Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies-AISS

Media Coverage

Speech by Dr. Spanta

Rangin Dadfar Spanta’s speech at the Herat Conference

October 18, 2019

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Despite sharing some commonalities with every other social and political conflict, the current Conflict in Afghanistan has its unique characteristics too.

Since 2008, western countries that have had their forces present in Afghanistan, specifically Britain, and some circles in the United States, coined the term insurgency to describe the Afghan conflict. Since then, this expression entered into the political language of the countries that are allies of Afghanistan.

Our politicians had two kinds of reactions to this expression. Some did not resist the use of this expression, because they believed the single reason (or at least the main reason) of Afghan conflict was bad governance and corruption. While some who thought Afghan conflict had many reasons, and the main reason was foreign intervention, resisted the use of this expression. I also believed this expression was not appropriate to describe the Afghan conflict. For me, the Taliban movement was not a peasant’s movement, nor were they insurgents to fight corruption. Corruption is one of the reasons of this conflict, not the main reason.

Behind the popular word of insurgency laid a specific intention. Since then, this word has been used frequently by Afghans and the international media; as well as during official political conversations of Afghan elite and the international community. This instigated the notion that the Taliban’s movement consisted of some dissatisfied and rebellious forces who fought against the invasion of Afghanistan.

The reality is that from a scientific perspective, such interpretations had no real and physical implications; neither then, nor now. The real intention behind Afghanistan’s bloody conflict is not international military forces’ presence, or the resistance against invasion of them. Neither it is Jihad; Jihad is a justification to cover a widespread massacre of people and to spread extremism, dormancy of wisdom, and to resist democracy.

Pakistan and Taliban had started war against Afghanistan long before a single American or NATO soldier’s boot touched the Afghan soil. However, the presence of international forces gave them a excuse to perpetuate the bloody conflict. It is because of this excuse that fighters are motivated and their alienist and Jihadi feelings are provoked; thus religion is misused.

For the past 18 years, the United States’ strategy toward Afghanistan has been to assist Pakistan and partner with them. Not only the US did not fight the birthplace and safe-haven of Taliban; instead, they supported Pakistan with generous financial donations.

In this conflict, the people of Afghanistan, and Afghan security forces are defending the Afghan constitution, independence and integrity; while the political elites have sabotaged the soul of the constitution. Elites have diluted and destroyed the rule of law and the republic state’s values to an extent that only a corpse is left of it.

Afghan Civilian were bombed to the extent that they started to doubt defending the goal of this war. Some people, even accepted the illusion that this conflict is a big conspiracy with many sub-conspiracies.

In this conflict, the US is stuck too; the only justification they have to continue the war is to fight against terrorism. This pretext is becoming outdated too, since the Taliban leaders and intellectual heads have been recognized as negotiating within the peace process; in addition to their official presence in the international conferences.

Afghanistan might only have strategic values, in the United States’ broader (Global) security strategy to compete China. Our neighboring country, Pakistan, still searches for strategic depth in Afghanistan; while terrorist networks like Al Qaeda and ISIS (which has no meaningful relation and contact to ISIS at Middle East) are pursuing their jihadist agenda. Drug Mafia, and illegal business owners are another perpetuator of this conflict, and beneficiaries of the war economy; they strive to benefit from this situation to accumulate wealth. From the national interest perspective, their goals are illegal; and fighting for these goals are also illegal and filthy.

In the meantime, this conflict is a proxy and intelligence war.

United States against Russia and China; Saudi Arabia against Iran, the United States against Iran, Pakistan against India and all entangled somehow. It is us, the Afghan people are the victims of such proxy efforts.

We are entangled in a conflict which is not ours; so, there is no military solution to it. Because of multi factored nature of this conflict, violence and conflict continues itself, which Afghan people play little part in. We can also say that this conflict has become self-governing and a lifestyle. Behind this rampant violence lays destruction of our society’s philanthropist values; as well as social & political values to strive for peace. We quickly return to daily routine after witnessing massacre of children, women, and civilians without questioning them.

So far this conflict has had no result except bloodshed. It is a pity that our youth are killed in dozens every day; while political elites compete to stick to a non-democratic, racist, and unlawful power that is supported by systematic fraud.

There is a famous saying that goes “If all wars had ended, we could have altered the world. Those who can live a dignified life in peace, are turned into criminals at war. War unites all criminals”.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Even though it is my personal wish too, unfortunately I cannot speak about a just and democratic peace. Such peace would be a utopia; which is only possible if our leaders and ally countries had clear intentions. Only then we could have easily united our people to strive for realization of ideal justice.

At first, Afghans wanted an impartial peace, and gave many sacrifices for it; but bad governance and meaningless fights of western countries, arising from regional rivalries, stripped this conflict of its fairness (if conflicts have any fairness at all).

Aristocracy nurtured by war is stripped of any patriotism. The last people fighting with heroism to defend this motherland are the national security forces.

With all the sacrifices Afghan people give, they are tired of conflicts. People are weary of conflict, fraudulent election, corruption by political elites who lie on a daily basis.

This slaughterhouse should be closed; and we should bring peace to this land. This river of blood should be dried. We must put an end to this war, the least we can do is bring society back to normality. This is possible only when Afghan people reach an agreement on the methods and contents of peace.

Without any doubts, every supporter of democracy and justice, wants impartial peace, and wish to end structural violence as Mathias Jopp and Johan Galtlung believed so too. Every human who loves justice, wants justice to be realized inside a country’s boundaries with no less attention from the rest of the world; besides an ending to organized military violence. I ideally believe in such kind of peace and have struggled and will struggle until the realization of it.

But the reality of our country is harsh; we must first accept the incomplete peace (which is known as OECD), which literally means absence of armed conflict. In other words, absence of the current armed conflict, violence, and suicide bombing mean peace for us Afghans. Even if we reach a minimalistic peace, it will be a big step towards the right direction for us.

But ladies and gentlemen, this so called peace process is not a peace for Afghans; it merely is peace between the United States, Pakistan and Taliban. On the other hand, the US officials insist that they only talk to Taliban over issues pertaining to the United States, and leave Afghanistan’s issue to Afghans themselves.

Accordingly, since 2014 International forces’ presence in Afghanistan is not legally approved by the UN Security Council’s enactment. This presence is based on a mutual agreement between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States that has approval from the international community. If there is any agreement regarding the withdrawal of these forces Afghanistan, it ought to be between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States, and NATO member countries. But unfortunately, in the current negotiations, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and other US allies are absent; only the US talks to Taliban and Pakistan without Afghanistan and other allies.

Ensuring the absence of foreign terrorist networks within Afghan soil is an issue that should be solely discussed with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Any talk in this regard with Taliban means two things:

First, accepting Taliban as de Facto and legal political force; which further means accepting Islamic Emirate’s continuation. Second, undermining the legitimacy of a state which the US and allies themselves officially recognize as a legitimate state of Afghanistan.

I believe following are the most important points when preparing for peace negotiations.

Peace process should comprehensively be led and owned by people and the state of Afghanistan.
This is not possible unless the government and the political elite agree on a framework for peace; in addition, a consensus must be reached on fundamental contents of peace.
Any attempt to exclude the government, or insistence on the government’s exclusive and leading role in the peace process will lead to offsetting of the peace supporters’ front, and fortifies the opposite front.
Those whose survival, possession, and ethnic power is not at stake should act responsibly toward the peace process. It is better to see peace as a national process, rather than an opportunity to compete for a non-state power.
Besides being aware of the basics of global peace process, the negotiating team must be inclusive with strong commitment, to defend values of a Republic, rule of law, justice and equality.
Values of the republic, and the state’s rule of law should be defended as an undeniable alternative to tyranny of an Islamic Emirate; or against a republic system where law, freedom, and equality principles are constantly violated based on ethnic and linguistic affiliations. Our support for republic values doesn’t mean supporting a hollow republic where people are disrespected, and deprived of freedom. We defend a republic system where people are treated equally regardless of their ethnic, racial, tribal, gender, and linguistic affiliations. We defend a republic where state officials and ordinary citizens obey the law equally. We defend a republic that does not tolerate populism, fraud, lie, and exemption from the law. We defend a republic that reflect the people and respect their vote.
The number of Negotiating team cannot be to much that to prevent effective negotiation.
Members of the negotiating team must be disciplined and coordinated on all the issues related to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Peace does not mean eccentricity, and turning to another Superpower ; it should mean Afghan people’s destiny shouldn’t be put in Pakistan’s hand.

A sustainable peace requires Afghanistan not to be used as a field for proxy wars, and should be not be a hotspot of superpowers competition.

It is not possible unless the involved parties agree on, and facilitate Afghanistan’s neutrality; guaranteed by superpowers, the region, and the United Nations. This plan should be part of the Afghan peace process before full withdrawal of the international forces from Afghanistan.

Super powers, regional countries, and Afghanistan’s neighboring countries should guarantee the implementation of peace agreement; as well as regional country’s noninterference in Afghanistan’s affairs.

Even a minimalistic peace cannot survive without the rule of law, republic system governance, observance of human & citizenship rights, and gender equality. The silence in a graveyard is an absence of noise, it is not peace. According to our religious doctrine graveyards, despite their apparent silence, are filled with grim unrest underground till doomsday; but no one reflects this unrest.

At the end, ladies and gentlemen,

I thank my friend, Dr. Dawood Moradian, for inviting me here again this year, to express my opinions. Although I was not very eager to express them. I thank him and all his colleagues at the Afghan Institute of Strategic Studies for holding this conference.

I also thank the Governor of Herat, senior officials, academic, artists, and especially tolerant people of Herat for their hospitality.

I also thank guests coming from Kabul and other countries and warmly welcome them.

I wish you constructive and useful discussions in this conference. I welcome you to Herat city, my homtown. Use this opportunity to visit historical places where you are reminded of nostalgic sound tracks of caravans that whisper the regretful loss of an old civilization.

As Rumi says:

I am the mute who have had a dream, and the whole world is deaf

I am unable to recount, the people are unable to hear it

HSD8 in Media

International Media:

Dari VOA

Alarabi Press

The National Interest

Washington Examiner

Fars News Agency

National:

BBC Persian