The Hindu : Opinion / Editorials : Karzai's limitations rudely exposed

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Friday, May 27, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Editorials

Karzai's limitations rudely exposed

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai went to Washington believing he could assert a measure of independence. He believed his Government would gain some control over military operations conducted by the foreign forces in his country. He also thought imprisoned Afghans would be handed over to his Government's custody. His hopes were rudely shattered. With Mr. Karzai sitting beside him, United States President George W. Bush blithely dismissed both requests. As a sop, the U.S. signed a "strategic partnership" declaration that sets out the roles the Afghan government and the foreign forces should play. This is a largely meaningless document since it reaffirms the arrangements in place. While foreign forces are required to consult the Afghan government before carrying out operations, the procedures usually followed do not offer Mr. Karzai or his Ministers much scope to make their inputs. They can at most get prior information about a proposed action during the "rapid consultations" that the "pre-agreed procedures" provide for. There have been a number of incidents in which U.S.-led foreign forces, owing to their lack of knowledge of ground conditions, killed innocent civilians while hunting for the remnants of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. More such atrocities are guaranteed to happen if the Afghans do not have a say. Several of those tortured in U.S.-run detention centres in the Bagram air base and Guantanamo Bay were found innocent of any complicity in terrorist activities. They could have hoped to be reprieved if their own government took custody of them. However, Mr. Karzai was informed that each detenu would be handed over only after U.S. interrogators questioned him.

The U.S. appeared unwilling to heed even the advice that would serve its long-term interest. The practice followed by foreign troops of barging into houses, including quarters occupied by women, at odd hours has infuriated Afghans. But Mr. Karzai was unable to persuade his host to abandon this tactic. The Bush administration also hectored the Afghans for not doing enough to stop opium production. In doing so, it appeared to ignore Mr. Karzai's argument that farmers would not refrain from cultivating poppy and extracting opium resin unless they were provided financial and other incentives to change cropping patterns. With the heroin trade offering very lucrative returns, Afghan farmers impoverished by decades of war planted in 2004 an estimated 500,000 acres with poppy to reap a record harvest. Opium production is not expected to be significantly lower during the current season since the Karzai Government does not have the funds that can be disbursed to farmers as incentives for destroying the standing crop. If the Bush administration continues to press Afghans without any heed for their limitations and sensitivities, a traditionally turbulent society could explode once again.

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