Lawmakers say the US Should Continue Support of Northern Alliance
WASHINGTON – Even though the fall of Kabul, the Afghan capital, on Tuesday appears to have been a major gain for the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance, New Hampshire and Massachusetts lawmakers say this does not change America’s war aims and the United States should continue its support of the Northern Alliance’s campaign.
“I don’t think this changes the approach of our efforts at all,” said New Hampshire 1st District Congressman John E. Sununu, R-Bedford. He said the next step for the United States should be to have its Special Forces units in Afghanistan maintain their support of the Northern Alliance’s military efforts.
On Tuesday, Taliban forces fled Kabul, allowing Northern Alliance troops to enter and take over the city. The opposition forces entered the city despite requests by President George W. Bush that they stay out of Kabul until a “broad-based government” to replace the Taliban was developed.
Rep. Sununu said the military objective will be “to control as much as possible and to gather intelligence about al-Qaeda,” the terrorist organization headed by Osama bin Laden. The diplomatic objective, he added, will be to make sure that a “representative government,” drawing on “traditional tribal and ethnic structure,” is in place to give all Afghan ethnic groups a voice.
Yesterday, the United Nations called for a two-year interim government in Afghanistan that would be backed by a “multinational security force.” Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N. special representative to Afghanistan, proposed a committee that represents the many ethnic groups in the country and said it should be chaired by someone recognized as a “symbol of national unity.” Zaher Shah, the exiled king of Afghanistan, has been mentioned as someone who could play that role.
During the two-year period, a council of “prominent Afghans” would write a constitution and a second group would create a permanent government.
Rep. Sununu agreed that in the short-term it make sense to have a structural government that draws on the traditions of tribal governments and to ensure that all members of the community have a clear voice.
“I think the effort to put that together will be done by the U.S.,” he said.
U.S. Senator Robert C. Smith, R-N.H., said, “We should offer our assistance in helping Afghanis select their new government, but strongly mindful of their right to national sovereignty.” He said the US should avoid “micromanaging” the formation of a new government and forcing “politically correct ethnic quotas” on the future government.
“I would relegate the U.N. to basic support services such as humanitarian relief, and encourage the U.N. to refrain from meddling with Afghanistan’s political future–the U.N.’s record of ‘nation-building’ is dismal,” Sen. Smith said. He said he also supports having former Afghan leaders serve in the interim government, but added that he hoped those leaders would be chosen by the Afghan people.
Massachusetts 6th District Congressman John F. Tierney, D-Salem, said, “The administration has to strike a balance as to how far the Northern Alliance should go South.” He added that the Northern Alliance is not well received in Southern Afghanistan. Tierney said it is important that the United States solidify the Northern Alliance gains, get help to the refugees and avoid “destabilization” at Afghanistan’s borders.
“It’s important now in Kabul to have a neutral entity,” Rep. Tierney said. He said he agrees with the proposed idea of having a committee that represents “varying interests” and can solve disputes.
“The hardest thing is to decide who is going to be on that council,” Rep. Tierney said. He said he has heard that approximately 120 to 150 people would be on the council and that there are thousands who are interested in council positions.
“A week or so ago, I was commenting that the media was portraying our mission as not going well,” said Massachusetts 5th District Congressman Martin T. Meehan, D-Lowell. From all the briefings he has been to, Rep. Meehan said the campaign is going well since it began.
“I was surprised they folded as quickly as they had,” said Rep. Meehan, who had thought the Taliban retreat would take about three weeks. Despite quick abandonment of Kabul, Meehan said the United States has to continue the war effort until the Taliban is destroyed.
Rep. Meehan said that ultimately the Northern Alliance and other opposition forces have to show their own leadership and must not commit the same human rights violations as the Taliban.
“The U.S. should assist the U.N., but I think the U.N. should be the lead here because the U.S. shouldn’t be ultimately making decisions about who governs Afghanistan,” he said. The U.N., he added, is better equipped to make these decisions.
Ultimately, he said, the U.N. has to establish a stable government and the people of Afghanistan have to control their own fate through a permanent government.
