Counselor Haidari Speaks at Georgetown University Security Studies Program
The Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service Security Studies Program hosted a panel discussion on “Just Back from Afghanistan: Experience and Insights of SSP and SFS Alumni and Students” on March 21. Speaking on the panel were Political Counselor M. Ashraf Haidari and his fellow Georgetown alumni Colonel Jim Lavriviere of the US Marine Corps Reserve, Major John Mazzarella of the US Marine Corps, and Mary Grace Sy of Booz Allen Hamilton. The alumni had recently served or worked in Afghanistan, and discussed their experiences in the country.
Agreeing with the observations of other panelists, Haidari spoke about the need to sustain the long-term support of the Afghan people for the government and its international partners to rebuild Afghanistan. “Our common enemies are terrorism and drugs in Afghanistan and in the region, and we have had the strong support of the Afghan people since day one,” he said. Haidari noted that since the end of the Cold War, no post-conflict international intervention has received as much popular support in the affected country as Afghanistan’s. “If we manage and deliver on the basic expectations of people, if we consolidate Afghanistan’s nascent democratic institutions and enable them to function, and if we secure the sincere cooperation of Pakistan on stemming the Taliban’s cross-border terrorism, Afghanistan will be a success story, one that will help ensure regional stability and prosperity and maintain international peace and security,” Haidari said.
Responding to questions from the audience, Haidari discussed Afghanistan’s foreign policy that favors regional cooperation. He advocated Afghanistan's constructive role as a pluralistic Islamic Republic which could serve as a bridge between the Muslim world and western nations. "Our region is home to over 1.5 billion people. We are aware of our enormous potential as we develop and prosper together. But first we need to overcome the political obstacles which have prevented us collectively from realizing this potential—costing our nations billions of dollars. A lack of cooperation in key sectors such as trade and investment, energy security, and sustainable development is preventing South and Central Asia from achieving our Millennium Development Goals and ensuring human and environmental security,” Haidari said.
He expressed hope that recent accelerated bilateral efforts and Afghanistan’s accession to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) would contribute to resolving many of the existing political problems in the region, particularly those between India and Pakistan. “We look forward to becoming the eighth member of this important regional grouping in early April, and will play our active role with the rest of the membership to achieve the SARRC’s goals for broader regional security and development,” Haidari concluded. Haidari thanked Georgetown University for its strong support of Afghanistan’s reconstruction and encouraged the continuation of academic discussions on the importance of international peace-building efforts in Afghanistan.
