Reconstruction of Afghanistan Requires Long-Term Commitment
(Forum discusses International Crisis Group report) (590) By Stephen Kaufman Washington File Staff Writer Washington -- The international community should be aware that reconstructing and stabilizing Afghanistan will be "a much longer and more expensive program than is probably recognized," said Robert Templer, the Asia program director for the International Crisis Group (ICG). Templer was speaking December 4 at an ICG/Brookings Institute Forum entitled "Stabilizing Afghanistan." There, he outlined a November 27 ICG report that gave priorities to long-term reconstruction and development goals. ICG is a private organization based in Brussels dedicated to conflict prevention and containment. In order to get the Afghan people back to pre-civil war living standards, a tremendous amount of money would be needed to fund education and health programs. He estimated the reconstruction effort could cost as much as $25 billion over the next ten years. "Some of these figures will probably give people indigestion for their size, and certainly they're huge problems ... we do believe it's going to cost a very significant amount," said Templer. The Bush administration has said that it is committed to helping the Afghan people, both in the immediate humanitarian crisis, and in the long-term needs of Afghan society. "The President and everybody in this Administration are committed to doing what is necessary for the humanitarian relief of the suffering Afghans. But, beyond that, we will not walk out. We are committed to rebuilding that society and giving all of those people hope -- not just hope, but the reality of having a better life for themselves and for their children. That is our commitment," said Secretary of State Colin Powell November 29. Templer also stated the need to focus upon the interests of the wider Central Asian region in order to help Afghanistan. Its neighbors would be less likely to cause internal instability if the post-war power structure included all ethnic and religious minorities, he said. Afghanistan is also widely regarded as the world's largest exporter of heroin, much of it entering Iran and Pakistan, where, according to Templer, 1 in 30 persons are drug addicts and the possibility of an HIV epidemic is a growing concern. Both countries needed assurances that opium cultivation in Afghanistan would be drastically reduced. Turning to human rights, Templer said women's advancement in Afghan society faced opposition from traditional attitudes that would not be immediately overcome. He said the advancement of women's rights will have a better chance of success if the Afghan people understand that their entire society will benefit and that it is not as an agenda solely for women. Templer said the goal of the November 27 report was to immediately motivate the international community to think of long-term reconstruction projects for Afghanistan. "In so many cases around the world there's the slippage between the initial military action it takes to stabilize the place, the humanitarian action that may be necessary in the immediate aftermath to save the population, the reconstruction effort that goes beyond ... and then the development process down the line," said Templer. Even though crucial factors to Afghanistan's stability, such as the ability of a post-war government to effectively rule the country, remain to be determined, the international community should address the long-term needs now, said Templer. The topic of funds for Afghan reconstruction will be discussed when the Afghan Support Group, a coalition of 22 donor nations that provide humanitarian aid to the Afghan people, convenes in Berlin December 5. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
