Dear brothers and sisters, January 14, 2010;
Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmathullahi Wa Bharakhathuhu.
May Allah Subhana Wa Taala reward brother Hasan Essa for the mail sent by him.
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Jan 15, 2010
A $1bn sweetener for the Taliban
By Abubakar Siddique
Senior Afghan officials have unveiled a plan to reconcile with up to 35,000 Taliban insurgents by offering jobs and vocational training, in the hope that the scheme will gain traction in the lead-up to a major international conference on Afghanistan in London later this month.
Elements of the plan, which could cost more than US$1 billion to see through, were discussed during a one-day summit in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates on January 12.
Richard Holbrooke, the United States' special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, attended the event along with those two states' foreign ministers.
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The above plan would not lead to peace. A necessary condition for peace in Afghanistan is found in the above article itself.
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But Abdul Hakim Mujahid, who formerly served as a Taliban representative to the United Nations, says robust diplomatic efforts still are needed for such a plan to succeed.
...Mujahid, who claims to be no longer associated with the Taliban, argues that the Afghan government needs to first formally recognize the Taliban movement and allow it to operate peacefully within the political arena.
He called on the Afghan government to free Taliban prisoners from Bagram prison and those detained at the United States' facility at Guantanamo, and to remove their names from UN sanctions lists. "This will create an atmosphere of trust," he said.
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The election through which President Karzai got re-elected was opposed by the Taliban and not only they did not participate but they persuaded many Afghans not to venture out to vote as well. If we seek peace then we should have a re-election as soon as the Taliban agrees to participate in the political arena. To ensure honest elections, President Karzai should cede power to a coalition including Taliban representatives under the auspices of the UN.
We have mentioned peanuts in the subject line because the so called $1 billion offered for this purpose by President Karzai is less than 2% of the funds he expects to manage.
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Afghanistan's economy is recovering from decades of conflict. The economy has improved significantly since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion of international assistance, the recovery of the agricultural sector, and service sector growth. Despite the progress of the past few years, Afghanistan is extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid, agriculture, and trade with neighboring countries. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs. Criminality, insecurity, and the Afghan Government's inability to extend rule of law to all parts of the country pose challenges to future economic growth. It will probably take the remainder of the decade and continuing donor aid and attention to significantly raise Afghanistan's living standards from its current level, among the lowest in the world. International pledges made by more than 60 countries and international financial institutions at the Berlin Donors Conference for Afghan reconstruction in March 2004 reached $8.9 billion for 2004-09. While the international community remains committed to Afghanistan's development, pledging over $57 billion at three donors' conferences since 2002, Kabul will need to overcome a number of challenges. Expanding poppy cultivation and a growing opium trade generate roughly $3 billion in illicit economic activity and looms as one of Kabul's most serious policy concerns. Other long-term challenges include: budget sustainability, job creation, corruption, government capacity, and rebuilding war torn infrastructure.
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The moment President Karzai attracts some who claim to be ex-Taliban, he would demand, and hopefully the International community would give $57 billions of aid already committed. Let us not forget that Karzai is a Pashtun and thus he could always get non-Taliban Pashtuns to claim to be ex-Taliban and claim that the scheme has succeeded.
If there would be a new election under the auspices of an interim government with Taliban participation, it is quite possible that the Taliban might form the next government in Afghanistan through peaceful means. Under that condition the Taliban would control the distribution and consumption of the $57 billions. We hope everyone agrees $1 billion is peanuts in comparison.
Kindly forward to all friends in the West so that they educate their governments of the need to have fair and fully participated elections in Afghanistan. Let them consider the history of South Africa.
With prayers to Allah Subhana Wa Taala,
Your brother,
Mohideen Ibramsha
Was Salaam
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--- On
Fri, 1/15/10, Hasan Essa <hasniessa@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: Hasan Essa <hasniessa@yahoo.com>
Subject: A $1bn sweetener for the Taliban
To:
Date: Friday, January 15, 2010, 12:06 AM