Opinion Editorials, May 2010

Afghan Stability a Must

By Neil Wollman and Abdulhadi Hairan

Al-Jazeerah, ccun.org, May 3, 2010

Corruption is destroying Afghan society, undermining efforts by the international community and Afghanis to promote democracy, security and nation-building, and to fight narcotics trafficking.

In late March, President Barack Obama paid a surprise visit to Kabul to meet his Afghan counterpart, reportedly asking Hamid Karzai to improve governance reform to combat corruption. Since then, the two governments have exchanged jabs. Karzai has been openly defiant of U.S. concerns, specifically election reform in the wake of a presidential election widely considered fraudulent, and has charged foreign interference in elections.

Most recently, Karzai and the United Nations worked out a compromise that makes some positive changes in personnel and procedure that will improve election governance, and which has brought the United Nations and donor nations on board to fund the September parliamentary elections.

However, there are complaints from Afghan opposition leaders and some in parliament who say that the reforms are not sufficient. And likely were only enough to win international funding for the election.

What is known is that widespread corruption, going far beyond just elections, is destroying Afghan society. It continues to undermine efforts by the international community and Afghanis to promote democracy, security and nation-building, and to fight narcotics trafficking.

The Karzai administration has dismissed any mention of corruption, labeling it as foreign meddling. But in Kandahar recently, Karzai heard the same complaints from his hometown and tribe. There to solicit cooperation for the upcoming major military operation against the insurgents, Karzai was told by a tribal elder that his government was as much a problem for local people as were the insurgents.

Afghan citizens interviewed say the government is a problem on all levels - from top ministers and advisers to local employees. Corruption, nepotism and the rule of warlords is badly affecting the Afghan people and their hopes for the future. It was not until Karzai’s fraudulent election victory that the issue of corruption in Afghanistan was thrust into the global spotlight and the Obama administration felt compelled to speak out. The question is, how willing is the United States to confront the issue?

It appears Obama has chosen not to push for reform, opting not to rock the boat. He needs Karzai’s cooperation in fighting the Taliban and in using U.S. and NATO forces to defeat the insurgents - eventually enabling America to withdraw troops without losing face.

With some give by Karzai on election reform, the United States will give only lip service to the need for changes in Afghan governance, hoping there is enough popular dislike of the Taliban and military firepower to succeed.

Even if successful - not a given - this path will likely result in a resurgence of the Taliban. Whatever military victory is achieved would be lost because of the lack of popular support for a corrupt Afghan administration. When that happens, will the United States be ready to fight the Taliban for a third time?

The Obama administration could pressure - not abandon - Karzai to make changes and could work with the international community, the United Nations, sympathetic Afghan parliament members and citizen groups to truly reduce the systemic corruption. It would help to accompany this with a foreign aid program to help build strong Afghan educational, economic and political infrastructures.

Foreign interference in another government’s internal politics should always be suspect, but in this case it is the lesser of two evils. It is the right path for Obama to take for both moral and political reasons.