As Afghan President Hamid Karzai reaches out to militants before next month’s peace council, some human-rights activists say they are concerned with the types of individuals who may enter the government. Earlier this week, President Karzai met with a high-level delegation from the Hezb-e-Islami insurgent group. The leader of that faction is a well-known polarizing figure.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar first rose to prominence in Afghanistan during the 1970s when he founded Hezb-e-Islami, which means “The Islamic Party.”
Despite its origins in university student groups, Hekmatyar’s organization soon became known as one of the major Afghan guerrilla factions, following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.
During the next decade, the United States spent billions of dollars in covert assistance to fight the Soviet forces. U.S. officials funneled the money through Pakistan’s spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, and the lion’s share went to Hekmatyar.
The ISI director general in the 1980s, Hamid Gul, says he knows Hekmatyar well. He told me the ethnic-Pashtun mujahideen leader, who originally studied in the university to become an engineer, was an important asset for both the United States and Pakistan at the time. Read the rest of this entry »
Today is International Women’s Day — an annual celebration meant to inspire women and celebrate their achievements. Some countries mark it as a national holiday. Here in Afghanistan, government institutions, civil societies, embassies and international organizations honor this event anywhere between March 1-10.
While women have made a modest comeback in Afghanistan regarding education and political participation, the country’s acting Public Health Minister Suraya Dalil told me Afghan women still are lagging in one key area: medical care.
In keeping with the spirit of International Women’s Day, I made a point to talk to as many different Afghan women as I could about their thoughts on women’s rights in Afghanistan. Granted, it’s not easy for an American man to just go up to an Afghan woman on the streets of Kabul and strike up a conversation, and it definitely isn’t easier if you have a microphone. But, I spoke with a few female colleagues and some human rights activists. They all made an interesting point: Why should they support the Afghan government’s policy of seeking reconciliation with the Taliban?
Sima Samar is the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission chairwoman. She says she is concerned because the Taliban violated women’s rights during the years they were in power. She says, “[They] even banned women from access to education, to health care, to work, to movement. [The Taliban] will come back in power and we don’t have any right to say: What?!”
Samar also says it is critical Afghan President Hamid Karzai includes women in a meaningful way during the peace jirga. She says, “What is important is that we have to be [at] the table on the decision-making policy [and] not only in the peace jirga as a piece of decoration.”
What do you think? Will Afghan women play a meaningful role at the peace jirga? And ultimately, will women’s rights be sacrificed if there is reconciliation between the Afghan government and the Taliban?
Watch VOA’s Special Report below on U.S. President Barack Obama’s announcement of his new strategy for Afghanistan.
During his speech, President Obama explained the purpose of more troops is to break the Taliban’s momentum in the country and help lay the foundation for transitioning command from the coalition to Afghan security forces.
Mr. Obama also sought to reassure Afghans that the United States has no interest in taking over their country. He said America seeks to isolate those who destroy and strengthen those who build in Afghanistan. Watch my story below to see how Afghans reacted to the U.S. president:
Mr. Obama also had a message for the Afghan government: The time for writing “blank checks” is over. U.S. officials have long warned Afghan President Hamid Karzai that he must address government corruption during his new five-year term. The day before President Obama’s announcement, Afghan lawmaker Daud Sultanzoi told me that he thought the new U.S. strategy is premature.
Mr. Obama also promised that the United States will not abandon the region. He said that ultimately, America wants to be a partner with Afghanistan and not a patron.
Pakistan had told FB to "...stop all such activities hurting the sentiments of Pakistani subscribers" / gov defending against hurt feelings?10:26:52 AM July 27, 2010from web
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