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Fact Files AFGHANISTAN: a case of prolonged misery Introduction Afghanistan has been bleeding and burning for the past 20 years. A struggle against the Soviet Union backed government in Kabul was followed by one of the bloodiest civil wars in history which has taken a heavy toll on the Afghan people. Most of the country and particularly the city of Kabul has turned into ruins. Civic amenities have become a thing of the past. Land mines have turned the whole country into a deposit of explosives. There are approximately "6 million mines in the country", causing casualties to "ten to twelve victims per day", and "30 per cent of whom are children". The country has the largest number of refugees around three million of them are living in Pakistan and Iran alone. The ongoing war is pushing out more refugees to neighbouring countries in addition to forced internal displacement of civilian population. The civil war has proved to be more painful, dangerous, and costly for the Afghan people, than the 'The civil war has proved to be more painful, dangerous, and costly for the Afghan people, than the former Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan' the former Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of people have been killed or injured. There are millions of widows and orphan children. Thousands of Afghan children as young as 5 years, can be seen collecting garbage or begging on the streets of Pakistani cities. Thousands of young Afghan girls are being abused. Why does Afghanistan continue to burn and bleed even eleven years after the expulsion of the Russians? Why don't the miseries of Afghan people come to an end? What is the fault of these innocent children who have been reduced to the status of refugees and beggars? Is there any hope for the millions of widows who do not have a breadwinner in the family and yet are being banned from working? Why the brave and freedom loving people of Afghanistan have been left at the mercy of circumstances? What are the objectives of the external actors like Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United States, China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and some other Gulf and Arab States? What strategies are they applying to achieve their objectives? Are their objectives aiming toward betterment of the Afghan people? Which of the outside actors are really concerned about bringing peace in Afghanistan? Are their economic and geopolitical interests more important for them than the Afghan peace? Can UN efforts bring peace to a country, which has been reduced to a heap of explosives and rubble? Following excerpts will help us in understanding the miseries being inflicted upon Afghan population and the role that external actors can play in restoring peace and harmony in Afghanistan. The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security "Fighting between the Taliban and the United Front (UF) has ebbed and flowed during the period under review without resulting in significant change to the territory held by either party. After a further massive loss of human lives, increased suffering of the civilian population and immense physical destruction, the two sides found themselves roughly at the same positions they held in late 1998. "The level of fighting reached an unprecedented scale for 1999 when the Taliban launched a major ground and air offensive against UF on 28 July. The offensive, which Taliban leaders called a decisive battle to defeat UF, not only shattered the hopes for peace raised at the Tashkent meeting of the 'Six plus Two' group, but also added further problems to the already grave humanitarian and human rights situations on the ground. The political, humanitarian and human rights implications of the offensive will be further described in the present report. "In addition to the existing troops, the Taliban offensive was believed to have been reinforced by between 2,000 and 5,000 new recruits, mostly emanating from religious schools within Pakistan, many of them non-Afghans, and some below the age of 14, who had apparently crossed the borders to join the civil war in Afghanistan. The Taliban offensive was successful at the initial stage, leading to the quick capture of most of the Shomali Plains, north of Kabul, up to the entrance of the Panjsher Valley, as well as areas close to the Amu Darya (Oxus) river. However, on 5 'After a further massive loss of human lives, increased suffering of the civilian population and immense physical destruction, the Taliban and the United Front found themselves roughly at the same positions they held in late 1998' August, UF forces counter-attacked and retook virtually all the territory lost to the Taliban in the previous week. "Following discreet efforts in late January and early February by the Special Mission and certain neighbouring countries to persuade the two Afghan warring sides to meet, an initial meeting of Taliban and UF representatives took place in Ashkabad, Turkmenistan, on 10 and 11 February 1999. To encourage a free exchange of views on a range of substantive issues, the talks were held without a fixed agenda or publicity. The two sides agreed in principle that there should be a further round of talks leading to agreement on a ceasefire, prisoner exchange and future government. "This second round of intra-Afghan talks took place from 11 to 14 March
in Ashkabad, again under the auspices of the United Nations. At the end of
the three-day meeting, both sides reached a framework agreement to, in principle,
form a shared executive, a shared legislature and a shared judiciary. They
also agreed to continue the talks, after the religious holiday of Eid Al-Adha,
preferably inside Afghanistan, with a view to addressing other issues and
implementing the decisions reached in this second round of talks. "Diplomatic efforts were made to revive the Ashkabad process, but to
no avail. On 19 April, the President of the Security Council, in a statement
to the press, urged the two sides to resume talks. Pakistan and the Russian
Federation also released a joint statement along similar lines "Since the collapse of the Ashkabad talks, there has been no change in the Taliban's decision to suspend talks, despite the repeated efforts of the Special Mission and others to persuade them otherwise. However, UNSMA has sought to promote confidence between the two parties through a range of measures covering military, political and humanitarian aspects. A proposal to appoint military liaison officers from both sides and to establish an embryonic conflict resolution centre was presented to both sides but did not bear fruit. Ideas to bring the two sides together in political dialogue also came to nothing. Only in the humanitarian dimension were some modest results achieved, with a limited number of exchanges of prisoners, but well short of the comprehensive exchange which the United Nations had sought. 'Since the collapse of the Ashkabad talks, there has been no change in the Taliban's decision to suspend talks, despite the repeated efforts of the Special Mission and others to persuade them otherwise' "In late June, Professor Rabbani expressed to UNSMA his desire to meet Mullah Omar, preferably in a location outside Afghanistan and under the auspices of the United Nations, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) or the 'Six plus Two' group. UNSMA relayed this message to the Taliban leadership but the idea was not pursued further by either party. "At the invitation of the Government of Uzbekistan, the Deputy Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the members of the 'Six plus Two' group met in Tashkent on 19 and 20 July 1999. Mr. Brahimi participated in the meeting on my behalf. The two Afghan sides were also invited as observers and met each other for the first time since Ashkabad II. "The meeting adopted the 'Tashkent Declaration on Fundamental Principles for a Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict in Afghanistan'. In the Declaration, the members of the group reiterated their commitment to a peaceful political settlement of the Afghan conflict and called for the resumption of peace talks between the Taliban and UF. Significantly, the members of the group, for the first time, publicly committed themselves not to provide military support to any Afghan party and to prevent the use of their respective territories for such purposes. The group, as well as Mr. Brahimi, made strong appeals to both Afghan sides to refrain from initiating any major new military offensives. "On 18 August 1999, the Government of Pakistan announced that it was
undertaking an initiative, UF delegation in Dushanbe on 18 August and subsequently met with Mullah Omar in Kandahar before returning again to Dushanbe for talks with UF on 22 and 23 August. On 14 September, Pakistan held a second round of talks with UF and the Taliban. The Pakistani delegation met with Professor Rabbani in Dushanbe and with Mullah Omar's close advisers, Mullah Abdul Jalil Akhond and Mullah Wakil Ahmad, in Kandahar on 16 September. 'The United Front publicly rejected any attempt at mediation by Pakistan on the stated grounds that Pakistan's military and political support for the Taliban prevented it from acting as an honest broker' "The United Front publicly rejected any attempt at mediation by Pakistan
on the stated grounds that Pakistan's military and political support for the
Taliban prevented it from acting as an honest broker. The Taliban leadership
made no public statement about the Pakistani initiative "On 5 July 1999, the United States of America imposed unilateral financial and economic sanctions against the Taliban. These measures, which United States officials underlined were not designed to harm the people of Afghanistan, are to remain in place until Osama bin Laden, who is wanted by the United States to face charges of acts of terrorism, is expelled or extradited from Afghanistan. In August, the United States froze the assets of the Afghan national airline, Ariana, held in United States banks. In September, India announced the termination of the airlink between Amritsar and Kabul, leaving Ariana with only one destination outside Afghanistan, Dubai. "In late August, the Taliban Chief Justice announced that the Taliban had closed the case against Osama bin Laden for lack of evidence. The Taliban reiterated that Mr. bin Laden remained a guest of the Afghan people and was prevented by the Taliban from acting on Afghan soil against any country. "On 15 October 1999, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1267 (1999), imposing sanctions on the Taliban, unless the latter turned Mr. bin Laden over within 30 days of its adoption. Although, the Taliban made some attempts to resolve the question after the adoption of the resolution, there is no indication at the time of the writing of the present report that they are prepared to comply with the Council's demand contained in paragraph 2 of the Resolution. The Taliban reiterated that Mr. bin Laden remained a guest of the Afghan people and could not be forced to leave the country unless he volunteered to do so. 'On 15 October 1999, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1267 (1999), imposing sanctions on the Taliban unless the latter turned Mr. bin Laden over within 30 days of its adoption' "The Taliban continued to seek improved relations with certain regional states. Taliban senior representatives paid visits to Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to meeting with representatives of the 'Six plus Two' group attending the Tashkent meeting. Delegations from a wide range of countries, including China, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Russian Federation also had contacts with the Taliban either in Islamabad or in Afghanistan. However, since the start of the Taliban offensive in July, such visits have become less frequent. "On 2 February, senior representatives of the Taliban and the Government
of the Islamic "During the reporting period, my Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Lakhdar
Brahimi, undertook three missions to the region, including two to Afghanistan.
In December 1998, he went to the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan for
consultations with leaders of the respective governments and others. In February
and March 1999, in addition to Afghanistan, he visited particular the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan, to discuss their concerns in a more candid and serious way. "The people of Afghanistan have continued to suffer from a massive loss of their human rights throughout this past year. This can be largely attributed to the immediate and accumulated effects of 20 years of war, which continue to take a huge toll in lives, limbs and livelihoods. The devastating impact of the war on all aspects of Afghan society is compounded by a combination of poverty, profound underdevelopment, the absence of representative and accountable governance mechanisms and the marginalization of particular groups, including the severe restrictions imposed on the participation of women and girls in public life. In addition, a pattern of systematic and gross violation of human rights and humanitarian law continues to deprive Afghans of their most fundamental rights. "Since the outbreak of armed conflict in Afghanistan, warring parties
have not, in general, been troubled by the impact of their activities on civilians.
This past year has not, regrettably, seen any discernible change in the willingness
of parties to allow civilians to bear the brunt of the suffering. If anything,
the situation has become worse for those civilians trapped in front-line areas.
There have been repeated instances of deliberate acts of violence against
non-combatants. Warfare in the central highlands in April and May involved
vicious attacks against civilians, including the summary execution of women
and children, forced and involuntary displacement, the looting and burning
of homes, arbitrary detention and the use of forced labour. These actions,
by the Special Rapporteur nor taken any significant action on a range of remedial measures proposed by him. "Fighting, which erupted at the end of July in the Shomali Plains, was also characterized by the gross and systematic abuse of civilians. Reported violations include the deliberate displacement of civilians, the separation of men from families, summary executions, arbitrary detentions, the abduction and disappearance of women and the burning of homes, property and agricultural assets, including the chopping down of fruit trees and the use of child soldiers. The Taliban forces, who allegedly carried out these acts, essentially treated the civilian population with hostility and made no distinction between combatants and non-combatants. Given the brutality of the offensive in the Shomali Plains, many of the displaced persons have expressed great fear about the prospect of returning to their places of origin. "In 1999, Afghanistan became by far the world's largest illicit producer of opium, with its output reaching up to 75 per cent of all illicit opium worldwide. According to this year's annual poppy survey conducted by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), opium production is estimated to reach a record level of 4,600 metric tons, which could potentially be converted into 460 metric tons of heroin. In 1999, an estimated 90,983 hectares were under opium poppy cultivation. This represents an increase of 43 per cent over the previous year. Opium poppy cultivation has now spread to 104 districts in Afghanistan, compared to 73 districts in 1998. "The first impact of such large increase in the availability of opium
and heroin will be felt by Afghanistan's immediate neighbours, as a large
proportion of those drugs is expected to remain within the region, especially
in countries situated along the trafficking routes to Europe and "Afghanistan's neighbouring states will have to counter an increasing
threat to internal security from cross-border traffic of illicit drugs and
associated criminal activity. In the Islamic Republic of Iran alone, 90 soldiers
lost their lives in the past year in their fight against illicit 'The rates of drug abuse in Pakistan and Iran have already reached alarming
levels and an explosion in drug abuse in the Central Asian countries has been
observed over recent years' illicit drug trafficking on such a massive scale.
A recent World Bank study estimated smuggling and other illegal border trade
between Afghanistan and Pakistan at US$ 2.5 billion, representing over 12
per cent of Pakistan's gross domestic product. As this trade is expanding,
it will have a serious disruptive impact on the economies of all of Afghanistan's
neighbouring countries. sectarian violence, as well as various types of international terrorism, the scope of which far exceeds Afghan boundaries. Security Council Resolution 1267 (1999), which imposed sanctions on the Taliban unless an individual implicated in terrorist activities in eastern Africa was turned over within 30 days of the adoption of the Resolution, is but one of many terrorism-related symptoms resulting from the situation in Afghanistan. 'It is deeply disturbing that an increasing number of non-Afghan fighters are taking part in the actual combat, as well as the planning and logistical support of military offensives' "The unpalatable truth of the war in Afghanistan, namely the chronic dependency of the warring factions on foreign military support, endures. Such interference from outside the country remains one of the biggest impediments to peace as it provides the essential means for the continued fighting in the forms of arms, ammunition and other war-making materiel. "Equally alarming and unacceptable is the growing presence of thousands of foreign 'volunteers', mainly on the side of the Taliban. Those non-Afghan fighters, some still children under the age of 14, come mostly from religious schools in Pakistan. Reports indicate that there are also independent units of Arab and other non-Afghan fighters who are fighting along with Taliban troops, but under separate commands. It is deeply disturbing that an increasing number of non-Afghan fighters are taking part in the actual combat, as well as the planning and logistical support of military offensives. "Of equal significance to regional peace and security is the lingering dispute between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Taliban over the killings of diplomats and a journalist at the Iranian Consulate-General in Mazar-e-Sharif in August 1998. The threat of an open confrontation with the Taliban last autumn necessitated an urgent intervention by the United Nations through my Special Envoy. Although the tension was defused somewhat in October 1998, when the Taliban agreed to release some 50 Iranian truck drivers captured in Mazar-e-Sharif, the issue remains unresolved to date owing to the Taliban's failure to date to apprehend and bring to trial those responsible for the murder. "The neighbouring countries of Afghanistan stand to gain the most by a peaceful settlement of the conflict and the most to lose from its continuation. That is why it had been hoped that the establishment of the 'Six plus Two' group would help tackle the Afghanistan issue in a constructive and concrete manner. I regret that this has not, thus far, been the case. "The human and social outlook for Afghanistan remains grim. Next year will be particularly difficult. A significant food deficit is forecast and the shortfall may be compounded by a large number of refugees returning from the Islamic Republic of Iran. The lack of significant growth in the infrastructure and the economic sector, combined with the poor state of education and health 'The neighbouring countries of Afghanistan stand to gain the most by a peaceful
settlement of the conflict and the most to lose from its continuation' facilities,
continues to deserve our urgent attention and help. The United Nations appeal
for emergency humanitarian assistance in 2000 has sought to focus on five
areas of concern, which, taken together, offer a practical and carefully thought-out
vision for building a peace dividend in support of the United Nations comprehensive
political efforts. conflict in Afghanistan has reached a point where its regional and international implications can no longer be neglected."- Report of the Secretary-General, November 16, 1999, Fifty-fourth session, http//www.usembassy.state.gov 'The continuing conflict in Afghanistan has reached a point where its regional and international implications can no longer be neglected' Central Asia urges world bodies do more on Afghanistan "The resource-rich region, once part of the Soviet Union, has grown increasingly alarmed over the threat to stability from rebels who member states say are being trained on territory controlled by Afghanistan's ruling Taleban Islamic movement. "Central Asia is also crossed by a booming trade route for Afghan opium and heroin passing north to Russia and beyond. The Taliban has denied that it either helps or turns a blind eye to the training of militants on its soil. "'We, the heads of four Central Asian states, signed an appeal to the international community, the U.N., OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and OIC (Organisation of Islamic Conference),' Uzbek President Islam Karimov said in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. "'The gist is that we are not happy with the attention these international
organizations are paying to the war in Afghanistan which has been going on
for 20 years,' he told a news briefing after a meeting of the Central Asian
Economic Association. The association unites Uzbekistan and "Karimov repeated his view that Afghanistan hosted training centres for 'bandits' and 'terrorist groups' who fought in conflicts around the world. "He has previously blamed a bomb attack in the Uzbek capital Tashkent last year on members of the country's extremist Islamic opposition movement who had links with Afghanistan. Karimov narrowly avoided death in the blasts, which killed at least 16 people and shook his country's reputation for stability. "A three-month invasion of Kyrgyzstan last year by hundreds of armed rebels who entered from Tajikistan was also linked by officials to the Uzbek opposition and Afghanistan. "'Of great regret to us is the fact that all U.N. initiatives to seek peace in Afghanistan remain fruitless,' Karimov said. - Sergei Yakovlev, June 15, 2000, http://www.afghan-info.com/News US to slap more curbs on Taliban: Pickering "US Under Secretary of State Thomas Pickering has said that Washington
would have no other option but to impose more sanctions on the Taliban if
the US concerns on terrorism were not addressed to. "The UN Security Council imposed US sponsored economic and aviation sanctions on Taliban in October last year after Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden to the United States. "He said that terrorism was the central point of his discussions with the Taliban during his recent visit to Islamabad. 'We held discussions with the Taliban and they proposed some ways and means which they thought would be helpful for the solution of Osama bin Ladens issue. We told them to use these ways and means but see how these are in conformity with the UN Resolution', he said. "He said that the UN Resolution says that Osama should be expelled to such a country where he could be brought to justice. Since none of the Talibans proposal was even close to the UN Resolution, these were not acceptable to the United States, he said. "Pickering said that the notion that Pusthoonwali and traditional hospitality obliges them (Taliban) to take care of the guest even if he has committed a major crime is not correct. Bin Laden has caused loss and damage not only to the United States but the Muslims as well. If bin Laden had done any favour to the Afghans and obliged them during the jehad days, it is no longer there, he maintained."Asked would further sanctions not hit hard the Afghans who are already experiencing severe drought, Pickering 'Taliban have pledged to cooperate and assist in anti-narcotics campaign and there is also hope for progress towards minorities and women rights situation but Talibans' response with regard to peaceful solution to the war was not clear at all' - Pickering said, 'we would be very careful about any sanctions that would harm or go against the people of Afghanistan.' "He said they would try their level best that such curbs are not slapped that may hit the people of Afghanistan. 'We have sympathy with the people of Afghanistan and are concerned that their leaders have made them face such a situation. There is possibility that the sanctions are implemented in a way wherein the people do not suffer'. Pickering said that the United States wishes a negotiated settlement to bin Laden and other problems of Afghanistan. "He said that Taliban have pledged to cooperate and assist in anti-narcotics campaign and there is also hope for progress towards minorities and women rights situation but Talibans' response with regard to peaceful solution to the war was not clear at all. They were complaining that the Northern Alliance was planning a major onslaught. 'The talks with the Taliban were generally fruitful but we cannot say we reached any agreement', he added. "Pickering said that he discussed the Afghan issue both in India and Pakistan although Indian and US authorities did realize that India is located far away from Afghanistan but he generally discussed the possibilities of a peaceful settlement of Afghan conflict and New Delhi's concerns about the Taliban. "He said that he conveyed his concerns about drugs and human rights
particularly women and girls rights and wishes somewhat progress in this regard.
Pickering said that he asked Pakistan to use its influence over Taliban so
that possibilities for such a solution could be created. - http://www.afghan-info.com/News, June 15, 2000 The Taliban and Afghanistan: Implications for regional security and options
for "A two-decade-long civil war which began as an insurgency against the former communist-led government in Kabul has led to the surprising emergence of the Taliban as the leading power in Afghanistan. The Taliban are championed as the bearers of peace and the saviors of Afghan sovereignty by some; however, the rise of this largely rural, Pashtun-dominated Islamic fundamentalist movement is provoking wider regional fears of conflict and instability. Its version of Islamic law is considered the most draconian in the world, and it has been denounced by avowedly Islamic states such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. Neighboring countries are wary that Taliban rule in Afghanistan could lead to a persistent pattern of armed border clashes, illegal narcotics trafficking, terrorism, and the rekindling of ethnic and sectarian tensions throughout the region. Afghanistan poses an enormous challenge to an international community distracted by other priorities and lacking effective policy options for containing the dangerous spillover of Afghanistan's political, military, and social upheaval into neighboring states. 'Pakistan is experiencing an alarming increase in the incidence of violence from Taliban-aligned extremists seeking to impose Islamic law by force' - USIP report "Pakistan is experiencing an alarming increase in the incidence of violence from Taliban-aligned extremists seeking to impose Islamic law by force. Yet Pakistan's challenges transcend the Taliban, as Islamabad's problematic engagement of Afghanistan over the past two decades has demonstrated. Indirect threats such as those posed by a growing drug trade and terrorism are huge problems because of the fragility of Pakistan's own civil society and internal political situation. Developments in Afghanistan are also spilling over into the states of Central Asia, which are still emerging from seventy years of Soviet rule. The five Central Asian states (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan) are threatened by a lucrative opium and heroin trade, financial crisis, refugee migration flows, and the potential rise of Islamic opposition movements. Above all else, these states fear internal economic collapse, which could send them begging to Moscow for economic and security assistance. "The Islamic Republic of Iran harbors especially deep suspicions of the Taliban. First, deep doctrinal differences divide the religious leaderships in the two countries. Second, a Taliban-led Afghanistan adds to Iran's sense of encirclement by hostile Sunni states. Finally, the Taliban's treatment of Shi'ite minorities in Afghanistan arouses alarm in Tehran. Divisions exist within Iran about whether to engage the Taliban directly or to continue covert support for Hezb-i-Wahdat (the Unity Party), the largely Shi'ite umbrella party fighting to overthrow the Taliban. Recent border skirmishes between Iran and Afghanistan highlight the real potential for an expansion of tensions to a wider, inter-state war. "Even though Afghanistan is no longer an important Cold War battleground, it continues to engage US interest in such areas as containing terrorism, curbing illegal drug trafficking, and checking human rights violations. In trying to pursue US interests, policymakers face a stark set of policy options, each carrying considerable risks and limited prospects for success. The present tentative and reactive policy being pursued by the United States and other global powers appears unlikely to stem regional 'US policymakers and other international actors face the difficult challenge of balancing the constraints posed by limited political will with the sobering task of managing the myriad tensions sparked by a Taliban-led Afghanistan' problems flowing from Afghanistan. Thus, US policymakers and other international actors face the difficult challenge of balancing the constraints posed by limited political will with the sobering task of managing the myriad tensions sparked by a Taliban-led Afghanistan." - Special Report, United States Institute of Peace, http://www.usip.org/oc/sr/sr_afghan Frozen in time "Scenes of misery and hardship are commonplace in the capital--and beyond--under the Taliban. People are hungry, there are no jobs, they see no future. Slowly Afghanistan is coming to a halt, cut off from most of the world and branded a pariah state by the United Nations for refusing to hand over the suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden. After 20 years of war there is little left to build on, and people have to fend for themselves. Kabul has become a city of refugees where women outnumber men and children make up more than half the two million population. In the countryside, poverty and stagnation are also breeding discontent. 'The Taliban brought us peace,' says a farmer relaxing at a tea house on the road from Kandahar to Ghazni. 'But they haven't brought us jobs. People want more now.' "The impassioned Islamic students who stormed to power six years ago have found governing even more difficult than the task of unifying their war-torn country. Despite the semblance of a government in Kabul, the Afghan state barely functions. Most Taliban ministries and government institutions exist in name only. Technocrats and the old élite have fled to Europe, Pakistan, the United States. They are not rushing to return: bureaucrats who stayed behind are paid between $6 and $10 a month with a freefall currency printed--against all laws of economics--by Russia for the Taliban's rivals, the ousted mujahedin coalition of Ahmed Shah Masood. Women employees have been dismissed. Most government offices are empty, and ministers do their work surrounded by young Taliban who lounge about on sofas or on the floor. The state's coffers are empty. 'After 20 years of war there is little left to build on, and people have
to fend for themselves. Kabul has become a city of refugees where women outnumber
men and children make up more than half the two million population' "Like
their mujahedin predecessors, Taliban hard-liners pay little mind to the nitty
gritty details of government. Top officials often switch from battlefield
to ministry and back again, according to orders from supreme leader Mullah
Mohammed Omar. They are a tough bunch: many are limbless or suffering from
war wounds that have scarred their faces and bodies. (Mullah Omar himself
lost an eye in an artillery attack.) Their mission remains the creation of
an Islamic utopia from which riches will the most feared. 'It is not just a question of men wearing beards and women wearing burkas,' he says. 'In Afghanistan every vice has to be stopped and every virtue promulgated.'"It would be unfair to blame the Taliban's administrative ineptitude for all Afghanistan's misery. There was very little left for them to inherit. 'We came to a house that was robbed and destroyed - they even took away the 'Ordinary Afghans feel bitter that Washington and its allies were happy to funnel billions of dollars worth of arms to mujahedin fighting the Soviet Union while Moscow occupied Afghanistan, but walked away after Moscow pulled out in 1989' furniture and the windows - and now we are left to run it,' says Deputy Finance Minister Mullah Arifullah. Even ordinary Afghans feel bitter that Washington and its allies were happy to funnel billions of dollars worth of arms to mujahedin fighting the Soviet Union while Moscow occupied Afghanistan, but walked away after Moscow pulled out in 1989. "But what's really paralyzing the country is the Taliban's own fierce, ceaseless war against Masood, who continues to occupy strongholds north of Kabul. It is on the battlefield that the country's energy is exerted. The war between rival tribes and rival traditions--Pashtoon vs. Tajik, both vs. Hazara and Uzbek--and their ever-changing alliances are sapping the country and pushing its people deeper into poverty. Businessmen in Kandahar say they are asked to provide a son for the war or pay $2,000. Most try to find the cash. Military analysts say both sides are gearing up for another summer offensive, though they doubt the Taliban can dislodge Masood from his Panjsher Valley stronghold above Kabul. Almost every time Taliban forces have captured Masood-controlled territory they have been beaten back because of a lack of local support. After a Taliban bombing raid against the Panjsher earlier this year, the U.N. said civilians were being deliberately targeted in frontline areas. "Compromise is not a word the Taliban understand, a factor that does not bode well for a speedy end to the war. Negotiations have gone nowhere, although the two sides agreed to a prisoner 'Amid the chaos, lawlessness is creeping back into the Taliban's rigid Islamic state, undermining one of the regime's central claims: to have restored law and order' exchange for the first time during talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, two weeks ago. The Taliban say they will share power if Masood recognizes Mullah Omar as Emir of Afghanistan. He has refused. Refugees are pushed back and forth across the front line north of Kabul - they now account for 70% of Kabul's population. A third are fed by subsidized UN and Red Cross bakeries. "Amid the chaos, lawlessness is creeping back into the Taliban's rigid Islamic state, undermining one of the regime's central claims: to have restored law and order. In January, the Kabul money market was hit by raiders and emptied during curfew hours. The gold market was robbed soon after. Extortion reaches down to the pettiest level. Much of the blame for such corruption is put on the Taliban's allies, those former warlords and mujahedin commanders with whom the victors struck deals in order to win power across the country. 'We had no problem with the pure Taliban,' a Kabul resident says. 'It's what happened since that worries me.'" - Michael Fathers, Time Asia, May 29, 2000 "Afghanistan's ruling Taliban slammed a move by the United States to slap more sanctions on the war-shattered Afghanistan, urging Washington to stop using pressure tactics. "'We are pleading for settlement of disputes through dialogue but unfortunately, Washington is pursuing the policy of pressures, sanctions and Cruise missiles,' Afghan ambassador Maulvi Syed Muhammad Haqqani said. "Haqqani was reacting to a statement by the US Under Secretary of State
Thomas Pickering that Washington would have no other option but to impose
more sanctions on the Taliban if the US "Taliban say the United States has failed to produce any evidence of Osamas involvement in terrorist activities. "'The United States urges others countries to resolve difference through dialogue but it is itself acting contrary to its own policy and is bent upon using pressure tactics and policy of coercion in the case of Afghanistan,' the Afghan ambassador said. "'We have held series of talks with the United States and are ready to continue the process to resolve all dispute peacefully,' Haqqani insisted. "He said Afghan Islamic Emirate has floated various proposals to the United States to find out solution to problems, however, Washington has regrettably not positively responded to any of the proposal. 'The 20 years of war and the present worst drought have made lives of the people miserable and they need help. But unfortunately, the United States has launched fresh move to impose more sanctions on Afghans' - Maulvi Haqqani "'The 20 years of war and the present worst drought have made lives of the people miserable and they need help. But unfortunately, the United States has launched fresh move to impose more sanctions on Afghans,' he regretted. "The Afghan ambassador lashed out at the ousted Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani for seeking Moscow's support against Taliban. 'Rabbanis appeal has exposed him before the world community as well as the Afghan nation'. "He said Russians are responsible for destruction of Afghanistan but now leader of the northern opposition is seeking help from the enemies. He said invitation to Mr. Rabbani in the recent ECO summit in Tehran has given a new life and that is why he has appealed to Russia for assistance. "He said the heads of governments and states should have asked Burhanuddin Rabbani as to how he will implement the ECO decisions about Afghanistan. 'How a person could implement a decision who lives in mountains,' he questioned. "Rejecting Rabbanis accusations against Pakistan that it is extending support to Taliban, Haqqani said Talibans are not getting any military assistance from any country. But it is the opposition, which is receiving military support from Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. He urged the world community to persuade these countries to stop interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs. "Replying to a question about the prospects of resumption of OIC-sponsored
talks, Haqqani said Taliban are waiting for the next round of negotiations.
Taliban are ready to attend any peace talks - http://www.afghan-info.com/News, June 15, 2000 Special Report on Refugee Repatriation "According to official figures, used as a rough guideline by UNHCR, 1.2 million refugees remain in Pakistan and 1.4 million in Iran. According to both governments, the figures are much higher. Pakistan cites a figure of at least 1.7 million, while Iran puts the number at more than two million. Privately, most aid officials agree that these figures are probably nearer the mark. Whichever figures one uses, officials say Afghans make up the largest refugee group in the world, and they have remained so for the last 19 years. 'Since 1990, the UNHCR has helped some 2.14 million people return to Afghanistan from Pakistan and some 600,000 from Iran' "But after playing host to these huge numbers for so many years, both the Iranian and Pakistani governments now say that the time has come for the refugees to go home. With the Taliban movement now in control of more than 90 percent of Afghanistan, the two governments argue that there is relative stability and thus no need for the refugees to remain in their countries. "The Taliban has said it also favours repatriation and that it wants to be included in new tripartite agreements with Iran, Pakistan and UNHCR to facilitate the refugees' return. In June 1997, the Taliban issued a declaration of amnesty pledging that no returnee would be subjected to harassment, discrimination or persecution for having left the country on ethnic or religious grounds. It also exempted returnees from military service for one year after their return. "UNHCR, however, has said it will only facilitate - and not promote - voluntary repatriations. To this end, it has worked out separate assistance schemes for the refugees in Iran and Pakistan. Since 1990 it has helped some 2.14 million people return to Afghanistan from Pakistan and some 600,000 from Iran. The peak period was 1992-3 when UNHCR helped more than 1.74 million people return home - only for many of them to be displaced yet again by renewed fighting. The Taliban onslaught on Kabul and the east of the country in 1994-6 caused a fresh wave of refugees into Pakistan, while its advance north into Mazar-i-Sharif two years later brought a new influx into Iran. 'The Taliban onslaught on Kabul and the east of the country in 1994-6 caused a fresh wave of refugees into Pakistan, while its advance north into Mazar-i-Sharif two years later brought a new influx into Iran' "In Iran, only those Afghans who arrived before 1992 have official refugee status, while those who arrived since are considered illegal by the Iranian authorities. Until 1998, UNHCR only had a mandate to assist documented refugees - those with official status. The others were liable to forcible repatriation which, UNHCR sources said, the Iranians have been carrying out on a relatively large scale over the past few years. In 1999, for instance, UNHCR figures show that there were 107,000 forcible repatriations from Iran, as against only 20,000 voluntary repatriations facilitated by the agency. "With a view to curtailing forcible repatriations, UNHCR signed in February 2000 a joint programme with the Iranian government on the voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees. The programme, which has been effective since April, has three main components: To provide assistance for any Afghan, irrespective of legal status, wishing to return home; to ensure Iranian government protection for those unable to return because of conflict, ethnic discrimination or other reasons; and an information campaign to make Afghans in Iran aware of the programme. "Refugees wishing to return can now go to any one of three repatriation centres in Iran where UNHCR officials screen them to check that they are genuine voluntary returnees, who have not been pressured into returning and to ascertain the suitability of the projected area of return. The agency also provides them with plastic sheeting and 50 percent of a cash allowance of US $40 per person, before they board trucks provided by the International Office of Migration (IOM). They receive the remainder of the cash and 50 kg of wheat per person on arrival in Herat in western Afghanistan. "UNHCR officials said the scheme had enabled more than 64,000 refugees to return since April in three convoys a week. But they said the programme is threatened by a drastic shortage of funding and that it would have to be stopped after October. At the beginning of August, UNHCR said it was forced to reduce the cash allowance from US $40 to US $20."Lumpp told IRIN that UNHCR was now having to help people with transport to their further destinations - thus placing an even heavier financial burden on the agency - in order to avoid displacement in Herat. Refugees had earlier been expected to contribute towards the cost of transport, but since the cut in the cash grant, this charge was now being waived, she said. 'Forced repatriations have been continuing, albeit on a much smaller scale. In the week up to 25 July, UNHCR reported that 92 Afghans, most of them single males, were forcibly repatriated through Islam-Qala, Iran's main crossing point into Afghanistan' "At the same time, forced repatriations have been continuing, albeit on a much smaller scale. In the week up to 25 July, UNHCR reported that 92 Afghans, most of them single males, were forcibly repatriated through Islam-Qala, Iran's main crossing point into Afghanistan. "Among the Afghan refugees in Pakistan, UNHCR facilitates two methods of repatriation. The first, which is used by the vast majority of returnees, is individual repatriation. Under this system, any family or individual deciding to go back to Afghanistan from North West Frontier Province (NWFP), pack up their belongings, arrange transport and proceed to one of three verification centres. "'Identification is a huge problem,' UNHCR repatriation officer Iris Blom told IRIN. 'Most have no papers and our staff are dealing with up to a thousand people a day.' She said UNHCR officials in Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan had reported seeing the same people turn up time and again. 'But this does not mean that they are not genuine returnees,' she said. 'You can be forced from your home more than once in your life. Our aim is to establish a genuine intent to settle back in Afghanistan.' "After receiving UNHCR clearance, the families make their own way to the border. Most pass through Torkham, monitored by a UNHCR checkpoint. Inside Afghanistan they head for one of five encashment centres, in Jalalabad, Khost, Kandahar, Lashkhar Gah and Herat, where their papers are checked and they receive a cash grant of 5,000 Pakistan rupees (approximately US $100) per family, plastic sheeting and 300 kg of WFP wheat. "The second scheme is group repatriation, whereby a group of families decide to return together. The system was introduced by UNHCR in 1997 as a means of providing more long-term assistance to returnees. "UNHCR carries out extensive monitoring of returnees at their places of origin and return in Afghanistan. It said the aim was to support the realisation of human rights, identify their needs, and assess what counselling future returnees might require. In 1999, UNHCR staff carried out 3,270 interviews with heads of returnee households -covering a total of 18,798 returnees. Of these, 77 percent had returned from Pakistan and 23 percent from Iran. 'Conditions in the refugee camps around Peshawar are basic. There is access to water, health facilities, child care, education, electricity and employment, none of which can be taken for granted in Afghanistan' "UNHCR said 54 percent had succeeded in recovering their land and houses; 21 percent found their houses destroyed, while 22 percent had been unable to recover their property - in most cases because of their continuing inability to reach their place of origin. Thirty-seven percent of family heads worked as farmers or herders, 24 percent as labourers, 11 percent in the private sector, two percent as civil servants and one percent as teachers. Twenty-seven percent had no source of income through their own work. "What the interviews could not show was how many stayed in Afghanistan and how many became refugees once again, humanitarian officials said. For many, especially the younger generation with no memories of life in Afghanistan before the war, life in their homeland was found to be much harsher than they might have expected. And while conditions in the refugee camps - which are more like established villages - around Peshawar, are basic, there is access to water, health facilities, childcare, education, electricity and employment, none of which can be taken for granted in Afghanistan. And aid officials fear that even for the stalwart returnees who have remained so far, the continuing drought and resumption of fighting could make life unsustainable. "However, there are extensive efforts by aid agencies to assist the process of reintegration. While UNHCR says it can only do so much, and therefore focuses on basic needs, such as shelter and access to drinking water, many other agencies are working in other areas, such as health, education, agricultural rehabilitation and income generation. Some 17 Afghan and foreign NGOs are engaged in reintegration projects, all of which make the likelihood of returnees remaining in their places of origin far greater." - http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/asia/countrystories/afghanistan/20000814.phtml United Nations worried extremists using Afghanistan as base "Security Council members issued a new call for an end to fighting in civil war-torn Afghanistan and said extremists may using be it as a base to destabilize other states in the region. 'Security Council members issued a new call for an end to fighting in civil
war-torn Afghanistan and said extremists may be using it as a base to destabilize
other states in the region' "Council members concurred that there was
'a growing risk of greater internationalization' of the problem and a 'real
danger that the Afghan territory is being used as a base to destabilize other
countries in the region.'"'They were disturbed by incidents involving
the entry of extremists and terrorists from the territory of Afghanistan into
control, as well as in areas of conflict, and urged the Taliban in particular to remove restrictions on the work of humanitarian organizations. "Council members strongly condemned the recent killing of seven workers employed under the auspices of a UN mine-clearing programme and called on the Taliban authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice." - CNN, August 24, 2000 Russia main obstacle in Afghan peace: Hekmatyar "Russia is a stumbling block in the way of peace in Afghanistan because it considers the Afghan war in its interest, said former Afghan Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar in an interview with BBC. "Hekmatyar, the Chief of Hizb-e-Islami Afghanistan, said the Russian strategy was to continue the Afghan war because Moscow considered its interests linked with the war. "He said the Russians wanted to threaten the Central Asian states so that they could allow the deployment of Russian forces on their territories and along the Afghan border. "Asked how Russia would be able to encourage and assist the opposition to resume war if Taliban inflicted crushing defeat on them, Hekmatyar said, 'I do not say that Russians are much powerful and can do whatever they want in the region. I do not mean it. What I mean to say is that some Central Asian states at the behest of Russia are trying to keep the Afghan war going on. Russia will make more investment on these forces who are causes of war. They will even instigate some Central Asian states to take practical steps.'" - The News, September 12, 2000 Iran for broad-based govt in Afghanistan 'Experience has shown that victories and defeats in Afghanistan are not permanent as balance of power in that country easily changes hands' "Iran has said that the best solution to the longstanding Afghan conflict is the establishment of a broad based government in Afghanistan, reports Radio Tehran. 'The best solution, no doubt, is the formation of a broad based representative government and intra-Afghan dialogue.' Spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Assefi said. Commenting on the escalation of war in north of Kabul, he said that experience has shown that victories and defeats in Afghanistan are not permanent as
balance of power in that country easily changes hands. Qudratullah Jamal has said. The authorities of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan conquered Takhar province with the full assistance and cooperation of Taloqan citizens and the religious people of the town are very happy to see the Taliban there. "'They have contributed to strengthening the security in the town,' Jamal was quoted by Radio Shariah as saying. The Afghan minister defined the situation in the town as satisfactory. 'Rabbani and his companions were in the service of the Russians and were protracting the war and devastation inside the country in line with instructions given by the Russians' - Afghan Information Minister "He said the security was maintained in the town and the people were going about their daily business. He said the inhabitants of Taloqan town pledged at a meeting their loyalty to supreme leader of Taliban Mulla Mohammad Omar and refused to become a victim of the intrigues of Afghanistan's enemies. The establishment of the supremacy of Islamic order in Takhar province was the fervent desire of the inhabitants of the province. "'They are now expressing their complete satisfaction and happiness that thanks to the capture of Taloqan their dreams have come true,' Jamal said. Jamal added that the latest pronouncement by ousted president Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani's envoy in Russia, Sakhi Ghairat, had provoked public protest in Taloqan. "He said now they believed that Rabbani and his companions were in the service of the Russians and were protracting the war and devastation inside the country in line with instructions given by the Russians. 'Rabbani's latest pronouncement has strengthened once again the Muslim Afghan nation's resolve to never accept foreign aggression in their homeland and to eliminate the servants of foreigners and to continue their struggle shoulder to shoulder with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,' Jamal said. - The Frontier Post, September 13, 2000 Afghan war threatens region "Foreign ministers from the United States, Russia and six of Afghanistan's neighbours have expressed grave concern over the intensifying fighting in Afghanistan and its negative humanitarian consequences. The ministers issued their statement after a round table meeting at the United Nations. 'The recent advances by the Taliban militia indicated that they might still be mistakenly betting on a military solution to Afghanistan's problems' - Kofi Annan "It was attended by both the US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, and the Iranian Foreign Minister, Kamal Kharazi - the first such encounter in more than 20 years."The group's track record on promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan has so far not been very impressive, with both Iran and Pakistan accused of favouring opposing sides in the country's civil war. "The UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, who chaired the session, told
the foreign ministers that the recent advances by the Taliban militia indicated
that they might still be 'mistakenly betting on "Mr Annan said the latest fighting had forced thousands of civilians to flee from their homes, further exacerbating Afghanistan's already appalling humanitarian crisis. "He said the conflict was not merely an internal Afghan problem, but constituted a growing threat to stability in the region and beyond. "They expressed their grave concern about the recent fighting and emphasised there could be no military solution. They called again on the warring parties to agree to a ceasefire and start peace negotiations."Only last year, Mr Annan was questioning the relevance of the six plus two group to the search for peace in Afghanistan, 'The UN appears to be hoping the six plus two will play a more active role, describing it as an essential forum for the solution of the Afghan question' given the way in which rivalries between its members appeared to be frustrating all the UN's efforts. "But now, the UN appears to be hoping the group will play a more active role, describing it as an essential forum for the solution of the Afghan question." - Mark Devenport, BBC, September 16, 2000 Afghan reps assemble in Cyprus for peace moot "At least 100 Afghan representatives from all walks of life have arrived in Cyprus for a meeting that will discuss ways and means to bring an end to years of civil war in Afghanistan. "Among the participants are former Afghan president Sebghatullah Mojaddedi and a representative of the ruling Taliban who will participate for the first time. Representatives of political organisations, former government officials, tribal leaders, academics and professionals from Afghanistan will explore possibilities of peace and bringing together rival factions for a broad-based permanent solution to the Afghanistan conundrum. "In an interview with the Greek Cypriot news agency CAN, the organisers said this was the fourth meeting in Cyprus, chosen as a neutral and friendly place where rival factions feel welcome and safe. "UN Special Representative Jean Pier Castillo, as well as senior officials of the Cyprus Foreign Ministry and representatives of the US, Britain, Germany, Iran and Russia will also attend the meeting. "'We hope to bring peace to Afghanistan,' said Homayun Jarir, former Foreign Minister of Afghanistan and one of the key organizers of the 'Cyprus meeting to establish and preserve peace in Afghanistan'. "Dr Quadir Amiryar, international law Professor at George Washington
University in the US, noted that 'the whole process of the Cyprus meetings
is a mechanism to facilitate some form of reconciliation and understanding
in this conflict'. - Frontier Post, September 16, 2000 Ogata to urge Taliban changes "The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, is in Afghanistan to discuss the plight of the country's refugees. She says she will urge the regime to improve education and stop the fighting, in order to encourage refugees to return. "Afghanistan has one of the largest numbers of displaced people in the world, following 20 years of war. Most live in camps along the border with Pakistan and Iran. Many refugees say they want to go home, but fear they have no future in Afghanistan. "Afghan community leaders said they need more help from the UN, as they are in a desperate situation. Many wells in the camps have run dry, forcing the refugees to buy barrels of water, even though few of them have paid employment. "The families have also been hit by one of the worst droughts in a generation. This has led to a fresh wave of people trying to leave the country. 'Afghanistan has one of the largest numbers of displaced people in the world, following 20 years of war. Most live in camps along the border with Pakistan and Iran' "The refugees are routinely blamed for crime, drug problems and forcing wages down. For their part, Afghans complain of harassment by the police and authorities. The UN refugee agency has been criticised over its operations in the country after it cut down funding to the region." - BBC, September17, 2000 Six-plus-two calls for Afghan truce "The Six-plus-Two Group on Afghanistan has expressed concern over the continuing fighting in Afghanistan and called on the warring factions to agree to a ceasefire and commence negotiations aimed at bringing about a political solution to the conflict. "The group in a meeting New York emphasised that there could be no military solution to the Afghan conflict. "It reiterated support for the central role of the UN in the peaceful solution of the conflict and for the ongoing efforts of the Secretary General and his Personal Representative as well as other efforts in support of the UN activities to promote peace in Afghanistan. "The group comprised Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan,
China, the United States and Russia. Pakistan Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar
led the Pakistan delegation to meeting. "The Six-Plus-Two met to review the current political and security situation
in Afghanistan and to discuss measures for the promotion of durable peace
in the country. The meeting was also "In his statement, Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar called on the international community to engage all Afghan parties and not to seek to isolate one side or the other. He assured the meeting that Pakistan would continue to play a constructive role in support of the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Representative on Afghanistan. He added that a durable solution could only come from within Afghanistan itself. "He stressed on the need for the Afghan parties to establish a broad-based, multi-ethnic and representative government in the country. "He called on the international community to help Afghans rebuild their lives by providing economic and humanitarian assistance to the war-affected country. "He reassured the Secretary-General of Pakistan's full cooperation and support to UN efforts to bring about peace in Afghanistan. "Addressing on the occasion, the Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said that the militarist policy adopted by the Taliban and their supporters which seeks domination of one group over the Afghan society is not only a total affront to the international community, but in fact naive and self-destructive. "Kharrazi said that engagement of an ever-growing number of non-Afghan nationals in fighting alongside the Taliban forces can further complicate the Afghan conflict and perpetuate the human misery there. "'We believe that the international community, while trying to engage the Taliban in a way compatible with the interests of the Afghan people, should send warning signals to the belligerent parties.' 'The militarist policy adopted by the Taliban and their supporters which seeks domination of one group over the Afghan society is not only a total affront to the international community, but in fact naive and self-destructive' - Kamal Kharrazi "The Taliban have yet to implement Security Council Resolution 1214 (1999), which condemned this crime, and called upon the Taliban to cooperate with the United Nations in investigating these crimes with a view to prosecuting those responsible. "They represent menaces to the neighboring countries, the region and the world in general. ``As such, their eradication requires global engagement through generating both political will and financial resources necessary to combat them. "In this regard, we are very pleased with the adoption of the Regional Action Plan to combat drug production and trafficking in Afghanistan. "'This group should assist UNDCP in sharing with the donor community the information being generated about the extent of the drug problem, its implications for war machines inside Afghanistan and the cost-effectiveness of combating the problem in the region rather than the streets of European cities.' Kharrazi said, 'In our view, the ongoing intensification of the conflict, as well as the adoption of the Regional Action Plan which will generate a renewed international effort to combat the problem of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and drug trafficking from that country deserve to be considered by the Security Council on an urgent basis.' He said the Special Mission of the OIC on Afghanistan, established at the initiative of President Khatami, following consultation with regional countries, conducted two rounds of separate negotiations between the two Afghan parties in Jeddah, which resulted in some modest agreements, including an agreement on comprehensive release of prisoners, which was only partially implemented. "It also provided the members of the mission a unique opportunity to hear, analyze and present to the two groups at the end of the last meeting in Jeddah a list containing important issues and principles regarding the future of Afghanistan, mechanism for its governance, its relations in the region and its approach to issues of global concern. "The next round of talks with the two parties will be arranged in close consultation with you (UN chief) and your personal representative in order to ensure complimentarity of our work,'' said the Iranian Foreign Minister. "He said, 'Our insistence on this close coordination stems from our firm belief that the United Nations plays and should continue to have the central role in dealing with the crisis in Afghanistan and the Group of the Six Plus Two, as friends of the Secretary-General, is still the most appropriate forum to assist the United Nations in its endeavors.' 'The interests of my country are best served through restoration of peace and tranquility in Afghanistan. "A multi-ethnic, broad-based and representative government in that country is the only way out of the current crisis. "'We urge the international community to provide generous assistance to the people of Afghanistan,' Kharrazi concluded." - The Frontier Post, September 17, 2000 Hundreds of Afghan refugees entering Pakistan "In the wake of the ongoing civil war between the forces of Northern Alliance and ruling Taliban, hundreds of Afghan families have entered Pakistan via Torkhan, Pak-Afghan border, according to the Online, a news agency, report. 'According to the UNHCR, currently Pakistan hosts 1.2 million registered and more than one million unregistered refugees' "The influx of the refugees from Northern Afghanistan is reportedly
in progress and are taking shelter in the refugee camps, situated in the outskirts
of Peshawar and other parts of the province. "Interestingly the refugees are arriving in Pakistan at a time when the Commissioner for United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Sadako Ogata is visiting Afghan refugee camps in Balochistan province. "According to the Commission, currently Pakistan hosts 1.2 million registered and more than one million unregistered refugees. Additional Commissioner for Repatriation of Afghan Commissionarate Col. (Retd) Abdul Hafiz informed that approximately 25 to 30 families entered Pakistan via Turkham, Khyber Agency daily. "Among the new refugees, he said 40 per cent are war stricken, 35 per
cent drought affected while the remaining are job seekers. The fresh batches
of refugees have sheltered in Shamshato "Official sources, however, informed that large number of the Afghan refugees are shifting to Islamabad, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Lahore and other towns of Punjab Province to seek employment. "Most of the refugees belong to Parvan and Kapisa provinces whose houses and properties, according to the refugees, have been demolished because of the civil war between the two rival groups in northern parts of the war-ravaged Afghanistan. More than 850 families who fled their country some three months back have tented at Shamshato Camp."'We have no drinking water and food for our children', 'Large number of the Afghan refugees are shifting to Islamabad, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Lahore and other towns of Punjab Province to seek employment' lamented an elderly Afghan refugee while narrating his ordeal. The well dug by UNHCR and DACAR has been dried at the camp. The UNHCR he said has arranged a water tank to provide potable water for the new settlers. "A refugee named Waris Khan, hailing from Parvan province, informed at Shamshato refugee camp that hundreds of thousands of people have left their homes and would arrive in Pakistan within next couple of days. "According to Waris Khan, people have no money for affording travelling expenses and they are coming on foot. The refugee said that after arrival in Pakistan they took shelter with their relatives at Jalozai Refugee Camp, near Pabi. "Some ten days ago, he said, the UNHCR officials shifted them to Shamshato Camp and provided one tent for each family and small quantity of grain. "'Our houses, crop and property have been destroyed completely because of the war, that is why we left our country', said another refugee at the camp. "He told that more than 1200 families have recently migrated to Jalozai Camp from Parvan and Kapisa provinces. "Hundreds of thousands of war affected Afghans are on their way to Pakistan from Northern Afghanistan in search of food and shelter, said Sulaiman who came from Pervan province. He said that a Norwegian team and UNHCR official visited the camp and assured them that assistance would be started from the next week. "Official of the Afghan Refugee Commissionarate in Peshawar said that UNHCR registered only genuine families, who migrated from northern parts of Afghanistan due to war. He said that the prolonged drought further contributed to migration of the refugees to Pakistan." - The Frontier Post, September 19, 2000 Report predicts Sino-Pak-India war over Afghanistan "An official US report predicts Pakistan, India and China getting engaged
in a conflict over Afghanistan. "It is co-chaired by former Senators Warren Rudman and Gary Hart and comprising 28 commissioners, including prominent figures in former governments, legislature and non-government organizations."The Commission says India and Afghanistan could find themselves at war over Taliban policies towards Afghanistan's drug and weapons running, interpretations of Islam and sheer geostrategic rivalry. 'An official US report says India and Afghanistan could find themselves at war over Taliban policies towards Afghanistan's drug and weapons running, interpretations of Islam and sheer geostrategic rivalry' "Such a war might also involve Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, each thinking to absorb the ethnic Tajik and Uzbek populations of Afghanistan, north of the Hindukush, where the writ of mainly Pashtun Taliban does not run deep. "It also predicts a 'major war' between India and Pakistan 'as a result of miscalculations when fighting erupts in Kashmir as it did in June 1999.' Another Sino Indian border war is also possible, it says. "It says mutual agreement between India and Pakistan to abolish their nuclear weapons is not likely, unless somehow China and others agree to do the same which, it says, is even less likely. "The report paints what looks like a comic scenario where Pakistan is pulled in the war, which in turn seriously affects its current territorial configuration. - The News, September 19, 2000 Iran deal on Afghan refugees "The Iranian Government and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, have agreed to extend a joint programme for the voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees. So far about 100,000 Afghan refugees have gone home under the programme which has been running for six months. "There are officially reckoned to be about 1.4 million Afghan refugees in Iran. Unofficially, that figure is believed to be well over two million, many of the refugees without any proper papers. Officials say a three-month extension to the repatriation programme has been agreed. 'Funding is a continuing problem for the UNHCR's activities in and around Afghanistan with Iran left to carry much of the burden' "Iranian officials have made no secret of their desire to see as many of the refugees return as possible. But the scheme has not been without its hitches. Initially, the returnees were being offered a sum of $40 each to help them on their way."But that sum was sufficiently tempting for some of them to come back and go through the process again. So the offer has been cut to $20, partly also for budgetary reasons. Funding is a continuing
problem for the UNHCR's activities in and around Afghanistan with Iran left
to carry much of the burden. "Until those problems are resolved, it is unlikely there will be a mass return of the millions who fled. The current repatriation scheme is part of a dual process whereby refugees can go through a screening procedure and argue their case for staying legitimately in Iran. That relieves some of the pressure and anxiety of those whose status is irregular." - Jim Muir, BBC, September 20, 2000 Taliban renew call for international recognition "Afghanistan's ruling Taliban renewed its call for international recognition of their government in the war-torn country, coinciding with the current UN General Assembly in New York. In a message to the world body, Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmad Mutawakel said: "The Taliban administration is a powerful political and (military) reality, which could not be ignored on any grounds." "He said the Taliban movement, started by religious students, governing most of the country enjoyed popular support and is in favour of good relations with all its neighbours. 'Afghans expect the world body to recognise the people-desired government in view of the new changes and current realities, which are to the benefit of stability in the country and region,' the message said. "This will bridge the gap and help build understanding between the world and the Taliban regime, it said. 'The legitimacy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban) has stood out as the people's representative government in national and international arena,' the message said. - The News, September 20, 2000 Human Rights Watch Report on Afghanistan (Excerpts) "In late July 1999, at peace talks held in Tashkent, the Taliban and the United Front agreed to the 'Tashkent Declaration,' which called on all parties to resolve the conflict through 'peaceful political negotiation.' Almost immediately afterwards, both the Taliban and the United Front resumed fighting, with the Taliban focusing its efforts on United Front 'The UN estimated that over twenty thousand people fled to Kabul, bringing the total close to forty thousand in a two-week period'- HRW Commander Ahmad Shah Massoud's territory north of Kabul. As they pushed north, the Taliban forced civilians from their homes and then set fire to houses and crops, and destroyed irrigation canals and wells, ostensibly to rout opposition sympathizers but effectively preventing the residents' return. In the Shomali region, men believed to be loyal to Massoud were arrested or shot, and women and children were taken by truck to Pakistan or made to walk to Kabul. Some one thousand ethnic Tajik men were reportedly separated from their families during the exodus and held by the Taliban. Over four days in August, the UN estimated that over twenty thousand people fled to Kabul, bringing the total close to forty thousand in a two-week period. "The influx of displaced people into Kabul further strained relief efforts
in the city. Some 850 families took refuge in the abandoned Soviet diplomatic
compound. A further 100,000 thousand "For much of the year, both the Taliban and the United Front launched mortar and rocket attacks on cities, killing hundreds of civilians. In September, Taliban fighter planes bombed Taloqan, the capital of northern Takhar province. Earlier in the year, Massoud's forces fired rockets into Kabul, killing scores of civilians. 'Officials with the UN World Food Programme stated that 145,000 people were at risk of malnutrition in the coming winter' "Taliban officials continued to beat women on the streets of Kabul for dress code violations and for venturing outside the home without the company of a close male relative. In Kabul, girls were not permitted to attend school, although primary schools for girls were permitted in other parts of the country. Women's employment remained severely restricted and was generally limited to health care. To ensure that religious practices were strictly enforced, Taliban police continued to arrest men for having beards that were too short, for not attending prayers, and for having shops open during scheduled prayer times. The Role of the International Community "Peace talks sponsored by the Group of Six-plus-Two, comprised of Afghanistan's neighbors (Pakistan, China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan) plus the United States and Russia, held in February and March, produced cease-fire agreements but had little effect. The March talks resulted in an agreement by all parties to a shared government, but a meeting to work out the details scheduled for the following month never took place, after the announcement by the Taliban that it would not share power with opposition elements. Talks in July resulted in both sides agreeing to allow humanitarian aid into areas under their control. Most neighboring countries as well as some of the Gulf states continued to provide financial and military support to one or more of the Afghan factions. "Twenty NGOs returned to Kabul in January, after a six-month absence stemming from the Taliban's edict that all aid organizations and employees be housed in a single dilapidated building. The returning groups included MedAir, CARE, and Medecins sans Frontieres, who agreed to the move on the condition that the facility be rehabilitated. 'In Kabul, girls were not permitted to attend school, although primary schools for girls were permitted in other parts of the country. Women's employment remained severely restricted and was generally limited to health care' "The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which had remained in Kabul throughout the controversy, continued to provide food and assistance to the civilian population. In June, ten ICRC workers were attacked, beaten, and robbed in Taliban-controlled Bamiyan province, despite having permission to travel and safety assurances from Taliban authorities. ICRC staff was reduced for approximately one week until further safety guarantees were obtained from the Taliban. "The United Nations Afghanistan seat remained in the control of the
government of Jamaat-i- Islami leader Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was ousted
from Kabul by the Taliban militia in 1996. UN staff began a gradual return
to the country in March and April. A team was also sent to the northern city
of Mazar-i Sharif to reopen a UN office in the city, the first since September
1997, when UN offices were raided there during heavy fighting. rights violations by all parties in Afghanistan, citing in particular the mass killings that accompanied the Taliban's taking of Mazar-i Sharif in August 1998 and the continuing violations of women's rights. It also denounced both sides in the conflict for continuing the civil war and urged other nations to refrain from supplying military support to any of the factions. The commission also specifically condemned the Taliban for violations of women's and girls' human rights. The 'In January, UNICEF reported that 90 percent of the girls in Afghanistan and 75 percent of the boys were not attending school in Taliban-controlled areas, a drop from previous statistics' mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan was extended for another year. "In August, the UN Subcommission on Human Rights adopted a resolution
condemning the Taliban for violations of the most fundamental rights of women
and girls, stating that Afghan women were 'cheated of their rights to health,
employment, freedom of movement and security.' "In January, UNICEF reported that 90 percent of the girls in Afghanistan and 75 percent of the boys were not attending school in Taliban-controlled areas, a drop from previous statistics. In a July UNICEF report on children at risk, Afghanistan ranked behind only Angola and Sierra Leone. The study analyzed environmental conditions, mortality rates, nutrition, primary education, security, and health. "Afghanistan remained one of the most densely mined countries in the world, with approximately six million mines, most of them remnants of the war with the Soviet Union from 1979-1992. In 1999, it was estimated that there were ten to twelve victims of landmines per day in the country, 30 percent of them children and 50 percent of them fatalities due to inadequate or nonexistent medical facilities. In July and August, the U.N. reported that the United Front was laying mines north of Kabul to repulse the Taliban offensive. "The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported in February that the 2.6 million refugees from Afghanistan living in Pakistan and Iran remained the largest group of refugees in the world. Over two million remained internally displaced due to fighting and forced evictions 'Afghanistan remained one of the most densely mined countries in the world, with approximately six million mines, most of them remnants of the war with the Soviet Union from 1979-1992' and relocations. Although some fifteen thousand refugees returned from Iran, and fifty-one thousand from Pakistan during the first half of the year, renewed fighting deterred many from going back. "In a statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in April, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Karl Inderfurth stated that U.S. representatives had been meeting with Russian representatives as well as with Afghan King Zahir Shah to discuss means of reaching peaceful settlement in Afghanistan, but
that prospects for peace were dim. Listing the areas of concern to the US,
he cited the threat of terrorism, ongoing "In August, the State Department announced that it was doubling its resettlement quota of South Asian refugees for the year 2000 from four thousand to eight thousand, specifically to allow more Afghan women into the country. In the announcement the department representative said, 'we have seen a sizable increase in the numbers of Afghan women at risk. As President Clinton has made clear, we are deeply opposed to the Taliban regime's repressive policies toward women and we are committed to ensuring that Afghan women in vulnerable circumstances obtain the protection they deserve.' In September, the US issued a report on religious freedom worldwide in which it accused the Taliban of persecuting and killing minority Shi'as." - World Report 1999, http://www.hrw.org The changing Afghan reality "Prior to the fall of Taloqan, the Taliban had expressed their willingness to hold unconditional peace talks with Ahmed Shah Masood. They had conveyed this message to Sheikh Muradov, former foreign minister of Turkmenistan, who had visited Kabul on August 30 as part of his peace initiative to forge a regional consensus for the initiation of an intra-Afghan dialogue. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan might want to 'As the Taliban tighten their military grip on Afghanistan, the international community must find a way to deal with them as an overarching military and political reality' revive this stillborn peace initiative by Turkmenistan, which had led to the release of 85 Northern Alliance prisoners by the Taliban. "As the Taliban tighten their military grip on Afghanistan, the international community must find a way to deal with them as an overarching military and political reality. So far, with the exception of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, no other country has recognised the Taliban as a dejure entity. This diffidence has been partly influenced by the success of the American-led western effort to treat the Taliban as an international 'pariah' and mainly due to predominance of the erroneous belief that the Taliban are a transient anomaly which was bound to disappear sooner than later. "These two factors largely explain why, despite controlling more than 85% of the Afghan territory including the capital Kabul for the last two years, the Taliban have been denied representation of Afghanistan in the United Nations and other international forums. That the Taliban are there to stay in Afghanistan and can no longer be viewed as an unwanted aberration is an ineluctable fact, which the world must learn to live with. 'Taliban are there to stay in Afghanistan and can no longer be viewed as an unwanted aberration is an ineluctable fact, which the world must learn to live with' "Are the Taliban capable of evolving into a cohesive national political force? Can they govern in the minimalist sense of the word? Many people think not. Skeptics argue that primarily because of their obscurantist beliefs, anti-modernist outlook, rural origins, early and continuing socialisation into "war culture", the Taliban are viscerally incapable of governance. "My own view is different. I think their capacity to do so would largely
be a function of how the "To dismiss the Taliban as a fatally flawed incorrigible political force which deserves nothing but the utter contempt of the international community will be extremely counter-productive. A rejectionist attitude will only reinforce their xenophobia and stiffen their resistance to address such important international concerns as international terrorism, narcotics, and women rights abuses. I firmly believe that there is an international responsibility for the tragedy of Afghanistan and the international community should not shirk away from shouldering this responsibility. "A punitive approach towards Taliban benefits no one, especially not the Afghan people. The United States is spending huge amounts of money in countering the twin menaces of international terrorism and drug trafficking emanating from the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. By investing a fraction of this money in the rehabilitation of the war-torn Afghan economy, Washington can not only win the good will of the people of Afghanistan but also remove economic poverty as the breeding ground for international terrorism and drug trafficking. "What will happen to the jihadi elements after the Afghan war comes to a close? Where will they go? Will they initiate another round of jihad against neighbouring states? These are critical questions and concerns, which can only be addressed in the context of international engagement with the Taliban. The international community needs Taliban's cooperation in containing the potential launching of another round of international jihad. The Taliban are both parts of this problem and its potential resolution." 'To dismiss the Taliban as a fatally flawed incorrigible political force which deserves nothing but the utter contempt of the international community will be extremely counterproductive' - Dr Rifaat Hussain, The News, October 1, 2000 UN Body to consider Taliban's seat demand "The Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister, Abdul Rehman Zahid who has been making hectic efforts to convince the UN member countries to accord recognition to the Taliban and help allot Afghanistan seat in the United Nations has said that Afghanistan's seat has been held by foreign-based war mongering elements. "The UN Credential Committee makes decision about a country's seat on the basis of certain standards and only those ruling the country with the support of the people can get a seat with the additional qualification of complying with the UN Charter. "However, UN Secretary General's special envoy for Afghanistan, Fransesc Vendrell has said that the Credential Committee is a technical committee and its decisions are made on political basis. "The Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister told the journalists that his delegation had come to New York to try for regaining Afghanistan UN seat for the Afghan people. "He said they want to know as to how the UN can give the seat to a government,
which has no existence and its President has no postal address. - The News, October 2, 2000 Conclusion Protracted war among the internal warring groups, and ineffective or partisan roles being played by some external actors are the main factors, which continue to add to the agony in Afghanistan. There are several external powers engaged in Afghanistan but their overt policy is to deny their own involvement and blame the opponents. Pakistan has paid heavily for supporting Afghans against the former Soviet Union. Militants who originally were trained in Afghanistan during struggle against the Soviet Union are now active in Pakistan. Some religious parties in Pakistan have even shown liking for a Taliban-like rule. They having failed in the ballot power are now looking for alternate ways to gain power. 'Pakistan initially assisted US in supplying arms and ammunition to Afghan Mujahideen who were fighting against the former Soviet Union. The presence of illegal arms in Pakistan is actually an outcome of playing that role in the past' Pakistan initially assisted US in supplying arms and ammunition to Afghan Mujahideen who were fighting against the former Soviet Union. The presence of illegal arms in Pakistan is actually an outcome of playing that role in the past. After the Soviet expulsion, Pakistan continued to support various moves for bringing an end to the fighting in Afghanistan and bring peace to this war ridden country. Some observers are critical of the role played by Pakistan during Soviet invasion and even subsequently. Iran is unhappy with the Taliban government for several reasons: first, because of the "deep doctrinal differences of the religious leadership in the two countries". Secondly, Iran is worried about the treatment being given to "Shiite minorities in Afghanistan". Lastly, the killing of Iranian diplomats and a journalist by Taliban in 1998, at the Iranian Consulate General in Mazar-e-Sharif, has created an "outrage in Iran". Thus Iran continues to lend support to Hezb-i-Wahdat, the largely Shiite umbrella struggling against Taliban. Many Iranians believe that Taliban are getting indirect support by the external powers. Russia and Central Asian States, believe that their "security interests are directly threatened" by the Afghan civil war. Russians are also unhappy about the involvement of Islamic activitists in Chechnya. Central Asian states are particularly threatened by problems like drug trafficking,
the narrowing of financial and security options and the potential rise of
anti-regime movements. These states had hoped that their trade links with
the outside world would help "end their dependency" on Russia. But
these hopes have "proven misplaced" and the civil war in Afghanistan
due to landlocked geography of Central Asian states has helped "Russian
influence" to continue in Taliban have also been blamed for carrying out the worst form of human rights violations. Many intellectuals who disagreed with the Taliban version of Islam were ambushed and murdered in Peshawar. Some of the human rights violations by Taliban reportedly include looting and burning of houses and crops; forced displacement and expulsion of the population; forced separation of males from their families; banning the employment of women and their education; restricting activities of human rights organizations inside Afghanistan etc. Howsoever noble the Taliban policies and actions might have been in their own perception, but the net outcome is that a bad name has been brought to Islam of being a religion of terror, intolerance and cruelty. Taliban are being seen as a major threat to the world peace and stability in view of the spillover of militancy and drugs. Afghanistan is reportedly, now the largest opium producing country in the world as according to some reports, it is producing about 75 per cent of the world's opium. It is the same Afghanistan in which Taliban during their initial advance had burnt all poppy crops and had declared its cultivation as illegal. Consequent to imposing of sanctions, their economic survival was threatened to an extent that now they have allowed what was declared by them illegal before the imposition of sanctions. It is said that any amount of drugs and other goods can be smuggled from Afghanistan to neighbouring countries by paying taxes. This policy is indeed causing severe damage to the humanity at large but is it not a direct outcome of imposing sanctions? It has been reported that Afghan militants have also been fighting and conducting their activities in far off countries. China is also complaining of the support of these militants to Muslim separatists on its territory. Many analysts believe that since the end of the Cold War the United States has "underestimated its interests in Afghanistan and the region". Most Americans view Afghanistan as a "faraway place of little importance". But the observers believe that the American interests in Afghanistan are still there especially in the fields of "containing terrorism, curbing illegal drug trafficking and checking human rights violations". 'Observers believe that the American interests in Afghanistan are still there
especially in the fields of containing terrorism, curbing illegal drug trafficking
and checking human rights violations' Above all, the US has an obligation
to the Afghan people, who were "instrumental in bringing about the collapse
of the Soviet Union". By leaving the Afghan people out in the cold after
they have served the interests, US has cast doubts about her being a trustworthy
friend.Sanctions imposed against Taliban are already proving counter-productive
as these are only adding to the miseries of the Afghan people. With the present attitude of the warring parties, and the role being played by the external supporters, an early peace in Afghanistan is very unlikely. Taliban are unacceptable to their opponents within Afghanistan and some neighbouring countries. Taliban policy about sharing power with other groups is not very clear, perhaps they would want to have a total control over the whole of Afghanistan. This mentality is more likely to keep peace elusive in Afghanistan. 'Taliban will have to develop more tolerance for accepting inclusion of other factions in the governance of Afghanistan and develop a will to end fighting for the sake of the Afghan people' They have had rounds of talks several times but fighting is resumed immediately after signing agreements and declarations. With a view to achieve durable peace in Afghanistan, on the one hand the world community will have to comprehend the dynamics of this issue and play a more active role in progress and rehabilitation of the Afghan people and in improving the economy of Afghanistan, while on the other hand, the Taliban will also have to develop more tolerance for accepting inclusion of other factions in the governance of Afghanistan and develop a will to end fighting for the sake of the Afghan people.
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