EurasiaNet Recaps - Interim Afghan Foreign Minister Says Poppy Eradication Effort Encounters Success

RECAPS

INTERIM AFGHAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS POPPY ERADICATION EFFORT ENCOUNTERS SUCCESS

Camelia Entekhabi-Fard 4/15/02
A Q&A with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah

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Instability remains the main feature of Afghanistan’s political life. The expected return of former king Mohammad Zahir Shah on April 17 or 18 could add an additional element of insecurity. The former king, who has lived in exile since 1973, has already postponed his return once because of security concerns. Meanwhile, Hamid Karzai’s interim government continues to struggle to project its authority outside of Kabul. EurasiaNet contributor Camelia Entekhabi-Fard discussed Afghanistan’s continuing political turmoil with the interim government’s foreign minister, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. The text of Abdullah’s comments follows:

EurasiaNet: A big topic these days is the eradication of poppies. Has the interim government been successful in the attempt to eradicate poppies?
Abdullah: We have been very successful in Helmand [Province], and just we started in Jalalabad also. We have had a few problems, but we have to be prepared for many more because we are talking about destroying millions and millions of dollars worth of [contraband] for smugglers. We [expect] more plots and provocations. Now we are paying to the farmers to destroy their crops, but in the long term, the crop must be replaced for the program to be a success.

EurasiaNet: There are reports that some military commanders and local officials are involved in narcotics smuggling. Are they trying to prevent poppy eradication efforts?
Abdullah: Maybe in some places but people support this program and they want to really fight against the smugglers. Fighting with drug smugglers here like anywhere else around the world is not that easy. Our plan is to finish this campaign in 10-20 days later, and then we have a long-term plan for fighting against drug production and consumption.

EurasiaNet: Was there any connection between the explosion close to [Interim Defense Minister Mohammad] Fahim’s car and the anti-poppy campaign? [For background see the Eurasia Insight archives].
Abdullah: There could [have been a] connection. Before, the Taliban and al Qaeda had direct connections with the drug Mafia. � One the most important [parts of the peace] agreement in Bonn concerned efforts to control drug trafficking in Afghanistan. Now, after a few months we are starting work on this project and government’s order to destroy it. The smugglers are trying to show the government cannot maintain security. � Our enemies understand they can not change this government, and now are doing little things [to undermine the government’s credibility] - like you saw in Jalalabad.

If you look at this problem within a larger framework, it is easier to understand. We had the biggest and most dangerous terrorist group in Afghanistan - that called al Qaeda. � Today they have lost power. � Sometimes they just need to show they are alive by shooting a rocket or two making a bomb. This kind of thing is easy to do and could continue for some time. If anyone thinks the problem of terrorism is already finished in Afghanistan they are making a mistake.

EurasiaNet: What about the problem of warlordism?
Abdullah: After crushing al Qaeda and fall of the Taliban, it was a good moment for a few groups who were allies in the fight to jump to this opportunity and make a grab for power. Also the campaign against terrorism was on, and they used this to their advantage, and added more power for themselves. Another fact is related to our neighbors and what they want to do with Afghanistan. Do they want support the new government, or do they prefer, for example, to deal with local governors? We are asking the local governors to be more responsible and work with the center. I really think the people in this country don’t support multiple centers of power any more.

EurasiaNet: Is there any possibility of a return to some form of monarchy in Afghanistan?
Abdullah: According to the Bonn agreement, the Afghan constitution will be approved two years from now by Loya Jirga. Until then, we are accepting the old constitution from 1964, except the part concerning the monarchy. At this [upcoming] Loya Jirga, people will choose the next chairman for more than two years, and I don’t think the ex-king is a candidate for this position. However, he is a person who can help Afghanistan to establish peace and stability.

EurasiaNet: There are reports that you and your colleagues who are known as the Panshiris have difficult relations with Zahir Shah’s Rome group. For example, you have not allowed Mustafa, the grandson of the former king, to return with Zahir Shah on the planned flight from Rome to Kabul this week. Any truth to these rumors?
Abdullah: At Bonn we all agreed to unite together. No Cypress or Rome or Northern Alliance group any more. We are together. We were more upset than anyone was when the king changed his scheduled flight in the last few months. We have to answer to the people and to the world. It was not good for the government. And you have to realize, there is no inside cabal working within the government. It is not me and [Interim Defense Minister Mohammad] Fahim, or me and [Interim Interior Minister Yunus] Qanooni on one side, and everyone else on the other. The [interim government] chairman is Karzai and all the cabinet work together as one team. Of course I know Qanooni and Fahim from the fighting days, but we have different roles now. � We have an important mandate from Bonn to make this government successful. The whole world is looking at us. We are responsible to our people. We are not like a gang or a family trying to take over the country. We would accede to any wish the people have.

Mustafa may have an image about himself and it’s something personal. He is a person who is coming to Afghanistan and his grandfather has respect for the people and Mustafa is one of the related to the king family. He is coming or not, I don’t care. Why do I have to busy my mind to think about his issue? His trip doesn’t change anything for Afghanistan.

EurasiaNet: What is the latest on the incident in which about 160 people were detained on April 3? [For background see the Eurasia Insight Q&A archive]. Were those detained indeed plotting a coup d’etat?
Abdullah: That was a conspiracy against the government to destabilize it. We are still investigating but I am sure a few of those [detained] had a hand in the conspiracy.

EurasiaNet: Do you know why Afghan warlord Gulbulddin Hekmatyar left Iran? Why didn’t you ask for his extradition?
Abdullah: During Chairman Karzai’s trip to Tehran, Iranian officials told us that they had blocked Hekmatyar from any political activities, but we hadn’t any agreement for extradition. I wish we had, but we had many things that were more critical. Stability and fighting with terror was the biggest [issue] for us. My personal opinion is, maybe we should have asked the Iranians to extradite him. Anyway this is just my own view.

EurasiaNet: Do you have concerns about security during the Loya Jirga?
Abdullah. Hopefully we don’t need that kind of tough security, but we are in Afghanistan. There is no point in being pessimistic, but we need a good security.

EurasiaNet: Your government has economic troubles. Do you think the financial situation will improve?
Abdullah: The realistic thing is that aid is really delayed. It could be faster and [better] organized. Yesterday we had meeting with chairman Karzai and we suggested we have to deal with one group in the international society, not with many groups. Hopefully, we will have better [results] after this meeting.

EurasiaNet: Where does your budget come from?
Abdullah: Twenty percent comes from local fees and the other 80 percent comes from the World Bank and some countries that agreed to pay the daily expenses of this new government.

EurasiaNet: It seems that the interim government is popular in Kabul. Do you think the Loya Jirga will decide to maintain the existing government?
Abdullah: Power and to be in the picture is not my anxiety. Actually this is my last anxiety in my life. My biggest anxiety is everything processes well on the basis of Bonn agreement: peace, stability and the chance for all Afghan ethnic groups to elected anything as they wish. No clan or group or foreign force should impose its own idea on the people. That is my only wish.

Editor�s Note: Camelia Entekhabi-Fard is a journalist who specializes in Afghan and Iranian affairs. She is currently in Afghanistan reporting for EurasiaNet.

The Central Eurasia Project aims, through its website, meetings, papers, and grants, to foster a more informed debate about the social, political and economic developments of the Caucasus and Central Asia. It is a program of the Open Society Institute-New York. The Open Society Institute-New York is a private operating and grantmaking foundation that promotes the development of open societies around the world by supporting educational, social, and legal reform, and by encouraging alternative approaches to complex and controversial issues.

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Open Society Institute and are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.