Help Us, Pleads Afghan Government

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Seven years after the fall of the Taliban, Afghanistan has seen an increase in security incidents that have killed soldiers and civilians, including assassination attempts on President Ahmed Kharzai.

While larger parts of the country remain safe and democratization and development continue moving forward, Afghan Minister of Defense General Abdul Rahim Wardak says the rise in violence requires new approaches involving Afghan institutions, regional partners and the international community.

Speaking at the Heritage Foundation, General Rahim said Afghanistan has made considerable progress over time, but also suggested that three significant challenges remain.

• “The capability and capacity of our security forces ought to be enhanced,” he said. He said the Taliban are well-equipped, highly mobile and relying on quality intelligence.

• The second challenge, he said, lies in reforming the country’s electoral institutions so that elections deliver legitimate poll results.

The final challenge, he said, lies in the need for the United States government to deny a safe haven, security and support for “enemies of Afghanistan.”

Lisa Curtis, senior research fellow for the South Asia Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation, suggests that the Afghan government still needs greater international support to secure and stabilize Afghanistan, a crucial front in the global War on Terrorism. She says more international troops are needed, and that “NATO leaders need to educate their publics about the urgent need to prevent the re-establishment of a terrorist state in Afghanistan, which would greatly amplify the worldwide terrorist threat.”

“Washington and Kabul need greater co-operation from Pakistan in denying sanctuary to Taliban and al-Qaeda elements in the border areas. The results of the February 18 Pakistani election provide an opportunity to isolate extremists along the border,” she says.

She says the U.S. should work with NATO countries on a joint approach to Pakistan and consider appointing a high-level envoy to coordinate policies between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Jesse Masai is an intern at the American Journalism Center, a training program run by Accuracy in Media and Accuracy in Academia.