Afghan royalists sidelined and bitter

Jang Group News International ^ | November 20, 2001

[HAL9000]

PESHAWAR: "We trusted the Americans but terrorists are still in Afghanistan and the Northern Alliance has entered Kabul," says Sayed Ishaq Gillani, summing up the bitterness of Afghan royalists excluded from a role in post-Taliban Afghanistan.

Exiled royalists in Peshawar are perhaps the only faction who have not yet rushed back to Afghanistan to try to fill the vacuum left by the departure of the Taliban militia. Indeed, the division of territory taking shape in recent days has not left them any room. In the north, the Northern Alliance of Tajik, Uzbek and Hazara factions is consolidating its power, while local chiefs are pushing to fill the void left by the Taliban in the south and east.

The exiles, who favour the return of former Afghan king Mohammed Zahir Shah, politely but firmly tell anyone who will listen that Afghanistan is teetering on a new precipice. They recall the international community's promise of a "broad-based, multi-ethnic government" representative of all Afghanistan. "I won't be going back tomorrow or after tomorrow," said Gillani, a nephew of the royalist movement leader Pir Gillani.

"To see what? The same faces that were in power in 1992? The battles that were fought? What I see doesn't give me reason to be optimistic." Ishaq Gillani does not hide his aversion of the Northern Alliance. "The world shouldn't trust them any more. They don't keep their promises, they have lost credibility" since their 1992-96 reign under Burhanuddin Rabbani that was marked by bloodshed and corruption.

Gillani also doesn't mince words about the Americans. "They made a big mistake. They bombed the front line and cleared the way to Kabul for the Northern Alliance and Rabbani. We want the UN to disarm the groups, or we'll face another civil war, another tragedy. I don't know why the international community is not listening to Afghans. Why do they support (Uzbek general Abdul) Dostam, who is a killer, who has looted half of the country?"

More diplomatic, but no less critical, is another royalist, Abdul Karim Khurram. "Many Afghans fear a repeat of the Gulf War scenario where the Americans left without solving the problems. I hope this doesn't happen here as well and that the international community has understood that to leave Afghanistan in chaos will be dangerous for the world," he said. "We have heard several times (US Secretary of State Colin) Powell and (British Prime Minister Tony) Blair say Afghanistan will not be forgotten," Khurram said.

[fleur-de-lis]

Oh, it's all our fault? I guess all Afghans are just blameless, lost little sheep with no ability to set their own destiny!

[mathurine]

Generally speaking, people get the governments they deserve. This is just a fact. It is not the fault of the United States or the Pope or the EU or all the other possible blameworthies. Pardon me if I note that there are some 20 million or so people in Afghanistan who have been ruled by maybe 20,000 Taliban. I live in a place where we have about 15,000 people. If fifteen tried to tell us how to live and so forth, we could handle that if we needed to in about 15 seconds. My heart doesn't bleed too easily for people who won't stand up for themselves as to what they value.

[Captain Shady]

Generally speaking, people get the governments they deserve.

The problem with what you're saying ,is that is is all true.

[HiTech RedNeck]

If fifteen tried to tell us how to live and so forth, we could handle that if we needed to in about 15 seconds

That happens in city councils right in the USA (though not nearly as blatant as Taliban). I think their culture suckered them into allowing this. They didn't create this culture yesterday, they inherited it from many generations of forefathers. Note that many Muslims right here who "deplore the terrorist acts" say that Osama and his ilk are still somehow good Muslims.

Now before someone rants about "separation of church and state" please note that the worst of what called itself Christianity doesn't hold a candle to the evils of Osama and pals, oreven to the secular purges of Soviet communism or what happens from time to time in China right now. Religions are NOT all created equal.