fwd: Pakistani Involvement in Afghanistan addressed

Please see my "concerns" page:
http://artsci.wustl.edu/~canfrobt/Concerns
My blog: http://rcanfield.blogspot.com/

Forwarded Message:
--
From: Rasul Mobin <rasulmobin@yahoo.com>
To: afghaniyat@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Pakistani Involvement in Afghanistan addressed
Date: Jun 17, 2005
--

> Tolu TV (in Dari)
> Gozarosh-e Shashonim" ("The 6:30 Report") programme.
> Kabul, Afghanistan
> June 16, 2005 14:00 gmt
>
> The programme highlighted factors behind increasing insecurity in
> Afghanistan. The presenter said subversive and terrorist groups were
> divided into three main categories.
>
> 1. Taleban and Pakistan
>
> According to the presenter, the Taleban were the main cause of
> security challenges in the country because of their suicide attacks
> and destructive activities.
>
> He said the Taleban's ability to disrupt peace and stability in
> Afghanistan had encouraged the countries of the region to consider
> boosting their cooperation with the group. He said Afghanistan could
> not ensure security or hold proper parliamentary elections without
> the cooperation of Pakistan: "The Pakistani interior minister, in his
> recent visit to Afghanistan, promised cooperation with Afghanistan.
> This shows that Pakistan has control and influence over terrorist
> elements in the region."
>
> Sayed Hosayn Alemi, the editor in chief of the Rah-e Nejat weekly,
> said that sincere resolve by Pakistani authorities could help ensure
> security in Afghanistan: "Whenever the Taleban and Al-Qa'idah
> insurgents come under pressure in Afghanistan, they retreat to
> Pakistani border areas and inside the Pakistani territory. If
> Pakistanis did not let them hide in their country, I think the
> Taleban's activities will subside. During talks with Hamed Karzai and
> also during the inaugural ceremony of the Rahman Baba High School,
> the Pakistani interior minister promised to cooperate with the
> government of Afghanistan in ensuring security during the
> parliamentary elections.
>
> "This by itself proves that the Pakistanis are involved in security
> incidents in our country. When he says they will play their role in
> establishing security, it is clear that they have a role in
> disrupting security too. If the Pakistanis take sincere measures,
> they can establish good cooperation with our country.
>
> "Unfortunately, we have noticed throughout that Pakistani words are
> different from their deeds. They usually make good promises and raise
> very good issues, but when it comes to actions, we see that their
> words do not match their deeds."
>
> 2. Armed groups
>
> The presenter said the second factor behind insecurity was the
> presence of illegal military units in different parts of the country.
> Despite the presence of the international peacekeeping forces, these
> irresponsible military units could undermine the legality of the
> forthcoming parliamentary elections and disrupt security, he stressed
>
> Hazrat Wahrez, a political analyst, said two factors played an
> important role in the rise of insecurity in Afghanistan. "The first
> factor is the failure of the DDR [Disarmament, Demobilization and
> Reintegration] programme and the second one is the flexibility of the
> government towards the Taleban, who have apparently laid down their
> weapons and joined the national reconciliation process. As we can see
> in their interviews, those who have joined the government's side are
> not even apologetic about their past activities."
>
> Mr Alemi said the government relied on foreign troops and even the
> president's bodyguards were foreigners which in itself gave rise to
> distrust among the people.
>
> 3. Criminal gangs
>
> According to the presenter, armed robbers and kidnappers were the
> third group behind insecurity. These groups posed very serious
> threats to foreign aid organizations, he said.
>
> Kidnapping
>
> The second part of the programme looked at recent abductions in
> Kabul. Hamed Haidari, a correspondent of Tolu television, talked
> about how he had learnt about the abduction of the Italian aid
> worker, Clementina Cantoni, and about his phone conversations with
> the suspected abductors.
>
> Lotfollah Mashal, the spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said they
> had been trying to ensure Ms Cantoni's safe release. That was why
> they did had not resorted to military operations.
>
> Mr Mashal said they did not chase and arrest the abductors upon
> releasing Miss Cantoni because a tribal delegation, assigned by the
> government to negotiate with abductors, had promised that the police
> would not interfere.
>
> International community, neighbours
>
> The presenter concluded that unless the international peacekeeping
> forces ensure security and stability in Afghanistan, their symbolic
> presence could increase adverse reactions in the country and in the
> region.
>
> He said that the government and the international community should
> root out irresponsible armed people throughout the country in order
> to strengthen the rule of law and improve security all over
> Afghanistan.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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