Afghan Ambassador: country needs better relations with neighbors, stronger institutions
by Sayed Zafar Hashemi
Scripps Howard News Wire
04.05.2007
Afghan Ambassador to the U.S. Said Tayib Jawad, left, talks with Scripps Howard Foundation reporter Sayed Zafar Hashemi about the challenges of rebuilding his country. Staff photoSaid Tayeb Jawad, Afghan ambassador to the United States, shared the last moments of a recent working day with Scripps Howard Foundation reporter Sayed Zafar Hashemi to talk about the current situation in Afghanistan at his office in Washington.
Jawad was appointed as Afghanistan's ambassador to the United States in December 2003. He is also the non-resident envoy to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Uruguay.
Jawad, 49, studied at the Afghan French Istiqlal high school, studied law and political science at Kabul University and Westfaelische Wilhelms University in Muenster, Germany. In 1986 he settled in the United States, where he earned his master of business administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He worked for a number of prominent law firms. Jawad, who became a U.S. citizen, gave it up as he was appointed ambassador.
He returned to Afghanistan four months after the Sept. 11 attacks to assist in the new country's state-building process. He served as the president's press secretary, chief of staff and as the director of the Office of International Relations at the Presidential Palace. He also worked with U.S. and Afghan military experts to help reform the Ministry of Defense and rebuild the Afghan National Army.
He has written hundreds of articles and commentaries in the United States, Europe and Afghanistan. He is fluent in English, German and French. He is married to Shamim Jawad, and they have a son, Iman, 16.
What follows is an edited transcript of the conversation.
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Q. What are the reasons for insecurity in Afghanistan?
A. The reasons for increased terror activities in Afghanistan and the security challenges that we face are basically threefold: First is the limited capacity of the Afghan government to deliver services and provide protection for its citizens. Second is the regional nature, unfortunately, because of the war in Iraq, the existence of a supporting system in the region for the terrorist groups. It is becoming harder for the Afghan security forces and international community to end the trade of terrorism in the region and particularly in Afghanistan. The third reason has more of an international nature - the coordination of different forces on the war against terror is another challenge both for NATO, the U.S. and the government of Afghanistan.
Q. Which areas are more affected as a result of the continuing security decline?
A. The issue is that the government of Afghanistan lacks the capacity of delivering services countrywide. This limitation spreads from the north to the south and the central parts of the country, and we would like to improve this forward as rapidly as we can. The other nightmare - the increasing terror activities in the form of suicide bombings - is concentrated in the South, apart from the capital Kabul and other major cities.
Q. What other forms of insecurity face the country?
A. In the big cities, it is usually in the form of suicide bombings, laying mines or ambushing their targets. In the south of the country, we see a combination of the Taliban trying to capture some areas, villages or districts to organize large scale operations, but at the same, time they make efforts to prevent the reconstruction process by destroying roads, mosques, schools or health clinics.
Q. Despite of the international forces' presence in the country, how have the Taliban gained the ability to take control of Afghan territories?
A. We have to keep this into consideration, that the presence of international forces in Afghanistan is a valuable asset, but yet, some of the NATO troops are still missing the necessary equipment that they need. The degree of coordination between different NATO countries, between NATO and the Afghan security forces and also between NATO and local population must improve further. I don't think there is a tremendous need to increase the number soldiers while we have to think how to improve the capabilities of both the international and Afghan security forces for doing a better job.
Q. What are the resources that the anti-governmental groups have?
A. Mainly it includes narcotics, expanded resources from the region, support that they receive from outside Afghanistan or other regions for their operations. We have to accept that the ordinary Afghans are at least entitled to see an improvement in their lives, and if they don't see any changes, they become frustrated, even if they don't actively support the Taliban, they become uncaring to this process.
Q. In a broader view, what consequences will this insurgency have?
A. We know from the regional history of Afghanistan that the conflict of security in Afghanistan is closely tied to regional stability and global security. That is why we would like to convince our neighbors, especially Pakistan, to further cooperate with us by ending the logistical, ideological and financial support for terrorist organizations in Pakistan. We must also convince other countries, including our neighbors Iran and China, that prosperity and stability in Afghanistan is an important asset for the stability of all regional countries. We learned from the 9/11 tragedies that if Afghanistan is neglected, it could have consequences for the region and for global security. I think the international community realized the fact, and now there is a strong consensus along the international community, NATO countries, the United States, other regional countries to assist Afghanistan to ensure that stability is permanently established. This means prevention of more secular violence in Afghanistan that apparently prevents stability in the region as well as another source of threat to the global security.
Q. What measures haven been taken to restore the situation?
A. With the assistance of the international community, we have established the necessary institutions to provide good governance. An elected president, national assembly and independent human rights commission are good examples of the achievements we have in Afghanistan. Every civil servant in Afghanistan is appointed by the president of country. But yet, most of the institutions and many of the individuals that are appointed do not have the capability to serve the country.
Afghanistan mainly suffers from shortage of human capital. We have established the needed institution by name, but there is lack of a national vision or the direction that the country should go. There is also goodwill for the country among the appointed individuals, but they lack the necessary managerial skills to perform their jobs professionally. Since the government is unable to pay enough salaries for its employees, the qualified Afghans prefer to work for non-governmental institutions for sustainable earnings. It also makes it hard to recruit qualified police officers to fight insurgents, anti-governmental factions and terrorists.
Q. How can the government resolve this issue?
A. We have to convince the international community, especially the donors, that the capacity building does not necessarily mean only training a number of young Afghans. It is equally important to maintain this capacity by being able to pay better wages. We need to boost our economy in Afghanistan. If we double the salary of civil servants, we would help even a daily worker on the street, as the government employee buys goods from them, and thus the economic cycle circulates. But yet, when we as the Afghan government argue for the increase in salaries, the donors respond with a negative, saying that it would not be a practical step. They are not ready to accept the fact that paying enough salary is a normal and small expenditure. The donors argue that this increase will not be sustainable. They complain about corrupted police. Of course, when we pay our police officers $40 a month, for the sake of their family sustainability, they bribe and tax others.
Q. What role can neighboring countries play to restore the situation?
A. We live in a difficult neighborhood. There are a lot of old fears, phobias and designs that some countries have made. Some of our neighboring countries are curious to see what will happen in Afghanistan so that they will apply their agendas, while some others still have a particular phobia of a change in the region. The presence of the international community is a great opportunity in Afghanistan and for its people, and at the same time, it is an equal opportunity for our neighbors. Pakistan can benefit tremendously from a stable Afghanistan. Recently, we provided a very important outlet for all our northern neighbors, including Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, to send their energy down to the very huge market in the south, to India and Pakistan. There is a new beginning in the region, and all of these countries should realize it. Success is hard, and everyone must work hard together, but if they try to implement some of the old designs, it will not only be non-productive but also a loss of this big opportunity.
Q. How do you comment on the recent statement of Pakistani Gov. Mohammad Ali Jan Orakzai, who said that the conflict in Afghanistan is not an insurgency, but it is war of liberation?
A. Of course, this is wrong. This statement comes from countries like Pakistan, which itself suffers from insurgents and from the consequences of terrorism and extremism. Such statements will not be helpful, either. We all witness that people in Wazirstan pay a big cost for the presence of terrorists and extremists in that region. The key to success is in working together. We have to understand that both Afghanistan and Pakistan have the same enemy and that is the terrorists and extremists. Instead of making such statements, it is really time for the two countries to invest in peace, stability, trade and commerce and fight sincerely together on the war against terror.
Q. How is Pakistan collaborating now with government of Afghanistan?
A. The trend overall is positive. There have been problems in the past, and they will continue to exist. The international community is putting more pressure on Pakistan, and now we see a positive trend on the Pakistani side. The government of Afghanistan encourages any positive trend, and we are hopeful that Pakistan will take further concrete steps to cooperate and collaborate with us. At the same time, we are also thankful to the international community that showed the understanding and recognition for real sources of the insurgency and terrorism.
Q. What challenges lie ahead?
A. Too many challenges ahead of us; building the capacity of the Afghan new generation, need of investment for education in Afghanistan, providing the basic services to every Afghan are top priorities. We built the necessary institutions, but we have to empower these political, social or economic organizations to deliver the needed services.
Q. How would you make your recommendations to overcome this situation?
A. I think the willingness of the Afghan people to cooperate with the international community is an important asset to both the international community and Afghan government. The international community, the United States and our neighbors should realize that Afghanistan can provide an excellent opportunity to demonstrate a unique example of cooperation between different cultures, countries and civilizations. Again, if we together work harder, and the international community invests more in building the institutions, we will witness a solid example of good cooperation of civilizations.
Q. How do you describe you current job as an Afghan ambassador to the U.S.?
A. It is a privilege to represent Afghanistan and its people for the government and to the people of the United States. Afghanistan is a country that enjoys tremendous support and goodwill of the Americans all over the country. I traveled to more than 23 states over the last three years, and everyone would like to see the success of Afghanistan. It is an extremely demanding, busy and challenging job, and there is so much that needs to be done. But yet, it is rewarding on one hand because we see the Afghan people eager to bring positive changes their lives and make a new beginning, and on the other hand the international community is even increasingly committed to help Afghanistan
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