Typos left in!
>From the Mandelite Fourth International list, FI-P. To be published in
International Viewpoint their monthly.
Michael Pugliese
----- Original Message ----- From: <Sajaber at aol.com> To: <FI-press-l at mail.comlink.apc.org> Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2001 6:32 AM Subject: [FI-P] Trans. : fresh information from Afghanistan
Dear friends,
Please find enclosed a frsh information from Afghanistan
* Talban has lost all support, they will loose power very soon * Asama has at least 25000 Islamic militants * Left and Right unite to support former King Zahir Shah, * Every one who has enough money for travel to Pakistan is leaving.
A special interview with Adil, leader of Afghanistan Labour Revolutionary Organization
Adil is leader of a small left wing organization based in Afghanistan. He is himself in exile. He was in Jilalabad for three days from 16to19th September to see the mood and to instruct his party men for the future strategy. It was an illegal entry to Afghanistan. Here is a special report on the present situation in Afghanistan based on his interview with Farooq Tariq taken at Lahore on 24th September.
I traveled to Afghanistan on 16th September and reached Jilalabad. The town was in absolute shock conditions. Everyone from there was talking to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible. To reach to Peshawar, you need at least 200,000 Afghanis ($2). Then you need another $ 5 to bribe the Pakistan official at the border to cross. So any one who has this amount is leaving. An average wage of an Afghani government clerk for instance at present is around 300,000 Afghanis ($3) per month. A daily worker in Jilalabad would get around Afghani 10,000 to 20,000 ($0.10 to$0.20) per day. So there is tremendous poverty in all parts of Afghanistan. Wages are not normally paid upto 6 months. People are sick and tired of Talban regime. They can not say it openly but now are very sure the regime is going to go away. Most of the shops and the trading companies were closed in Jilalabad. No one wants to do any business in the city. It is more like a deserted city.
On Talban military power
There are around 20,000 military men at the disposal of Talban. They have lost their best friend Pakistan, so their military assistance is in trouble. On the contrary, there are over 25000 military men with Asama. They belong to China, Algeria, Nigeria and many other Arab countries apart from Pakistan. When Talbaan say they will not hand over Asama to Americans, it has nothing to do with their courage or their service to Islam, they are unable to hand him over as Asama has more Islamic militants than the Talbaan.
On the Popularity of Talbaan
They have lost support in absolute terms. The people I spoke in Jilalabad are openly against the Talban. I think it is only Talibs (the militant students) who support them. No one else support them in Afghanistan. They are the most unpopular regime in Afghanistan history. If American comes here they will loose power not so much of the attack but more because they have no social basis. It is not like the situation when Russians came to Afghanistan. There were a lot of people in Afghanistan opposing them. Also Americans and Pakistan was against them. But the situation is totally different. Talbaan can not fight with American for long time. They can not hide for long time. They are doomed to loose power. Talban are most vicious and brutal government of all time. We oppose them from the beginning. But American and Pakistan have supported them from the beginning. They say it today that Talban government is no good, we are saying it from the day first.
Three trends within Talbaan
There are three trends within the hierarchy of Talbaan regime. One is the most fundamentalist who are totally opposed to the handing Talbaan over to American. One big group is in favor of handing Asama to American. The third one is balancing the two groups. It is the third group, which has prevailed recently in its decision that Asama should leave voluntarily. The problem is that all the three groups are smaller than the army of Asama is. Asama is the real ruler of Afghanistan and not the Talbaan.
On Northern Front
There are mix people in the Northern Front. Abdul Rashid Dostum who heads Junbash Milli Islamia (Islamic National Movement) was a close ally of Babrak Karmal and Dr. Najib ullah, the former rulers of Afghanistan with the support of Russians. He is not fundamentalist and represents Uzbak and Turkmenistan people of Afghanistan. Another component party of Northern Front is the party of Professor Siaf, s Itehad Islami Afghanistan (Afghanistan Islamic Unity). This is the most fundamentalist party of the Front. Then there is Ahmed Shah party Shoora Nizaar (Islamic Association).
The same people who did The 11th September event killed him on 9th September. Ahmed Shah Massod was killed because the people of Asama knew that he is the only capable person who can lead a resistance after the 11th September. He was supported by many Western powers already. He was a religious fanatic but recently ha had changed his position to right wing ideas. Hizb Wahdat Islami is another party, which is part of the Northern Alliance. NF is in full preparations to attack the Talbaan. There have been fights at Mazar Sharif after 11th September. 80 Talbaan dead and 200 arrested. The fight is still going on so Talbaan can loose Mezar Sharif very soon.
Ex general Doostam have got some Western support already and he is moving forward.
On ex King Zahir Shah
He is an 89-year-old ex king who seemed to get the support of all the parties in Afghanistan apart from Talbaan. The flag of Zahir Shah party Are seen every where in Peshawar at least. This black, Red and green color flags. Our party at this time supports him for a transitional period. The American plan is to hand him powers after the fall of Talbaan and then he can call elections in one-year time. But it clears that he will not be able to solve the problems of the people. There is a Persian saying that the “bad” is in power and there are some good coming out of it, it is not that bad. So we have no other choice apart from supporting him for a transitional period.
On American military intervention
We are totally opposed to American military intervention. But we are in favor of an immediate ending of Talbaan government. The situation is like this that American was bringing up a dog who has now gone mad. It is the responsibility of American to control or kill the mad dog. We will do our part to haunt down this mad dog which is dangerous for the Afghan people. Talbaan were supported indirectly or directly by the Americans and Pakistan in the hope of stabilizing Afghanistan but the situation has gone out of their control.
On Shelter International
This NGO was providing over bread to over 3 million Afghanis. The Talbaan regime arrested them for no reasons. The food is gone. People are suffering now. This has even added to the misery of the people and more hatred against the Talbaan government. They wanted to control the NGO, s working in Afghanistan. This has not gone well among the normal Afghanis.
Adil told that every one is sick and tired of Talbaan regime. They are sick of the war. There is lot people waiting for the end of this government. I do not see any possibility of Talbaan remaining in power for a longer time. American strategy is to bring Zahir Shah into power. He has already got the support of Northern Alliance and other Left and right parties. We are waiting for the day to go back to Afghanistan.
Interview by farooq tariq General secretary Labour Party Pakistan www.labourpakistan.org