Why is it that those who have abandoned the Taliban to join the Afghan government aren’t using their connections and understanding of the Taliban to help the Karzai government defeat them? Furthermore, why is it that people who have been elected by the people, continue to endanger their constituents by allowing the Taliban to operate in the country?
According to columnist Jawad Rahmani of Afghanistan’s Outlook Afghanistan, it all comes down to one thing: few Afghans are willing to embrace Afghanistan as a nation and eschew their clans, sects and factions – because they lack a sense of ‘ownership’ over their own government.
For Outlook Afghanistan, Jawad Rahmani writes in part:
Seemingly, the sense of ownership within these old factions is low or even absent. There are senior civil and political officials and representatives in both houses of the Wolesi Jirga [House of the People], who have had close ties to Taliban militants – and even a few who were famous Taliban commanders. So why can’t they act? Why don’t famed Taliban commanders who have joined the democratic process help Afghan and foreign forces better deal with the Taliban? The notion that they know nothing of Taliban tactics is more than a little suspicious.
Take Abdul Salam Rocketi for example: his nickname is derived from the word “rocket,” because of his expertise and dexterity at firing them. Rocketi used to lead thousands of Taliban militants, and served most of his life fighting both Soviet Forces and his fellow jihadis after the Soviet withdrawal. Now he is with the Afghan government. Last year he was a presidential candidate and was elected to the Wolesi Jirga by a wide margin. Is one to believe that there is nothing he could do to help Afghan Forces – or at least neutralize some deadly Taliban raids, with the connections he enjoys to the anti-government militant leadership?
Rather, people like Rocketi use their Taliban connections to get elected to high office, but once in power reject their own influence in their constituencies. They are elected to represent the people with votes in the Wolesi Jirga – but who are their votes cast for? Who are the people that make up their constituencies? Certainly, some of these areas are the most restive in the country -such as southwest Afghanistan. If the voters elected them, can’t these lawmakers help strike the militants more effectively? The insurgents are hiding within these areas; they don’t pop in from thin air! They cohabitate and live beside these voters. Meanwhile, labeled as terrorist and terrorist supporters, civilians are sacrificed directly and indirectly.
Why do influential people like Mr. Abdul Salam Rocketi and Mullah Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil not help Afghan security forces deal a blow to the militant infrastructure? Many of these figures – and civilians, smugly reply that with empty hands, they defeated the most powerful empire of the day – the USSR. So, why can’t they now remove a few Taliban guerillas who have stolen the wealth, inflicted untold suffering and ruined the good names of the people?
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