Afghanistan: From obscurity to prominence

The long turbulent history of Afghanistan illustrates a nation in chaos and gripped by instability. Approximately 20 ethnic groups, many of which are divided into several tribes and sub-tribes make up the Afghan national identity. Islam being the only bond that unites the various groups together. It is said that the Afghans are as much dedicated and loyal to their ethnic identity as they are to their national identity.

In 1979, the Soviet Union sent troops to Afghanistan to help the then Marxist government led by Nur Mohammed Taraki to suppress the growing opposition by resistance groups, calling themselves 'Mujahideen' (holy warriors). By 1986, the US and UK were sending weapons such as shoulder-fired ground-to-air missiles to help the Mujahideen in their fight against the Russian invaders and their allies the ruling government in Kabul.

In 1989, Soviet occupation finally ended. But peace was still a distant dream as the Mujahideen continued its fight against the then government in Kabul. In 1992, the Mujahideen finally succeeded in overthrowing the government and forming a transitional government in Kabul under Burhanuddin Rabbani as President. The story of conflict should have ended here with peace finally prevailing. But fate always has its own plan.

In Afghanistan it came in the form of Gulbuddin Hikmatyr, a factional leader of the Mujahideen who appeared on the scene to seize power in Kabul. Tens and thousands of civilians were killed as a result of a power struggle between Burhanuddin Rabbani and Gulbuddin Hikmatyr. The US which had by now emerged as the only superpower in a unipolar world seemed to have little interest in a power struggle that seemed too unpleasant and complicated for the US to get involved. But to the Mujahideen this was a betrayal by the US who they believed, as betrayers, deserted them once the Russians were ousted.

In 1995, as the world continued to silently watch the troubled development in Afghanistan from the fringes, a group of Islamic youth with military training and capability began to emerge from the shadows. They called themselves Talibans, interpreted to mean the 'Seekers of Truth' and 'Religious Students.' By 1996, Talebans seized Kabul and formed the new national government. However, only Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and UAE recognised the new government, whereas the displaced government of Burhanuddin Rabbani remained the legitimate government of Afghanistan for the rest of the world community, notably India, a powerful neighbour, sided with the latter.

The Talebans was to be the hope of bringing law and order to Afghanistan after more than two decades of in-fighting and fighting the invaders. Initially, it seemed the Talebans were making an effort to bring some semblance of an orderly society and restore public confidence. However, the Talebans also brought with them a distorted interpretation of Islam. The Northern Alliance which was the pre-Taleban government consisting of feuding ethnic minority groups such as the Tajik, Uzbek and Hazara was the only credible opposition against the Talebans. United in their common desire to end the Taleban regime and regain power, the Northern Alliance remained divided by their diverse ethnicity and varied interpretation of Islam.

Sheltered by international indifference and a fragmented society the Talebans' consolidated their power with ruthlessness and thus began a new chapter in Afghan history. The Talebans interpretation of Islam was rigid and more inclined to maintain power than dictated by religious ideals. The introduction of stringent Islamic laws were initially effective in curbing lawlessness, but only too soon it became a political weapon to suppress the people. However, it was the treatment of women and the poor human rights record that came under sharp focus and criticism from the international community and led to imposition of stringent international sanctions with US and European consensus in the lead. This did not help the grim situation as the people of Afghanistan were left to carry the burden of their troubled fate. The years of fighting pushed Afghanistan towards an almost pre-medieval existence, forgotten as the rest of the world engaged its attention towards new conflicts and security challenges world-wide.

It took the tragedy of 9/11 for the world to once again turn its attention to Afghanistan, by now a failed state with a thriving drug trade and providing refuge to a then little known alleged terrorist group called Al-Qaeda. The US believed it had enough evidence to believe the Al-Qaeda network and its leader Osama bin Laden and his associates had been responsible for the 9/11 attack and were under the protection of prominent Taleban leaders in Afghanistan. The international community that had thus so far chosen to be oblivious to the Talebans and their deeds, suddenly was awakened with a rude shock to accept their existence.

It was not long before the US government decided to take military action against Afghanistan, which it saw as the breeding ground of terrorist activities, the operation, aimed to break the Al-Qaeda network as well as replace the detrimental Taleban government with a broad-based government started. The US strategy did not only include regime and political change, but also social and economic changes through some nation building activities and foreign aid from various countries. By doing so they hoped to create a more stable and peaceful Afghanistan. Although forged with good intent, the strategy was not feasible in an ethnically diverse country held delicately by the threads of a common religion.

Afghanistan was a country where all major factions had one time or the other seriously violated international law. It was a country where peace was passé and the word 'civil society' non-existent. It was clearly evident that Afghanistan needed a broad-based multi-ethnic government to ensure peace and stability. But the question was how does one make petty warlords, deposed leaders, majority Pushtuns and various ethnic minorities and groups to set aside their views, own agenda and trivial differences to come together to form a stable and credible government. The difficulty lay not in the past conflict but the future in creating an acceptable formula and basis for peace in the new Afghanistan.

At the end, the leadership came under Hamid Karzai, a member of the former king of Afghanistan, Mohammad Zahir Shah's Popalzai tribe from southwest. He heralded a new chapter in Afghanistan that theoretically was one of hope and prospect. But realistically, there were more obstacle to overcome than successes to savour. The US military action has ended with a new government comfortably in place. But Afghanistan's past continues to haunt its present and cast a shadow on its future. It is still struggling with poverty and life is far from easy as many people continue to depend on aid agencies for their existence. The status of women has improved but not radically as to encompass a real change to their role in society and well-being. Most of all peace and stability continue to elude the streets of cities and towns, thus the people suffering from insecurity and consequential adverse economic impact.

The Talebans have not totally disintegrated into oblivion as predicted by some. Instead they are believed to be regrouping and resurfacing in south and east of Afghanistan carrying out sporadic attacks on government officials, coalition forces and aid workers. President Karzai's government is believed to exert very little power and influence outside Kabul. Whereby warlords and other vested powers have taken advantage of the situation. Lawlessness is rampant and drug trade continues to flourish. So the change envisioned for Afghanistan by the International Community on paper has not as yet translated into reality.

As the strong 500-member loya jirga consisting of tribal and regional leaders along with Hamid Karzai's government strive to form a new constitution and prepare for democratic elections, Afghanistan continues to be in turbulence. On the surface there is this uneasy facade of progress. It will take time, money and most of all a strong leadership to bring Afghanistan back from the edge of torment. Progress is not building of one highway or providing some houses. It lies in improving the lives of the people and providing basic amenities. It lies in creating a better present and offering a hope for the future. There is no room for failure on the part of the international community for their lack of concern today could mean a disaster for Afghanistan and the world tomorrow.

Each passing day brings new anxieties, hopes and aspirations. But for the people of Afghanistan as the winds of change sweep across their country, they make an uneasy adjustment to changing times silently. To them their past is all but gone; their present in turmoil and their future unknown. Yet the people of Afghanistan struggle to confront their past and envision a better future with admirably an unwavering courage and hope.