| Subject |
After
a third visit to Afghanistan Tobias Ellwood reports that reconstruction
work is being hampered by insurgency and corruption
|
| Ref |
PR/06-162 |
| Date |
28th
October 2006 |
Tobias Ellwood
has just returned from his third visit to Afghanistan to find a
country developing in two halves. Progress in the southern half
is poor with around 300 attacks each month limiting reconstruction
efforts. In the north peace is emerging but is hampered by the worrying
levels of corruption in President Karzai's Government. That corruption
is alienating the large majority who want peace.
Visiting a number
of towns and cities over the last week, Tobias returned with four
key observations:
1. ISAF has
requested Warrior Fighting Vehicles for British troops
Tobias spoke with General David Frazer, commander of ISAF forces
in the south of Afghanistan, which includes Helmand Province, who
said he had repeatedly called for Warrior to replace the inadequate
'snatch' land rovers used by British forces. This is in stark contrast
to the answer given to Tobias by the Defence Secretary on October
10th 2006 (Hansard Column 190) where Des Brown said no such request
had been made.
2. Meeting with
President Karzai confirms Afghanistan's drugs policy is failing
President Karzie spoke frankly about the growth in Afghanistan's
opium production (poppy cultivation almost doubled last year). Calling
for more international support he asked "If $280m was spent
on poppy irradiation last year, where is that money going?"
As the present drugs strategy is failing, Tobias asked if the President
would consider UN licensing of poppy crops in order to assist the
farmers directly, cut off the war lords from their source of income
and help to meet the world shortage of morphine and codeine. He
acknowledged that this had not been considered and agreed it was
an interesting proposal.
As Britain has
the G8 Summit responsibility for dealing with narcotics and almost
half the world's heroin now comes from Helmand province where British
troops are based, we are well placed to manage a pilot licensing
scheme which might include 5 year programmes where each year a proportion
of the crop would be replaced by, for example, wheat or peach trees.
A similar programme launched in Turkey removed the large scale illegal
export of heroin and now raises over $60m a year from the sale of
poppies for medicinal purposes.
3. Poor co-ordination
between international agencies
Success in Afghanistan now centres on the ability to provide re-construction
and re-development. Yet the units tasked with developing infrastructure
and improving communities (Provisional Reconstruction Teams) vary
in ability and focus. Co-ordination at a national level is challenged
by the myriad of agencies, international bodies and NGOs who often
answer to no centralised authority and compete with each other.
A senior co-ordinator who has the authority to manage all interested
parties is urgently needed.
4. Tapping into
the underground river systems
Improving irrigation is the key to allowing Afghanistan to grow
the crops needed to sustain its economy. Snow, melting from the
mountains, forms extensive river systems which flow 200 metres under
the ground. In addition to irrigation, the water could be used for
reservoirs and hydro-electric power. Yet there are currently no
international efforts to harness this huge recourse.
Commenting on his visit, Tobias said:
"Much has
changed since my last visit. With relative peace established in
the north, new challenges have emerged which the international community
is slow to address. The development of the police force and judicial
system is woefully behind schedule and a huge distrust of the Karzai
Government is emerging due to the scale of corruption.
Other things,
however, have not changed. The shortage of NATO troops remains evident.
For example, Nimroz, the neighbouring province to Helmand, does
not contain a single ISAF solder or NGO. Caveats placed on participating
NATO troops by their respective governments puts an unfair burden
on those nations who are committed without conditions on where they
might operate or the activities they might engage in..
In the south, progress is poor. The ability of the Taliban to recruit
and carry out attacks has increased, in part due to Pakistan's pact
to allow the Taliban to operate freely in Pakistan's north western
region. This has increased cross border activity and resulted in
more attacks.
The challenges
facing Afghanistan remain daunting but there is a glimmer of hope
which the international community should work upon. However, the
illegal opium trade is Afghanistan's Achilles heel and unless Britain,
tasked by the G8 with the responsibility of designing and managing
the counter narcotics strategy, is able to design a more successful
solution with improved international co-ordination, a prosperous
economy, free from the Taliban, will be a long time in coming."
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