1423 Afghanistan 2003

History Humanitarian Crisis Human Rights Economy Mines and UXOs Education Health Resources Related Links Photo Essays Website Survey	This website stems from my long-standing admiration of and interest in the people of Afghanistan. Back in 1979, I remember being stunned at a house party when someone announced that the Soviets had just marched into Afghanistan and proclaimed that war with the Soviet Union was imminent. The person next to me replied flatly, "When they invade Albany, I'll be the first to pick up a gun." Athough a direct war with the Soviet Union did not ensue, Afghanistan began its 23 year history as a battleground. A cycle of invasion, occupation, civil war, then invasion, and once again occupation began its course. Over the years, there has been little cause for hope as one disaster gave way to another in Afghanistan. Hardships and tragedies mounted one after another and threatened to overwhelm the beseiged people of Afghanistan as the international community withdrew its attention and left Afghanistan to collapse under internal divisions and proxy wars. The United States-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001 brought with it committments on the part of the international community to assist in the rebuilding of the war-ravaged country. The Bonn and Tokyo Conferences brought an international focus to the abandoned nation and promised to aid in the restoration of the shattered civil society and the collapsed economy. Nearly two years after Operation Enduring Freedom, the promised committment to assist in reconstruction of Afghanistan remains stalled and over-shadowed by the recent crisis in Iraq. Hamid Karzai, interim President of Afghanistan, recently appeared before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on 2/26/03 and pleaded, "Don't forget us if Iraq happens." His brother, Ahmed Karzai was ore blunt. "It's like I'm seeing the same movie twice and no one is trying to fix the problem. What was promised to Afghans with the collapse of the Taliban was a new life of hope and change. But what was delivered? Nothing. There have been no significant changes for people." President Bush signed the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act into law last December, authorizing over $3.3 billion in economic, political, humanitarian and security assistance for Afghanistan over the next four years. The next month, in an effort to "low-ball" spending on Afghanistan, Bush proposed a 2003 budget authorization to Congress with no provision for aid for Afghanistan. (Rashid, 2002) The final amount of aid approved was $295 million. Senator Joseph Biden pessimitically commented to the press on 2/25/2003, "I think they [members of the Bush administration] have already given up the ghost in Afghanistan. They've basically turned it over to the warlords." (Tapper, 2003) After funding the successful jihad against the Soviets, the United States no longer deemed Afghanistan important to its national interests and abandoned Afghanistan to descend into a brutal and devastating civil war. The promise of Central Asian oil and gas supplies and the pursuit of Al-Qa'ida forces brought Afghanistan back to Washington's attention. But Americans are known for short attention spans. The Tokyo Conference pledged $4.5 billion for reconstruction, of which donor nations promised to give this year. Donor fatigue and a waning committment to Afghanistan's reconstruction is evident in that less than 30% of the economic aid pledged at the Tokyo conference has materialized. The architect of the Bush Doctrine, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, has stated, "My biggest single concern is that the economic aid that was promised at the Tokyo Conference, which I think is crucial not just for economic purposes but for political and security purposes, is just not coming through at the levels that were pledged." Washington's contribution has been half that of the EU. In 2002, while spending $1 billion a month on deploying troops in Afghanistan, the United States spent a sum total of $300 million in economic aid for the entire year. It should be remembered that the Bush administration was offereing Turkey anywhere from $6 to $40 billion just to allow the U.S. Army to invade Iraq from bases in Turkey. That puts the amount pledged and delivered for reconstruction in Afghanistan into a sober context. (Tapper, 2003)The fact the the interim government is largely conrolled by the Northern Alliance Panshiri Tajiks also raises concerns for the future stability of Afghanistan. The assassination attempts on President Karzai and the murder of his allies indicates that a transition from interim governance will be wrought with potential conflict and disunity. If the Realpolitik dictates uncertain prospects for Afghanistan's future, I wanted to examine what was at stake. To that end, I comment here on the challenges facing the beleaguered Afghan people. Whether global capitalism comes to the rescue of Afghanistan or not, its people have proven themselves singularly resilient.

This website stems from my long-standing admiration of and interest in the people of Afghanistan. Back in 1979, I remember being stunned at a house party when someone announced that the Soviets had just marched into Afghanistan and proclaimed that war with the Soviet Union was imminent. The person next to me replied flatly, "When they invade Albany, I'll be the first to pick up a gun." Athough a direct war with the Soviet Union did not ensue, Afghanistan began its 23 year history as a battleground. A cycle of invasion, occupation, civil war, then invasion, and once again occupation began its course. Over the years, there has been little cause for hope as one disaster gave way to another in Afghanistan. Hardships and tragedies mounted one after another and threatened to overwhelm the beseiged people of Afghanistan as the international community withdrew its attention and left Afghanistan to collapse under internal divisions and proxy wars.

Photograph of border sign in Afghanistan from the AP Photo Archive.

The United States-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001 brought with it committments on the part of the international community to assist in the rebuilding of the war-ravaged country. The Bonn and Tokyo Conferences brought an international focus to the abandoned nation and promised to aid in the restoration of the shattered civil society and the collapsed economy. Nearly two years after Operation Enduring Freedom, the promised committment to assist in reconstruction of Afghanistan remains stalled and over-shadowed by the recent crisis in Iraq. Hamid Karzai, interim President of Afghanistan, recently appeared before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on 2/26/03 and pleaded, "Don't forget us if Iraq happens." His brother, Ahmed Karzai was ore blunt. "It's like I'm seeing the same movie twice and no one is trying to fix the problem. What was promised to Afghans with the collapse of the Taliban was a new life of hope and change. But what was delivered? Nothing. There have been no significant changes for people." President Bush signed the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act into law last December, authorizing over $3.3 billion in economic, political, humanitarian and security assistance for Afghanistan over the next four years. The next month, in an effort to "low-ball" spending on Afghanistan, Bush proposed a 2003 budget authorization to Congress with no provision for aid for Afghanistan. (Rashid, 2002) The final amount of aid approved was $295 million. Senator Joseph Biden pessimitically commented to the press on 2/25/2003, "I think they [members of the Bush administration] have already given up the ghost in Afghanistan. They've basically turned it over to the warlords." (Tapper, 2003)

After funding the successful jihad against the Soviets, the United States no longer deemed Afghanistan important to its national interests and abandoned Afghanistan to descend into a brutal and devastating civil war. The promise of Central Asian oil and gas supplies and the pursuit of Al-Qa'ida forces brought Afghanistan back to Washington's attention. But Americans are known for short attention spans. The Tokyo Conference pledged $4.5 billion for reconstruction, of which donor nations promised to give this year. Donor fatigue and a waning committment to Afghanistan's reconstruction is evident in that less than 30% of the economic aid pledged at the Tokyo conference has materialized. The architect of the Bush Doctrine, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, has stated, "My biggest single concern is that the economic aid that was promised at the Tokyo Conference, which I think is crucial not just for economic purposes but for political and security purposes, is just not coming through at the levels that were pledged." Washington's contribution has been half that of the EU. In 2002, while spending $1 billion a month on deploying troops in Afghanistan, the United States spent a sum total of $300 million in economic aid for the entire year. It should be remembered that the Bush administration was offereing Turkey anywhere from $6 to $40 billion just to allow the U.S. Army to invade Iraq from bases in Turkey. That puts the amount pledged and delivered for reconstruction in Afghanistan into a sober context. (Tapper, 2003)The fact the the interim government is largely conrolled by the Northern Alliance Panshiri Tajiks also raises concerns for the future stability of Afghanistan. The assassination attempts on President Karzai and the murder of his allies indicates that a transition from interim governance will be wrought with potential conflict and disunity.

War ravaged street scene from the AP Photoarchive.

If the Realpolitik dictates uncertain prospects for Afghanistan's future, I wanted to examine what was at stake. To that end, I comment here on the challenges facing the beleaguered Afghan people. Whether global capitalism comes to the rescue of Afghanistan or not, its people have proven themselves singularly resilient.