04 December 2001
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)
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