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[ English Section ] [ Feedback ] Published in issue #467 2 April 2001
Europe invites MasoodParis, April 1 (Omaid): In a press release received by Omaid Weekly from the office of the Spokesman for the Cabinet of the President of the European Parliament (EP), president of the EP Nicole Fontaine has officially invited Ahmad Shah Masood, leader of Afghanistan's national resistance force, to Strasbourg, France, on April 5. According to the press release, Pres. Fontaine "invited Commander Massoud [sic], Vice-President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, to come to Strasbourg to make a statement on the situation of his country, at the time of the next plenary session of Parliament." The press release noted both the EP's and its president's concern over the Taliban's "criminal" acts, and called for "international pressure" on the militia and its "principal allies...Pakistan and Saudi Arabia." Pres. Fontaine will receive Cmdr. Masood at 9 a.m. on Thursday, April 5. They will hold a press conference at noon on the same day. Sources in the Islamic State government have reported to Omaid Weekly that Cmdr. Masood will also hold discussions with other European Union leaders and prominent officials, including possibly French president Jacques Chirac. Cmdr. Masood, the key Afghan leader during the nation's jihad against the Soviet Union, and who is now supreme commander of the national resistance force fighting Pakistan and its Taliban militia, has strong support in Europe. The United States remains the only major Western country to espouse a negative attitude toward Afghanistan's national resistance leader. Most experts attribute this impolitic US attitude to Washington's long-standing dependence on Pakistan to formulate America's Afghan policy. Omaid Weekly will publish coverage of Cmdr. Masood's historic visit to Europe in its next issues. Amb. Tomsen: Loya Jirga, bridge over muddy rapidsFollowing is the message from Ambassador Peter Tomsen, who from 1989 to 1992 served as the American Special Envoy to the Afghan Resistance with the personal rank of Ambassador, to the March 25 seminar on "Loya Jirga and a Political Solution to the Afghan Problem." The message was read during the first session of the seminar, which was organized by the Association for Peace and Democracy for Afghanistan, and it received enthusiastic praise from the full-capacity audience. More information on this important seminar will be published in a future issue. Amb. Tomsen is among the leading experts on Afghanistan. During a highly distinguished career in the US Department of State, he received several awards and honors, and has served as Ambassador to Armenia, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Deputy Chief of Mission to China, First Secretary in the Political Section of the US Embassy in Moscow, senior manager of US diplomacy for East Asia and the Pacific, and Director of the Office of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldive Affairs. He is currently Ambassador in Residence at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, in the Office of International Studies and Programs and Center for Afghanistan Studies. I wish the seminar on Loya Jirga every success. Please pass my warmest regards to the speakers and to each and every member of the audience. The Loya Jirga has played a critical role in Afghan history. At this time, a Loya Jirga, if fair and representative of all the people of Afghanistan, can be a sturdy bridge from the horrific Taliban period on one side, to a period of revived peace and stability in Afghanistan on the other side. The people of the world, and most of all the people of Afghanistan, hope that this bridge will cross over the muddy rapids of personal power grabs swirling in the waters below. Such lust by individuals to obtain and keep power -- at the cost of the people of Afghanistan -- occurred before the Taliban period as well as during the Taliban period. On the opposite end of the bridge is the long postponed large Afghan gathering, a Loya Jirga where all tribes and clans are fairly and transparently represented by their khans, religious, military, and intellectual leaders. The Taliban's popularity in Afghanistan fell substantially during 2000. This year, their brutal policies, including the destruction of Afghanistan's ancient, pre-Islamic Buddhist heritage, more merciless Taliban massacres of countless innocent Afghan civilians, plus growing Taliban dependence on Pakistani military intelligence and foreign Wahabbi troops, advisors, and money have accelerated their ultimate demise. What will replace the vacuum in Kabul when the Taliban are forced to abandon the city? Once this takes place, current Afghan political dynamics will make it absolutely necessary that military leaders around Afghanistan practice military restraint to permit the effective convening of a Loya Jirga in Kabul. The Loya Jirga should be allowed to be implemented peacefully in Afghanistan's ancient capital. In my opinion, the world community would denounce moves by competing commanders to seize Kabul militarily, plunging Afghanistan into yet another phase of warfare. Instead, Afghan military commanders should together lift the window of opportunity for the Afghan people to choose their leadership in a fair, transparent Loya Jirga process. The world community must help Afghanistan, including in the post Loya Jirga construction of Afghanistan's devastated cities, towns and countryside. The greatest challenge, however, will rest on the shoulders of Afghans, particularly those organizing the Loya Jirga. World and Afghan history will judge them as harshly as the Taliban if they deceptively maneuver behind the screen of the noble Loya Jirga to acquire power and position for themselves. The muddy waters will wash away the bridge. A rare opportunity for peace will be missed. It is common knowledge among Afghans that too many meetings on the Loya Jirga in the past have produced only rhetoric and no real progress. Let us hope that this seminar will frankly, critically and effectively provide impetus to building the planks on the Loya Jirga bridge to a new, bright dawn for Afghanistan and its valiant people. With Best Regards, Courage in journalism
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In
his acceptance speech, Mr. Rashid remarked on his 23 year coverage
of war in Afghanistan. During his extensive interview with Omaid
Weekly in April 2000, after the release of his highly acclaimed
book, "Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil & Fundamentalism in
Central Asia," Mr. Rashid commented on his unique experience
with Afghanistan.