Abstract
The situation in Afghanistan today is not what the international community was planning it to be, 7 years ago when the Bonn Agreement was signed. Deterioration of security, weak governance, corruption, high narcotic production and trade, slow reconstruction process and consequent people’s disappointment are some of the features of that situation. Kabul and its international partners had a very little success in restoring peace and security, and a new phase of strategic re-thinking is in process. This article analyzes the different aspects of Afghan reconstruction and military intervention, their strengths and weaknesses, and outlines some urgent actions to be taken by all concerned actors.
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Notes
The Minister of finance, Anwarul Haq Ahadi, stated that the ANDS needs 29 billion dollars. During the Paris conference 20 billion was pledged by donors (more than the expected 15 billion). The balance will be raised in the coming years.
There are contradictory data on the number of deaths because of the lack of independent assessments and limited reliability of the local authorities report. According to the UNSC report of 6 March 2008, there would have been over 8000, including 1,500 civilians.
In 2007 there were on average 566 incidents each month, while in 2006 the number was 425.
In particular, 13 soldiers of ISAF/Enduring Freedom, 180 men of the Afghan security forces, 23 private security people and 307 civilians.
REUTERS, September 18, 2008.
Deledda, A., Afghanistan—The end of the Bonn Process, Springer—Transition Studies Review, Vol. 13 no. 1/2006 42.
The report, done with UNDP support, was released on 18 November 2007.
Two international media watchdogs, Reporters Without Borders and Article 19, have urged President Karzai to intercede on behalf of former journalist Ahmed Ghows Zalmay and mullah Qari Mushtaq, sentenced by a Kabul court to 20 years prison for publishing a dari translation of the Holy Quran.
70% is produced in five provinces bordering Pakistan.
Calculated on the relative basis of inhabitants, the number of soldiers and the dimension of funding to Afghanistan are 4 and 2% the respective numbers given to Bosnia.
Oxfam, Development Assistance in Insecure Environment: Afghanistan. Overview of Priorities, December 2007.
Bloomberg, 11 February 2008.
Acknowledgments
The article is a synthesis of the ARGO Report “Afghanistan: The need for a change of course”, April 2008, published on www.argoriente.it. The Report was also updated to September 2008.
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Carbonari, F., Deledda, A. Afghanistan: A Change of Course?. Transit Stud Rev 15, 466–479 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11300-008-0032-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11300-008-0032-3