A Sunny Day in Kabul - Report from Afghanistan
PG | 08.02.2006 10:10 | Oxford
7 Feb 06
Lack of time has meant that I have not been able to send any personal reports on Afghanistan and what is happening here. The Danish cartoons and subsequent demonstrations mean that at about 1pm local time ‘white city’ was called by the UN. This means that no movement is allowed.
Lack of time has meant that I have not been able to send any personal reports on Afghanistan and what is happening here. The Danish cartoons and subsequent demonstrations mean that at about 1pm local time ‘white city’ was called by the UN. This means that no movement is allowed.
I am sitting in my living room on cushion on the floor writing this with my ducks sunbathing in unusually hot February weather. I have a grab bag ready with passport and a few essentials and am monitoring the UN call channel on the radio for updates. The UN car has been put in my drive hidden by a high wall and metal gate. Heard there are a few demonstrations in Kabul and some UN cars have been damaged.
• Publishing of the cartoon was not too wise and republishing it was irresponsible but it was not criminal and the government of Denmark and any other country is not responsible. There is a general misunderstanding of democracy and freedom of the media. Obviously the protests are more than just the cartoon. General antagonism against American foreign policy and what is seen as stigmatization of Muslims is the tinder this spark has ignited.
• In the UK expect body bags back from Afghanistan. The British may be better at the hearts and minds approach but the Americans have already set the scene and increased resentment.
• Another bomber killed 14 in Kandahar today. Been about 30 suicide attacks in last few months. It is a new phenomenon.
• More than half million Afghans are feared to face the danger of famine during the harsh winter in the post-conflict Afghanistan, Minister for Rural Rehabilitation and Development said
• I disagree with the large number of British soldiers coming here as it freeing up American military to go to Iraq.
• Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that "a neighbor" of Afghanistan has had a hand in the recent upsurge of violence in southern Afghanistan. Karzai said on attacks in Kandahar that "the reason for these attacks is the continuation of subversive endeavors" by foreigners whose aim is "to dominate" Afghanistan. The governor of Kandahar has already been blaming Pakistan. Surely Karzai should have tried to defuse not inflame the situation. It would not take much for cross boarder fighting to occur.
• Recently US forces killed a number of civilians in Pakistan. One possible explanation is that the coordinates and intelligence was given by ISI (Pakistani intelligence) knowing that the Americans would kill civilians and there would be a strong reaction against this. President Musharif can now say to the American pushing for him to do more in the ‘war on terror’ that public opinion prevents him however much he would like to. Just a theory.
• Malalai Joya is an MP and is still calling half the parliament war criminals. "They will kill me but they will not kill my voice," she says, "because it will be the voice of all Afghan women. You can cut the flower, but you cannot stop the coming of spring." She has made her name as a woman's rights activist who has attacked Afghanistan's most powerful institution, the Mujahideen. They are the fighters who defeated the Soviet invasion of the 1980s but who, in many cases, became leading participants in the destruction of the civil war that erupted in the 1990s.
• Schools are being burnt in the south with a disproportionate number of girl’s school of which there were few in the first place. The remaining girl’s schools must be guarded but so far there is nothing in place.
• A TV channel has been fined for showing unislamic material in the form of clips of Bollywod movies.
• With the reconstruction of Iraq is about $30 billion, the rebuilding of Afghanistan has had to make do with the leftovers - $1.3 billion since 2002. President Bush said” amazing" progress being made "on the road to democracy" in Afghanistan i.e. violent insurgency, widespread corruption, a tattered infrastructure, severe electrical shortages, a lack of trained police and army forces and a sputtering economy still dominated by drug traffickers. Taliban-led insurgency, still going strong, claimed some 1,500 lives last year, including nearly 100 U.S. soldiers - more than double the number who lost their lives there in 2004. Afghanistan received promises of economic and military support from more than 50 countries at a conference in London on Tuesday in return for pledges to fight corruption and the illegal opium trade. Will see what get.
• Poppy production is up 10% this year on last. Until there is a viable alternative anyone would be mad to grow anything else. No alternative has been given. Legalization in west and west dealing with the demand would be a novel idea.
• There is a high risk of bird flu hitting Afghanistan.
• Leading British charities have written to the Prime Minister voicing fears that plans to woo local people through "hearts and minds" projects will blur the distinction between the military and unarmed aid workers. Aid agency workers in Afghanistan are already alarmed over an escalation of attacks on their staff, with 30 killed in 2004 compared with 12 in 2003. They say that part of the blame lies with the increasing tendency of the multi-national forces in Afghanistan to undertake humanitarian tasks such as building schools and improving water supplies, in the guise of "provincial reconstruction teams" (PRTs).
• Several hundred Iranians attacked the Danish Embassy in Tehran, hurling firebombs and chanting, "God is great," and "Death to Israel," while the police watched. Demonstrators seem a bit mixed up. How many know where Denmark is?
• UNFPA (organization I work for) recently supported the first Family Response unit in Afghanistan with a container/office in a police station with a separate entrance so women do not have to pass policemen. Also having a photo exhibition of women on women which is the result of a course in photography and business for women. It seems to be getting a lot of international attention.
• In one place there were two demonstrations. One against the cartoons and another for access for three wheeled vehicles. They met and joined. The chant must have been interesting. ‘Death to Denmark and behead the guilty, and support three wheeled vehicles.’
• Publishing of the cartoon was not too wise and republishing it was irresponsible but it was not criminal and the government of Denmark and any other country is not responsible. There is a general misunderstanding of democracy and freedom of the media. Obviously the protests are more than just the cartoon. General antagonism against American foreign policy and what is seen as stigmatization of Muslims is the tinder this spark has ignited.
• In the UK expect body bags back from Afghanistan. The British may be better at the hearts and minds approach but the Americans have already set the scene and increased resentment.
• Another bomber killed 14 in Kandahar today. Been about 30 suicide attacks in last few months. It is a new phenomenon.
• More than half million Afghans are feared to face the danger of famine during the harsh winter in the post-conflict Afghanistan, Minister for Rural Rehabilitation and Development said
• I disagree with the large number of British soldiers coming here as it freeing up American military to go to Iraq.
• Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that "a neighbor" of Afghanistan has had a hand in the recent upsurge of violence in southern Afghanistan. Karzai said on attacks in Kandahar that "the reason for these attacks is the continuation of subversive endeavors" by foreigners whose aim is "to dominate" Afghanistan. The governor of Kandahar has already been blaming Pakistan. Surely Karzai should have tried to defuse not inflame the situation. It would not take much for cross boarder fighting to occur.
• Recently US forces killed a number of civilians in Pakistan. One possible explanation is that the coordinates and intelligence was given by ISI (Pakistani intelligence) knowing that the Americans would kill civilians and there would be a strong reaction against this. President Musharif can now say to the American pushing for him to do more in the ‘war on terror’ that public opinion prevents him however much he would like to. Just a theory.
• Malalai Joya is an MP and is still calling half the parliament war criminals. "They will kill me but they will not kill my voice," she says, "because it will be the voice of all Afghan women. You can cut the flower, but you cannot stop the coming of spring." She has made her name as a woman's rights activist who has attacked Afghanistan's most powerful institution, the Mujahideen. They are the fighters who defeated the Soviet invasion of the 1980s but who, in many cases, became leading participants in the destruction of the civil war that erupted in the 1990s.
• Schools are being burnt in the south with a disproportionate number of girl’s school of which there were few in the first place. The remaining girl’s schools must be guarded but so far there is nothing in place.
• A TV channel has been fined for showing unislamic material in the form of clips of Bollywod movies.
• With the reconstruction of Iraq is about $30 billion, the rebuilding of Afghanistan has had to make do with the leftovers - $1.3 billion since 2002. President Bush said” amazing" progress being made "on the road to democracy" in Afghanistan i.e. violent insurgency, widespread corruption, a tattered infrastructure, severe electrical shortages, a lack of trained police and army forces and a sputtering economy still dominated by drug traffickers. Taliban-led insurgency, still going strong, claimed some 1,500 lives last year, including nearly 100 U.S. soldiers - more than double the number who lost their lives there in 2004. Afghanistan received promises of economic and military support from more than 50 countries at a conference in London on Tuesday in return for pledges to fight corruption and the illegal opium trade. Will see what get.
• Poppy production is up 10% this year on last. Until there is a viable alternative anyone would be mad to grow anything else. No alternative has been given. Legalization in west and west dealing with the demand would be a novel idea.
• There is a high risk of bird flu hitting Afghanistan.
• Leading British charities have written to the Prime Minister voicing fears that plans to woo local people through "hearts and minds" projects will blur the distinction between the military and unarmed aid workers. Aid agency workers in Afghanistan are already alarmed over an escalation of attacks on their staff, with 30 killed in 2004 compared with 12 in 2003. They say that part of the blame lies with the increasing tendency of the multi-national forces in Afghanistan to undertake humanitarian tasks such as building schools and improving water supplies, in the guise of "provincial reconstruction teams" (PRTs).
• Several hundred Iranians attacked the Danish Embassy in Tehran, hurling firebombs and chanting, "God is great," and "Death to Israel," while the police watched. Demonstrators seem a bit mixed up. How many know where Denmark is?
• UNFPA (organization I work for) recently supported the first Family Response unit in Afghanistan with a container/office in a police station with a separate entrance so women do not have to pass policemen. Also having a photo exhibition of women on women which is the result of a course in photography and business for women. It seems to be getting a lot of international attention.
• In one place there were two demonstrations. One against the cartoons and another for access for three wheeled vehicles. They met and joined. The chant must have been interesting. ‘Death to Denmark and behead the guilty, and support three wheeled vehicles.’
PG
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Statement from the Voice of Afghani Refugees in England 31st January 2006/ 1st M
08.02.2006 12:11
Introduction
After 11th September 2001, the US and NATO attacked Afghanistan and overthrew the Taliban government. Afghanistan saw a lot of changes following the attacks. Unfortunately, those parties and warlords which took power with NATO, who were fighting and destroying in the past, are no different from the Taliban. In this situation many people have lost their lives and many others have left the country because their homes and livelihoods have been destroyed. They fled Afghanistan for many different countries, England being just one of those countries.
The British government policy has been very dangerous for these refugees who have been refused asylum and been detained and deported. For those that remain, support is cut off and these people have been abandoned with no support or consideration. Most of these people cannot go to Afghanistan as their lives are in danger. There is no facility for them to return or live in Afghanistan. Neither is it safe for them to return there.
Statement
1 The British governments continuation of enforced deportation is against peoples human rights. The Afghanistan government is not taking any responsibility to facilitate and take responsibility for the lives of refugees to return. There is no prospect of peace, of stable economy, no public facilities for the welfare of the people of Afghanistan.
2 Everybody knows the Taliban and their partners are still increasing their attacks on the people, the schools and public places. The government and NATO have proved incapable of stopping them.
3 The British government is sending more troops to Afghanistan because there is no peace. This shows that NATO have failed. Inside the Afghanistan government - including the leaders of 13 provinces - are involved in the drugs trade. Nobody has stopped them from continuing their illegal actions and this shows that the government has never felt any responsibility for the people of Afghanistan.
Most of the NGOs in Afghanistan are protected by concrete bunkers - shut off from the rest of the population because they do not feel safe.
4 We hear from BBC that UNHCR have just accepted 6,000 refugees in 2006 to be returned to Afghanistan because there is no facility for any more. All of this 6000 will be from Pakistan and Iran. This shows that inside Afghanistan refugees have returned to such bad conditions that they do not have even tents to live in. There is only minimal help from UN or the government.
Nobody want to leave their home, but there is no choice without resources, without peace - without food and water and without work. One refugee from Afghanistan has committed suicide just a few days ago at a Distribution Centre in London - The condition of refugees here, who number in the thousands, is deteriorating - Without any support we are becoming mentally and physically ill.
We request from Tony Blair, Charles Clerk, Hamid Karzai, Kofi Annan and all those with power to think of our situation. Our demand is for freedom of work and movement which will benefit both this country as well as Afghanistan because we can support those in Afghanistan as well as those in England. Finally we are human and demand to be treated with humanity wherever we are or are from.
Statement from the Voice of Afghani Refugees in England 31st January 2006/ 1st M