khalilzad’s makeshift provisional authority in Kabul, he championed a creation called the Afghanistan Reconstruction Group. ARG achieved two cherished goals for the administration: putting a select group of loyal American and Afghan-American business hawks in charge of U.S.-funded development projects; and doing so while completely by-passing the State Department. In the minds of Cheney, Rumsfeld and Khalilzad, State was a haven of resistance to the neo-conservative cause.
ARG reported directly to the Department of Defense, specifically to Rumsfeld’s office. State Department officials bristled at being cut out of decision-making on ARG’s high-cost projects, but could do little other than watch this feverish new phase of the gold rush in Afghan aid. Marin Strmecki joined ARG’s board, while Louis Hughes, a former president of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, took the helm. According to officials close to Karzai’s office, Khalilzad pressed USAID, the government’s main overseas aid agency, to grant contracts to the administration’s approved list of Afghan-Americans. Several USAID officers who resisted Khalilzad were replaced.
The ARG brain trust proudly boasted its intent to: “apply its private-sector experience and expertise” in rebuilding Afghanistan, “given current US advocacy of market economy, citizen self-determination, and democracy…”
In practice, the group was more about self-service than self-determination, according to one former USAID official, who requested transfer from Kabul after several bruising encounters with Khalilzad and his ARG clients. “We had all these people shuttling in from D.C., lecturing everyone about their Afghan-American credentials. They used all the buzz words – democracy, helping the Afghan people. But it was more about them monopolizing the flow of information from Kabul to Washington, and landing contracts.”
According to another US official who fought in vain to prevent the shift: “The justification was streamlining, because so many construction projects were for the Afghan military, and they were ultimately the Pentagon’s babies. But there was an immediate loss of transparency and accountability. That’s just how the Department of Defense does business.”
During this period, Hamed Wardak’s Washington DC-based firm, Technologists Inc. (Ti), benefited from several large contracts, some arranged directly with the US Defense Department, others via the Afghan Ministry of Defence. Ti’s website boasts that it was the first Afghan-American firm to be awarded a prime contract by the US government. Its portfolio has been fattened by a cornucopia of construction projects, including border crossing stations and the ANA’s Logistics and Command Headquarters, a counter-narcotics “campus” where the US Drug Enforcement Agency and its Afghan counterparts will be based, cell block renovations to Kabul’s huge Pul-i-Charkhi prison, and three industrial parks.
Ti’s president, Aziz Azimi, allows that the projects have brought at least $100 million in contracts to his firm. He admits to meeting Khalilzad twice in Kabul, but says that his projects were not obtained through ARG. As for Hamed Wardak, he left the company in 2006. Currently, Azizi says, “I don’t have any kind of dealings with him.” Regarding past deals: “I have not gained any of my contracts from Mr. Wardak’s father, because he was not the minister when I got there (Afghanistan).
“You’re welcome to take any company out there, and put their numbers against mine,” Azimi says. “In terms of value and return, I have a very clear conscience. I welcome anyone to come in and look at my books. I have nothing to hide, nothing to be afraid of.”
Hamed Wardak could not be located for his response to this story. Azimi says he does not know the whereabouts of his former “Managing Director of International Operations,” and Wardak’s name has been removed from Ti’s website. Wardak reportedly has set up his own company, NCL, in Kabul, along with a foundation called “Sacrificers For Peace,” described as a “multi-ethnic movement” seeking “governmental reform.”
The name prompts a wry smile from the source in President Karzai’s office. “The Afghan people know who has made genuine sacrifices – their own families, their villages, their country. Afghans know the meaning of the word sacrifice. And they know too well about those who only pretend to be concerned, while getting rich on foreign aid.”
As Afghanistan slumps towards the 30th anniversary of the Communist coup that triggered the war, Rahim Wardak, a relic of the early years of the conflict, hangs on as Minister of Defence. He does so despite clashes with both Karzai and US Gen. Karl Eikenberry, the former commander of American and coalition forces. Gen. Eikenberry, according to an official who witnessed one of his confrontations with Wardak in Karzai’s presence, lost patience with the Defence minister’s failure to meet recruiting targets.
“Wardak’s connections saved him,” the source says. “In the end, it came down to a test of which man had closer ties with Rumsfeld’s office, Wardak or Eikenberry. Rahim Wardak won out, because of his connections through Khalilzad.”
As for Khalilzad, his star continues to rise. From his office at the UN, he’s well positioned to become Secretary of State, should Republicans win the 2008 election. Khalilzad has never stopped pulling strings in Kabul. When his move to Baghdad in 2005 enabled his successor as Afghan ambassador, Ronald Neumann, to dismantle ARG, returning contract controls to the State Department, Khalilzad retaliated. He persuaded Rumsfeld to dispatch Strmecki to conduct a “political audit” of the US Embassy in Kabul. The result stunned Karzai’s staff, who understood that Neumann had been seeking an extension to his posting. Instead, the White House announced Neumann was to be replaced by its former ambassador to Columbia, William Wood – described as “Zal-friendly” by sources in Kabul.
According to a former White House adviser on Afghanistan: “There is no doubt that Khalilzad’s approach has been very disruptive. Especially by way of his appointments strategy, he has compromised Karzai’s entire administration.”
The Karzai brothers, meantime, have flourished under the Washington-backed regime. Qayum Karzai has secured election to parliament, while Mahmood has become a leading property owner in Kandahar. There, younger brother Ahmed Wali Karzai heads both the regional council and the list of suspects being investigated by Afghan journalists for links to the heroin trade. Hamid remains president, but faces mounting criticism from both legislators and laymen – and, increasingly, from his foreign sponsors.
According to Ramazan Bashar Dost: “The Afghan government is completely corrupted. The internal and external mafia should be totally removed. The authorities should be replaced by those real Afghans who believe in national benefits, human rights and democracy not only as political philosophy but as a philosophy of life.” The firebrand MP’s views are echoed by the source at Karzai’s palace. “Afghans watch all of this foreign aid money being poured into Kabul, most in control of foreign governments and private contractors. There are complaints of bribery and fraud going on, but look at all the so-called experts - all those US and UN and EU agencies. We’ve got the world’s largest alphabet-soup of accounting and transparency in Kabul, yet the system’s completely out of control.”
MP Shukria Barakzai says: “Why are contracts given to warlords? Why are the provincial reconstruction teams doing their projects under cover of local commanders? Why are they hiding the war economy, instead of cleaning it up?”
One of Karzai’s former ministers says US domination of Afghanistan’s international sponsors has widened fractures within the regime, tilting the entire process of nation building into a decline from which it may not recover. “There is friction and disenchantment on all levels,” he says. “The international community has no shared vision, much less a common strategy. The Afghan government, in turn, is drifting from its international allies, and is paralyzed by individuals and factions within, making short term tactical deals and alliances.”
Where does Stephen Harper stand on the plight of the regime and its army? Neither he nor his people will say. Foreign Affairs, the Afghan Task Force, Canada’s embassy in Kabul: all declined comment for this article. (As did Zalmay Khalilzad, Marin Stmecki, and Afghanistan’s ambassador to Washington.)
Canadians are left to sort out wildly conflicting claims. First, Harper’s statement, during a Quebec swing in August, that Afghanistan’s security forces are becoming more and more responsible for their country’s security. Next, Karzai in Kabul, telling embedded reporters airlifted in from Kandahar that “Afghanistan will fall back into anarchy” if Canadian troops are pulled from their combat role before the country can stand on its own, which he made clear would not be by February 2009. Far from clearing up the confusion that has afflicted the Afghan mission, the Harper government is blowing more smoke – and hiding behind the fog of war.
Mr. Zalmay Khalilzad can not complain of his own made messes, he created the whole disaster in Afghanistan and in Iraq, he is the main responsible guilty guy in Mr. Bush administration. He and Mr. Karzai were colleagues, when they worked as adviser for Unocal company, in fact those guys under leadership of Mr. Dick Cheney advised Unocal to support the Taliban with money and weapon, Unocal can not deny it now, the whole world is aware on it.
Mr. artificial expert of Asia Zalmay Khalilzad adivised the government of Mr, Bush to start a blind war in Afghanistan, later on, it was the same guy again, that he put killer, criminal and on his choice people in Rome and then they legitimated international in Bonn 2001. In reality, he does not know even 10% about Afghanistan, he cheated the USA Nation, specially in case Iraq. He was clever, he realized the dream of Mr. Cheney, Mr. Rumsfeld and Mr. Bush, he tried to prepare artificial information to motivate more and to hunt those mentioned guys.
How it is possible, that the greedy selected group, killer and criminals can be stop by their corruption?
Mr. Karzai took already action, when he returned from USA in month september 2007, he announced, that he wants to talk to Mullah Omar and Mullah Gulbuddin Hikmatyar, if they tell him, where they are, he will go to them for talk. The selected guys of Mr. Khalilzad have no contact to the nation, those are busy with their own intrigues. Mr. Khalilzad cheating will appear soon, he put the nation of Afghanistan, Iraq and USA in trouble, he damaged the positive relation of USA and EU, I do not believe, that EU accompany can be continue, if it takes the war longer. He should shut up his mouth and not create more trouble in the world!
Dear Arthur,
Your written Article " CASHING IN ON KARZAI & CO. " is excellent.
What you have written and described, it is very very close to the reality figures of those people, because I was not only aware on all those messes, I coordinated and organized the former King Clan activities as back ground guy, because I was active staff one of UN international Organization, I had lot of trouble with mentioned guys, specially with artificial expert Mr. Zalmay Khalilzad. I with friends were very strong against them, specially what Mr. Khalizad wanted to realize it, this why and base on an other reasons we separated from King Clan. I am very appreciated, that you found the way to appear all their dirty games.
Mr. Khalilzad is Pashtun, Tadjik, Uzbek, even he described himself, that he is related with Arab too, he is dangerous cheater. I can say this, because I know him very well in all directions.
Thank you again.
W ho is interested about Afghanistan matter, then is advised to read CASHING IN ON KARZAI & CO.
as a citizen of that wartorn country i am very glad that people like you still exist. our people know exactly whats going on here but you have the chance to tell your people and americans who are totally cheated by their governments.
Sometimes I think that the Bush administration must be full of dumbs, because they are still listening to their fascist advisers like Khalilzaad who knows nothing except creating a lot of mess.
Sometimes I think that American people are dumber then the Bush administration because they chose Bush for the second time after all the messes he had created.
but when I see that a couple of guys like Bush , Chenny and Khalilzad can creat chaos all over the world and still are leading us like sheep and we just sit and watch, then I realize that we must be the Dumbest of all.
http://www.jawanan.net/showthread.php?p=4309#post4309
Any country in trouble needs support and help, specially when the country is occupied, but unfortunately in Afghanistan used such support and help for thei own advantages, of course some of Afghan citizens are more guilty, because those people sold themselves, this why it was very easy for them, therefore it took war in Afghanistan from 1978 till now. It is fine, that you know what is going on, but for us is very difficult, because we had and we have still many governments thanks of so many cheaters and sold people.
- former communists had a plan to make Afghanistan a Republic of former UdSSR,
former UdSSR promised them for such their offering to put them on the power and secure their power.
For its own benefits killed former UdSSR lot of innocent people and destroyed the country.
At the same time in Pakistan with support USA started for their own advantages to train and influence the Mullah groups, created Koran schools across to Afghanistan border. Iran played its own dirty game and influenced Religion groups there too.
- After communist we had Pakistan and Iran as order giving.
- 1995 created Taliban appeared and guided by CIA and ISI, Bin Laden joined them too.
- Mr. cheater Khalilzad collected 2001 CIA trained, killer, criminal and presented them in Bonn international.
With them went 37 countries into Afghanistan.
So, we have so many governments, Afghanistan government has just symbolic character, in Afghanistan exist no government, recently installed president hold a speech via TV, he announced, all those big houses, markets, hotels and private companies appeared during 5 years in Kabul and in an other cities even in foreigner countries, those money are corrupted, those people are sitting in government and parliament. Those people brought Mr. cheater Khalilzad together in year 2001. Khalilzad attacked Mr. Karzai few days ago, he said, Mr. Karzai should take practical actions. Mr. Karzai answered via TV, that the owner of hotels, houses, markets and private companies are your selected people.
In reality Mr. Karzai, Amin Arsal, Zarar Mukbal, Ashraf Ghani, Jalali, Nurulhaq Ahadi, Farhang, Rasul Amin, Shams, Dadfar and Zalmay Rasol are
the choise of Khalilzad too.
All related of Mr. Khalilzad collected lot of money in Afghanistan, they went just for this purpose to Afghanistan. If Mr. Karzai would have courage, he would put in first step all his corrupted relatives, but he has not such courage.
It can be seen now, how difficult it is it, if you do not have your own government.
I am sorry, we can not ask so many governments, I am very glad, that you know there what is going on, you are lucky guy!
Excellent article. I hope that, if you don't continue reporting on skyreporter in the future, you will continue to point us to where your articles can be found. Good luck today.
Today we read 2 more Canadian Troops killed by roadside bomb along with Afghan interpretor.3 more Canadians injured.Yesterday a young soldier from Quebec committed suicide after losing his right foot to an exploding land mine last December.
Also yesterday Canadian troops were being vilified for killing an Afghan civilian and injuring another one.
Then I see this link concerning children in prison in Kabul and women being drugged and raped in the same prison.
http://www.feministpeacenetwork.org/2007/11/15/women-raped-i...
This Karzai regime is out of control,incapable of controlling anything that would be good for it's people.
And Pakistan is in worse shape then it was before.Which can't be good for Afghanistan.
The west's political institutions have no clue on how to fix this.After this much time with all this still happening it's obvious.
Thank you for your motivated nice words, I am appreciated for it.
So far Arthur will appear as reporter on skyreporter, mine join will be there too, of course when I have still the possibility to continue it.
Arthur is honest reporter and he has sharp sense and courage as reporter.
Thank you indeed again!
I am happy, that the international Human Right is looking for the jails from time to time. If Afghan Parliament were honest and real member in behave of Nation in Parliament, then they would advise immediately the government to put the responsible guys into prison, it is cheating to say, when we leave the prison, then they become defenseless!
They are making just their comments then, when such cases come out to outside. All responsible of jails are their guys. If in government and in parliament are sitting corrupted, killer and criminals, how can be expected from them to do their jobs properly. In Afghanistan jails ruled tortures and misusing, specially in women jails. How can act one president, when he has to ask for each action by Embassy of USA in Kabul, this why, the criminal, killer and corrupted guys are more motivated to do what they want, it is ruling chaos and anarchy.
Mr. President Karzai announced few days ago, all high buildings( markets, hotels, houses) and private companies in city Kabul and an other cities even in foreigner countries are belong to the peoples, who are sitting in government and parliament. We protested long long time ago many times, that those criminals, killer and corrupted people are brought together by Mr. Khalilzad, this will not work, even this Parliament suspended one young courageous member of Parliament Ms Malalai Joya, because, she appeared their dirty games and doing.
It circulated the information, that young women and girls will be brought to the foreigner military bases for sex, such transportation will be organized and coordinated by high level woman, the people are behind this matter to collect evidences. They are doing every things for money, even they are getting instruction from Russian, Iran and Pakistan too and foreigner countries/ so called supporter) spoiled them, their politicians know about all these disaster, but they are reacting like 3 China's monkeys: " not see, not hear and not saying", because they are afraid, that Mr. Warrior G. W. Bush will then confronted them: Are with me or with enemy?
i m proude tobe an afghan
Congratulations to Arthur Kent for winning the Progessive Conservative nomination in Calgary Currie on Saturday. Mr. Kent sounds like the right person for the right time in Alberta. I have been active on the federal scene of Conservative politics as vice-president and policy chair for the Calgary Southwest Conservative Association Board of Directors (our M.P. is the Honourable Stephen Harper!) But I am also a loyal Albertan and would love to assist Mr. Kent in his new role. Perhaps there exists an employment opening (part-time? project?) in Mr. Kent's new constituency office? I would love to make a contribution and so ask that you kindly accept my resume which I will soon forward on-line to the Calgary Currie government site. Thank you and again, congratulations on behalf of many pleased and happy Albertans. Sincerely, Kate
Re. Mr. Kent's winning the PC nomination in Calgary.
Wow. Just wow. After all Mr. Kent has contributed here to our understanding of Afghanistan and Karzai government corruption -- to join the team of Ralph (I don't give a tinker's damn about oil royalties) Klein and Lyle (because I said so) Olberg. The party of 36 consecutive years in Alberta corruption, er. government.
If Mr. Kent had run for a different party or better yet, spearheaded a fresh new party, then yeah. As it is -- welcome to being a Steady Eddy (oxymoron) spinning, yes man.
And I see the hangers on are already posting resumes...
I just don't see Arthur Kent as being a "yes" man. He's been like a pit bull jumping onto Harper and bush's table, peeing in their wheaties just as they sit down to breakfast. No one changes their personality that easily. I'm going to check in from time to time. I want to see whose cereal bowl he's heading for next.
Couldn't agree more, Bonny. Well said!
This just in - come on over to www.arthurkent.ca if you're interested in updates on my electoral adventures in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Look for Arthur's Blog on the right.
Yep, I was right. And someday I know that I will read something you've written where the sweeter, gentler side of you comes out. I know that's got to be in there too.
The problem with people that they do not learn from history: you cannot resolve disputes with fighting! You must have wisdom and courage to sacrify for the common good of all people!
It is funny, Mullah Omar is paying the Polices of Afghanistan more than Mr. Bush is paying them, this why they are switching regular to the Taliban.
May be, they will start with the soldiers to pay them too, even with warlords.
Now is the question, from where they are getting such huge money, Who replaced Unocal?
Mr. Erhart Körting (SPD Germany) Head of the interior ministry conference described such new appeared phenomenon.
I think, Taliban are every where, even there people are attending UN meeting, we got the information, that one guy, who was representative of Taliban in Europe, he is attending is such meeting, he was before president of Kabul university, in parliament are sitting some of them, specially in provincial parliaments and in Mr. Karzai Administrations, this why the Taliban are getting proper and exact information for their wild attacks. In German is saying: "Nun ist Katze aus der Sack herausgekommen"= "the cate came from bag out now". We knew it for long time, but it is good, that the public should get such information too, to see, how Mr. Bush has every things under the control? We should ignore his guys in Afghanistan, because they were busy with corruption and occupation of positions at beginning and they are using intrigues among themselves now, like Mafias. Mr. Bush started with Israel and Palastina, he things, he can manage it before election 2008, but I doubt it Mr. Bush, with cheating you can succeed, you will go as worst warrior of USA in the world history.
We can not hear about Bin Laden any more at present time, may be, he will be on way to Iran for helping Mr. Bush to start a war there too, who knows?
@ Kele, you are fully right, with fight is not possible to solve any problem, but how could we make it clear to Mr. warrior Bush and his friends Taliban?
destruction of...........afghanistan.........really the destruction............of asia
(allama iqbal)
war lords of afghanistan more dangerious than taliban the current members of afghan national assembly areas in malalai joya language.........these pepole are snakes in the slevees of the government.
these pepole are responsible for the destruction of afghanistan and these are the pupepts of various neighbour countries.
and the afghans want to prosecute these pepoles.
Arthur - Afganistan will miss you!
Mazar-e Sharif
Now - USA
Respected Arthur Kent,
I have read your article “Cashing in on Karzai (Karzi) and CO”, and wanted to thank you for pulling the dark curtain of lies away from the secret face of truth. Western people and countries and especially the foreign policy makers have been captivated for last decades in the hands of “fortune tellers’ like Khalil Zad and the like.
I as a citizen of Khorasan (Afghanistan) was of course aware of their backward tribal thinking. But anytime if I or any of my fellow country man tried to criticize the patronizing policy of the tribal lords, have been accused of spreading hatred and damaging the National interest, of which there never has been any sign.
Of course for the Americans or any other western country the words of Khalil Zad and the like has been more reliable than those of mine, a poor kid from the working class whose only interest has been surviving the hunger.
But I am really glad and thankful that there are honest and reliable characters as yourself who at last can draw real picture of the reality!
Yours
Badakhshani,
Note: I am a student of political philosophy living in the Netherlands and if there is anything I can do or help with, it would be a pleasure!
www.badakhshani.net
Badakhshani, you're most welcome. You should know that whenever I've faced trying times (for example, when trying to make sense of the West's blowback prone foreign policies) I like to think about my Afghan friends and their home valleys and provinces. Everyone should have a Badakhshan of the mind to drift off to, from time to time, beautiful places of towering mountains and clear running water.
One day, I'm sure we'll all be able to visit the real Badakhshan and Kunduz, Kunar and Kandahar, without fear of repression and violence. All we have to do is dare to dream about peace - and do everything humanly possible to achieve it.
Respected Kent,How are you?
I agree on everything you said, but daring to dream of peace. It is not always a good habit to dream, for one may wakeup from a dream, find, and face a ruthless reality. Besides that, we have been dreaming for 20 some years now, and I think it is finally time to act towards that stage.
Dependency should not be our desire. Not even of dreams!
Best greetings
Ofran Badakhshani
NATO, ISAF and USA failed in Afghanistan, terror attacks are increasing, innocent people are targeted in cities every day, the whole nation is suffering very much, peace can be seen as dream at the present time and in the future, we could not see any positive effect of parliament and government during their duty times, the useless member of parliament and the useless member of government with his/her body guards are very expensive for the poor country. It seem to me, NATO, ISAF and USA are not be able to control even Kabul proper, the population of city Kabul is already more than 3 million, no job, no living possibility, water becomes scanty, the city is getting day by day more dirty, hygiene in city does not exist at all, illnesses are increasing, the poverty is there, government, parliament and NGOs are plundering the country.
Afghanistan is sign as gold-mine at the present time, professional plunderer bringing the money out from the country and some of them started business there, built houses, hotels, markets and private companies. At the same time they created groups, who are active with languages, ethnic like Khorasan and Pashtunkhwa intrigues to keep the people busy with it and to create
Additional conflict beside existed conflicts. It exist chaos and anarchy in country. The majority of people of Afghanistan wish indeed peace, but NATO, ISAF and USA are provoking the people through their indiscriminately bombing every day. The government wants to share the power with Taliban, it was announced many times. Mr. Jalili former interior minister and teacher at the military academy of USA at the present time looks for communist cooperation outside the country, he is traveling in Europe for meetings with them, it is question now, who are paying such expenses for him and why?
Because of communist were killed very high number of innocent people and because of Taliban and their supporter Al Qaida entered 37 countries into Afghanistan, to establish peace in country, should be only those groups able to realize it?, if yes, how can be clarified their criminal actions in the past?
Does not exist other honest, patriots and professional peoples in country?
Or is it exist a secret plan for Afghanistan, which we do not know it about?
Afghan people did not earn such inhuman behavior from out side, thanks Afghan Nation, that the former UdSSR broke down, the Nation of Afghanistan should not misused for other inhuman purposes. The Nation of Afghanistan demonstrated always its capability to find a way for freedom and peace in the past, this Nation will find the way again!
Mr.Afghanistan,
one of the positive aspects of the imposed american democracy was the freedom of media, but unfortunatly things are getting back the way it was before. anyway that small glance of freedom in the media, gave the chance to the peoeple who came up with ideas to solve the conflict in our country. The name Khorasan should be seen as part of the solution to our problems, because afghanistan is a multiethnic country and the name Khorasan represents all ethnicitis while the name afghanistan refers to one specific tribe afghan(Pashton).
the name afghanistan was forced by British to Shah Shuja the afghan puppet king 160 years back in Gandomak. The conflicts and problem didnt start yesterday, or 30 years ago in our country. it goes back to 250 years ago. it wont kill us if we read a couple of history book about our country.
I guess it would be even better if the name was changed into something like "Panjshiristan" or perhaps "Badakhshan", in your opinion. No?
Hindukush, your wisdom in finding a solution to the problem in Afghanistan in change of name from Afghanistan to Khurasan is quite astonishing. You are being very original, if nothing else!
Mr. Hindukosh,
You are fully right, that the slogan of American democracy was just limited freedom of media and the situation in Afghanistan become worst than we had before.
The beauty of the nation of Afghanistan connected direct to the multiethnic structure, you know it very well, that Afghan Nation in whole suffered always and it is going on still, all governments in the past did not care about the nation at all, if you want to be honest and I believe, you are young guy and you love your nation, this why I remember you on the time shah shuja, that the whole nation defend united the country, former King Abdul Rahman came from Russian Turkmenistan without knowing of them to Afghanistan at that time and he started the war from north Afghanistan, there was not the question of Khorasan, it was the question of Afghanistan to get it free from the enemies. I am sure, you know it well, that before Shah Shuja was occupied through Iran ruler for some time too, but the Afghan nation in whole started to get themselves free from Iran ruler. We know it too, that all Pashtun ethnic are be able to speak our Dari language fluently, we know it too, that the whole Administration of Afghanistan ran and it is still running in Dari language, you know it too, if one Dari speaker is sitting among Pashtu speaker, then they are switching their talks into Dari language. Afghanistan has lot of problem at the present time, Afghan nation does not need additional artificial problem of conflicts. You know it further, that Hazaras, Uzbeks, Pashtunen, Tadjiks, Turks, Nuristanis and other small ethnic groups defend their country united against former UdSSR, although some wanted to create ethnic conflicts to misuse it for their own benefits, but they were not succeed. The name will not change any things, if we do not change ourselves, if we love our nation and our country, we have to try to get one nation, specially the so called educated people have more responsibility for it, the uneducated people never reflected any interest for such rubbish dream of few guys. I condemn both side, this is the weakness of so called educated people and they giving the foreigner the possibility to dictate our country even to install our governments.
We should stop to bring the nation and the country in more troubles, such our weaknesses will be misused by Pakistan, Iran, Russian and China.
No body wants to be Afghanistan stable and to have it our own government. We know it now, what kind of peace, freedom, democracy and prosperity were brought to our nation. I guess, you are living in Europe, did you see such artificial conflicts in Europe, did change any country the name of its country, NO, they tried to change themselves and they present generation enjoying and defending their development in all directions, we should learn such positive patriotism from them.
Dear Shokhak and respected brother Afghanistan,
I didn’t suggest the name khorasan as THE SOLUTION to our problems, I said it is PART of the solution. Something that is completely lacking in our country is the culture of debating. I mean please do not get sentimental when you debate about a serious subject. Like shokhak ( az roye shokhi ) suggests that I may want to change the name Afghanistan to Panjshiristan. I suggest you kindly to read my post again. I said the name Afghanistan doesn’t represent all ethnicities in our country and it refers only to afghans( pasthons). When I suggested to change the name it doesn’t mean that we should only change the label, I would like to see the change in the whole system. look at the present situation in our country. Our national anthem is in Pashto, the military and scientific ranks are in pastho, all boards and signs are in Pashto, the Waalis (mayors) in farsi and uzbeki speaking provinces are pashtons, the whole country is leaded by pashtons. I don’t know if you guys have ever heard of equal rights, but to me it doesn’t seem like equal rights. so if you guys are happy with the existing situation, I have no problem ,but please do not come up with the false argument of national unity , because that doesn’t exist.
Mr Afghanistan talks about the great nation of afghan while in practice such a thing doesn’t exist, Offcourse in order to defeat the enemy our people had to fight the invaders together but that doesn’t mean that they were united as a nation. During the Russian invision, Masood was fighting Russians without the help of pashtons, infact Hekmatyar was trying to kill him even in that time. If we read our history, it’s a bunch of Barukzai brothers who are killing and murdering other ethnicities and even killing each other in order to remain in power. During the 250 years of our history tajiks, hazaras and uzbaks had no rights and were treated as second class citizen.
The name khorasan represents all of us: tajiks , afghans, uzbaks, hazaras. I hope you understand now why I am opposed to the name afghansitan. If you would like to react on my comments, please come up with some logical arguments, not with some sentimental nonsense.
long live humanity!
I explained it to you the practical reality in the past and at the present time and the historical happening at that time.
Mr. Ahmad Shah Masoud was a patriot personality, this why he was killed, so far I knew him, he would never let people to misuse his name for their dirty games, I will ask his brothers, if they have the same opinion, but I doubt!
Mr. Ahmad Shah Masoud can be not compare with Mr. Hikmatyar, he is neither Pashtun or Moslim.
I see, you accept logical arguments and you will not accept the reality and the historical happening, therefore Base on American freedom of media, which you enjoy it very much, let me to wish you indeed:
GOOD LUCK FOR YOUR RUBBISH DREAM!
Long live your questionable DREAM!
So far it is clear, that the majority of population in Afghanistan are Pashtunen, as I mentioned it already, that Dari is used language in all Administrations and I pointed about the humanity behavior of the Pashtun brothers, so, base on your humanity slogan, you should be not so fanatic, that you want 100% using of Dari and later on request will be, that you want Afghanistan as Republic of Iran, like the Russian wanted in the past.
In the future should be set a frame, that all educated Afghans should be able to speak fluently in Dari and Pashtu, you will enjoy it and you will regret and ask yourself, why you had such rubbish dream in the past?
As I realized it, you are fan of Mr. Arthur, then please read it carefully, what he reply it to you (the last sentences) :
One day, I'm sure we'll all be able to visit the real Badakhshan and Kunduz, Kunar and Kandahar, without fear of repression and violence. All we have to do is dare to dream about peace - and do everything humanly possible to achieve it.
As I see you have problem with your eyes because so far Mr. Aurther havn’t written anything about my comments. Anyway I read your comment and the only thing I can tell you is I pity you. I will tell you why. Abdulrahman is your hero and the symbol of national unity because as you mentioned he came from Russia and fight the British. you have no idea what you are talking about!!! You should go and read a couple of history books instead of interviewing Ahmad Shah Masoods brother. You think that pashtons are the majority. Based on which fact and statistic??? And even if they are the majority, does it give them the right to rule the country by their own and treat others like second class citizen?????
You didn’t comment on the facts that I presented to you about the situation in my country and the pasthons dictatorial government, instead of that you talk rubbish like I want to make Afghanistan iran!!! ( as the Russian wanted!!!!!! ) . how old are you ? four???
I have told you before and I will tell you now: go and study. It wont kill you to read a couple of books.
@ Hindukosh,
Mr. Hindokush be cool, Mr. Arthur have written " All we have to do is dare to dream about peace- and do everything humanly positive to achieve it" Abdul Rahman can be not hero and he is not hero, I wanted to reflect to you, that he was as refuge in Turkmenistan and he started with the people of North Afghanistan the war, it is fact, you can read books, how much you like it, but you will come at the end to the same answer. Of course it is not acceptable to be 2nd class citizen in own country, but in reality all of us were second class in our own country, just known clans had the opportunity to be include in government and an other high positions, although it does not existed equal condition but to such clans belong from Tadjiks, Pashtun, Hazara and Uzbek, for such selection had the nation no influence, the decision was taken all the time by the ruler, we had during the 30 years different ruler as example, who was installed from outside as usual, did you find any one among them honest to the nation, who was patriot, he was killed under mysterious condition ?
I will ask them by chance, because I know them, this why I mentioned it to you, I will not make an interview with them, I will just ask. To read the books is very fine, it is no question, but we should accept the truth and not become polemic and jump to books, I did not want to offend you, never, but the Afghans (Pashtun, Tadjik, Hazara an Uzbek) damaged the country and invited always the foreigner for killing the nation, therefore we should not create additional problem to the existed huge problems, we should put all our energy to bring out the nation from existed disaster, I hope, you will be agree with me. I am friend of all ethnic groups and I will keep it together with other friends as we did it before.
Any way, Thank you again for your nice advises, I am appreciated for it.
I had a short conversation with one Afghan fellow, but it was good to have such conversations to calm each other and to come down to the reality, we should learn to discuss among us open and in honest way without to attack each other.
Recently visited on courageous Afghan woman Ms. Malalai Joya Finland, Italy and Spain, she was member of parliament, but she had to leave the parliament, because she announced the truths and she pointed out the corruption enthusiasm of government and of member of parliament. Mr. President Karzai announced the same complain short time ago, but he has not the courage to appear as president to say, this woman was and is courageous, her thrown out from parliament was not happen base on law. In fact who has power, he has right too, I had discuss with my fellow about the ethnic groups, in this government and in parliament are sitting the people of all ethnic groups, but all of them are working for themselves, except Mr. Bashar Doost is honest member of Parliament at the present time, before was Ms Joya with him too.
Because those warlords and exported guys are not qualified for such positions, therefore they are using intrigues and working against each other and creating conflicts.
CIA is looking for former Communists, Hikmatyar people and Taliben to bring those united to Kabul to join them with other present killer, for this reason traveled Mr. Jalali (former interior minister, at present time teacher at the USA Academy of military) to Europe, Asia, Canada and Australian for meetings. It exist two plans: 1. To unite those people, if it does not work, then it is a plan to divide the country in north and south Afghanistan. The Pakistan Pashtun leader are very active at the present time, they want to have Pakhtunkhwa , Mr. Jalali has regular contact to them. In Parliament is created " Alliance of Nation", where former communists, former King family member ( they cheated the nation at the end too), warlords, we understood, that it is happen with USA permission.
Afghanistan is a natural nation, it is peaceful and dreaming from peace and prosperity, The Afghan nation needs free world support very urgent and indeed! If we do not get the stability in Afghanistan, then it will switch the whole Asia to chaos and anarchy, therefore it is very important to start the politicians of EU their own independent European politic for Afghanistan and not follow Mr. Warrior G. W. Bush blind like 3 Chinese monkeys: not seeing, not hearing and not saying.
afghan fella,
Unfortunately I couldn’t come to the same conclusion as you about King AbudulRahman. Obviously we have read different books. According to Mr. Ghobar, our well-known and respected historian, King Abdulrahman arrived in Kohdaman at the time while a hundred thousand fighters from all over the country were gathered to fight the British army. We can’t say that his timing was good, the fact is that the British were aware of the people’s strength and anger and they knew they wont make a chance if they fight the people all over the country. The British were aware of our culture and history so they used their usual trick of offering money to the Barukzai brothers. Abdulrahman was the grandson of Dost Mohammad Khan who has remained all his live on British payroll. On 30th July 1880 Abdulrahman signed a contract with General Griffin in Zema in north of Kabul and he accepted the same conditions which his bloody sold out grandfather agreed on with British. 1900000 Rupees were paid to Abdulrahman for selling the country and our people’s blood and honor.
If you take a look at our history, you will find out that all those sold out, bloodsucking dictators during the last 250 years belong to the Barukzai clan of Pashton tribe. I admit that there were also other parties who damaged the country, for example Wahdat party of Hazara’s were backed by Iran in the last 10 or 15 years and have fought in Kabul to attack others or to defend themselves, but the point is that no one in our country has such a long history of being sold out to the foreigners as the Baraukzais. Off course not all pashtons enjoyed the same blood money as Barukzais but the Barukzais have always misused the naïveté of poor pashtons.
So when I am talking about equal rights I mean equal rights for Afghans(pashtons), tajiks, uzbaks and hazaras and everyone in our country.
The reason why I am telling you this is not to prove you wrong because you are free to believe whatever you want to believe, that’s how it works in free countries. It is because once I shared the same ideas as you, but during the years I see that I was lieing to myself. There is no national unity, there is equal rights and why should I believe in ideas that proved wrong in the past. My grand father and my father lived and died believing in what you have believed ( Wahdate milli ) national unity, I am the third generation, I still see no dignity for my people. Maybe it is now the right time for us to think different and let go the rusty ideas.
Thanks for not calling me rubbish in your last comment. I guess we are progressing.
takecare
Thank you very much for the detailed information, Thanks Mr. Ghobar, that we could agree, that Mr. Abdul Rahman joined the other fighter in Kohdaman, it is clear every thing now. I am not agree with you, that your father and grandfather had a dream to see the ethnic groups as on nation, they did not succeed and died, but their idea is still alive, in fact they are among the patriots, who acted in hurry and emotional, the output of it will be horrible for the nation, they did not want to use the hurry way.
As you remember, Pakistan, Iran did not want to support any refuges so far they were not registered by any party, such idea was calculated by both side, they wanted to separate the ethnic groups base on languages and religion, finally the succeed. I know Hazaras, who are more patriot as some Afghan else, as living example is Mr. Bashardoost, we will make a huge mistake, if we despise and condemn all people of one ethnic group because of few solder, why I supported Mr. Ahmadshah Masoud, because he was not just a good fighter, but he understood the politic too, this why he has to die, although many people called him as traitor. I insist on it 1995, that Mr. Ahmad Shah should be include into program of weapon collection, former King and his around and Mr. Khalilzad were strongly against it, but at the end we succeed and we had a secret meeting with Mr. Ahmad Zia Masoud in London in month june 1995. Also, in politic is normal up and down, but it is very important to be honest even to enemy. During Mr. Rabani government was paying all Embassies by Iran, we contacted Iran Authority, why they are doing it, they told, Afghans are our brother, it is our responsibility, we informed Mr. Ahmad Shah Masoud, he reacted in a right manner. We have to keep good relation to USA too, but we have to know, why we should do it and our contact should be in equal eyes high and not as their solder! Patriot is not meaning to be radical and inhuman, we build inside in country and outside patriot movement, because we realized, that in Afghanistan during the 30 years appeared lot of sort political parties in country, where more than 90% are uneducated and those parties cheated the nation and brought the country in chaos and anarchy, they were and are guided from outside.
We will succeed, if we think not as belonging to one ethnic group, but to one nation, then we can succeed, it is like, you are working for an international Organization, then you have to forget your citizenship and start work for such Organization, then it will be the best output of your work for such organization and it is the honest way. We have to go in such a way to get our nation uniting and the criminal and solder can be then filtered in natural way! I believe in Afghans quality, I never had any doubt about. I am very sure, if we will not succeed in our life, but the next generation will do it, the time is coming closer to it!
Take care you too!