12.12.2001 00:22
From afar, critic stands by his objections
BY MICHAEL CORKERY
Journal Staff Writer
As the interim government prepares to take power in Afghanistan, Anwar Ahady is in Providence this week, grading term papers and giving lectures at colleges around Rhode Island.
The Providence College political science professor turned down a position in the interim administration at the United Nations talks on Afghanistan last week in Bonn, Germany.
Ahady said he does not regret his decision to not take part in the government, celebrated by Western diplomats as one of Afghanistan's best chances for peace after more than 20 years of war. He was offered positions in charge of transportation and irrigation.
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It's possible that I might have done more inside the government,
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Ahady said this week.
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But I still believe my criticisms are valid.
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Ahady was one of the only delegates in Bonn who did not endorse the agreement that established an interim government and allowed for an international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan.
But he's reluctant to discuss his critique of the Bonn agreement because he doesn't want to undercut the interim government before it begins, he said.
"We appreciate the international community's interest in Afghanistan and we wish the government success," said Ahady, the head of the Afghan Social Democratic Party, which operates in exile.
Ahady's main complaint is with the number of positions the Northern Alliance was allotted in the interim administration -- 17 out of the 30 seats. His delegation, representing Afghan exiles in Peshawar, Pakistan, was allowed to nominate three members of the Cabinet.
He also said the alliance was allowed to choose Cabinet members, based on their military and political influence, not their competence.
From the beginning, the role of the Northern Alliance was problematic. The Northern Alliance was the only group at the talks that actually controlled territory in Afghanistan, including Kabul, the capital. Yet, it remains a hodgepodge of ethnic minorities lacking broad support among the Afghan people.
On the other hand, Ahady said there are some good aspects of the Bonn pact. Ahady said his delegation supported many of the provisions contained in agreement, including the deployment of a multinational peacekeeping force in Kabul, the restoration of democracy and guarantees of women's rights.
One of the two women chosen to be part of interim Cabinet was nominated by the Peshawar group.
Hamid Karzai, a member of Afghanistan's largest ethnic group, the Pashtuns, was chosen to lead the interim government -- something Ahady, a fellow Pashtun, supports.
Throughout the talks, the Afghan factions, especially the Northern Alliance, were under enormous pressure from the West to come up with an agreement, Ahady said.
High-level diplomats from the United States and other countries roamed the hallways and conference rooms of the hotel, advising delegates. Meanwhile, Northern Alliance officials negotiated with their leaders back in Kabul, who were reluctant to relinquish control.
In the end, all of the groups realized their success depended on the support of the West, Ahady said. Afghans have a storied reputation for being fiercely independent and averse to manipulation by foreigners, but they are also rational.
"They understand incentives, like everyone else," Ahady said.
In Bonn, the incentives were clear. The international community has promised massive amounts of assistance to rebuild Afghanistan. Those leaders who want to be part of this process were expected to cooperate peacefully. "They could have used either a carrot or a stick, and in this case it was more of a carrot."
There was also a feeling of moral obligation among the factions to end the violence, Ahady said. "This was a chance for the country to have peace," he said. "To oppose it would be viewed as an obstructionist."
Ahady and his wife, Fatima Gailani, who attended the Bonn talks as an adviser, delivered the keynote address last night at a discussion on Afghanistan's future at Brown University.
Gailani, whose brother was also a delegate in the Peshawar groups, said the Bonn agreement is not perfect, but it's a good start. For that reason, she believes Afghans will support the interim government and the efforts of the international community.
"After 23 years of war, if someone comes to tell you that I will bring food, and open schools and build roads, or you can have nothing, what do you expect them to say?" she said.
Gailani said she was heartened by the inclusion of women in the interim government, and that all of the factions acknowledged the importance of protecting women's rights.
The daughter of an Afghan spiritual leader, who lobbied for the mujahideen during the anti-Soviet war, Gailani believes Ahady should have accepted a position in the government.
"If you hope for small changes, you can only do it when you are in the country," she said. "Otherwise no one will listen to you."
Ahady said he hopes to remain involved politically, but he realizes his role will probably be limited during the interim administration. He's planning to visit Afghanistan in the near future, his first trip in more than two decades.
"The past three months have not been easy for Afghans," Ahady said last night at Brown. "But if the international community can help us build a nation that all Afghans can feel a part of, we would be very grateful."
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