THE AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan is distinguished as being a buffer state between some of the superpowers and regional powers in Central Asia. It is a buffer state between China and Indian subcontinent, besides it prevents Russians from reaching the warm waters of the Indian sea and Arab gulf. At the time of the British colonilization to India, Afghanistan was a real barrier between Russia of Caesars and the imperialist Britain, to the point that one of Afghanistan rulers portrayed it as a sheep that stands between the Russian bear and the British lion. In drawing the political borders of Afghanistan between Russia and Britain, it was noticed to annex to it the mount of Bamir and the strait of Wakhan (Khyber) as a way out for the British-Chinese-Russian struggle over the region. Thus, the map of Afghanistan from the northeast side looked like the neck of ooze, extending till China so as to separate Pakistan from Russia and its old satellite countries represented n Central Asia republics. Lord, Curzon, the deputy of the king of Britain in India used to call Afghanistan �Asia� s theatre of war� , due to the successive wars on its territories.
The nature of this sensitive geographic location of Afghanistan, and the fact that it is a state that has no outlets to the sea, made it a foothold, a passage and a gate for the invaders and conquerors of Asia. The Macedonian Alexander took it in the past a foothold for the Greek invasion to the east in 329 AC. Muslims conquered it and annexed it to Islam land in 654. Jinkizkhan, Turks, Indians and Persians took it as passage for their armies. In the modern history, the English, Russian Caesars and the Soviets knocked on its doors, and finally the Americans who realized its importance as being the siege gate of Russia and China through Central Asia. This is in addition to its importance as passage for the oil and gas pipelines from Central Asia across Afghanistan to Pakistan, and then to the huge ports, which it built on its coasts at Indian sea and Arab sea. The subject of oil, wherever it existed, is America� s centre of attention, where she endeavours to control it together with its lines. The Afghani people, with all of its races of Bashtun, Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara and others are generally strongly devoted Muslims, who do not believe in other than Islam as a system for their daily matters and way of life.
In the nineteenth century Afghanistan fell prey to the British-Russian struggle. Britain engaged in three wars against Afghan people to control Afghanistan and then contain Russia. The first war was between 1839 and 1842, in which the British army was defeated badly. After this war, Abdul Brahman Khan followed neutral foreign policy between the Russian and British empires. The second war was between 1878
and 1880, in which the British were also defeated, and could not achieve their aims in terms of controlling Afghanistan. The third war was in 1919, which ended with signing the treaty of Rowalpendi by Britain and the Afghani king, Amanullah who consolidated the British political influence in Afghanistan. When this king tried to take the Afghani country out of its Islamic civilization, and decided to ban the hijab (women head cover) and introduce the western norm of life to Afghanistan, an Islamic people� s rebel broke out against him under the leadership of Habibullah, nicknamed as ibnusaqqa (son of the water carrier). The king was removed from power, and the Islamic norm was restored to Afghanistan. However, Britain that controlled Afghanistan militarily during the authority of Amanullah managed to kill the son of the water carrier (ibnusaqqa) by Nadir Shah, one of the previous military leaders who were allied to Amanullah. This man restructured the royal system that was allying with the English in Afghanistan.
In 1933 Zahir Shah, the son of Nadir Shah, assumed the power when he was only 19 years old. He continued in power as ally to the English for about forty years. During the fifties and sixties particularly he governed independent from Russia and Britain, by exploiting their conflicting interests. He managed to follow a policy alien to both of them; then he would go back again to the policy of the English. This continued till his cousin, Mohammad Dawud, who had leftist inclinations supportive to Russia, overthrew him in 1973. During the long ruling of Zahir Shah, the Soviet Union managed to make some infiltrations in Afghanistan for its advantage, such as selling modern military equipment to the Afghani government in 1953 and providing assistance for forming an Afghani communist party in 1956 under the leadership of Mohammad Nur Taraqi. It also managed, in the last years of the authority of Zahir Shah, to incite some political unrests in Afghanistan, following the way of creating contradictions and class struggle, which communism used to follow.
After Mohammad Dawud assumed the power in 1973, Afghanistan went out of the grip of the English. The communists easily took power five years after that, where they swept away Mohammad Dawud who helped them in inserting communism to the country. They brought in his place Mohammad Nur Taraqi in 1978, who signed in the same year a treaty with the Soviet leader Briginev that allows the Soviet forces to enter Afghanistan. This incited the resentment of America and Britain. For the first time since many decades, this disturbed the delicate balance of international powers for the advantage of the Russians in a sensitive and considerably dangerous region.
In this stage, the role of America in the struggle against the Soviet Union over Afghanistan became noticeable. It arranged a coup against Mohammad Nur Taraqi at the hands of a communist who is allied to the West, called Hafeezallah Amin. He had deceived the Russians by appearing as a communist when he was at the same time with contact with the CIA. He took power in 1979, killed Taraqi and tortured the communists allying with the Soviets. The Russians responded to that vigorously by invading Afghanistan in 27 December of the same year. They killed Hafeezallah Amin and appointed a new communist government in Kabul under the leadership of Babrak Karmil whom they brought with them from Russia. A violent resistance broke out immediately, and it spread through the entire country. Emigrants started to flow out of the country, and fighters joined together in many militia groups. A new page of the Afghani history started where the jihad factor became noticeable in the fight against Communists. The soul of jihad spread strongly in all the countries of the Islamic world, against the aggressor, communist disbelievers. America exploited this new situation in Afghanistan, and it intervened very heavily in it under the pretext of the Soviet invasion to the Afghani land, which disturbed the historical treaties with Britain. Those treaties did not allow the Russian forces in that region to cross the limits of the river of Amodarya (Jihun). The military and financial aid started to pour out to the Afghani Mujahidoon starting from 1980, where the American aid to the Mujahidoon reached 700 million dollar annually. This is besides Stinger rockets that started to reach to the Mujahidoon by the end of 1986, and which was the main cause of crippling the Soviet aviation and shooting down hundreds of Soviet fighters.
The purpose of America from this intervention was to benefit from this valuable historical opportunity and enter a region she did not tread before. She wanted to become ultimately face to face with each of Russia and China, and to hasten the overburden of the Soviet Union economically and thus overthrew it. She wanted to become a major player in countries that are of significant importance to the leading
state in the world. This is because that region is full of far reaching important interests for America, particularly it is close to the regions of Central Asia, and the Caspian sea, which is rich with oil, gas and various riches. Russia felt, seven years after its invasion to Afghanistan that it is in real dilemma. This is because the resistance started to cause massive losses to the Soviet forces; and the Russian economy started to drain out. The matters in Afghanistan started to develop against its advantage. Therefore, it tried to find a political way out of its dilemma; so through an unsuccessful attempt in 1987 it peacefully replaced Karamil with Nagibullah, where Karamil resigned and Nagibullah, who was the head of intelligence, took over. He started to call for policy of (national reconciliation) with the resistance groups, in preparation to the withdrawal of the Soviets from the country. However, this policy did not work as well, because the voracity of war increased, and the mujahidoon realized many victories against the Russians, and they shot down about 200 Soviet fighters.
The Soviets realised after this that they are going to be defeated. More than 15 thousand of their soldiers were killed. They became certain America will never stop its support to the mujahidoon. So, they were forced to withdraw from Afghanistan in 14/2/1989. Fight continued between the mujahidoon and the government of Nagibullah, which the Soviets continued to support till 1992, when the capital, Kabul fell in the hands of the mujahidoon and the communist rule in Afghanistan completely ended. Power was then assumed by Burhanuddin Rabbani, the leader of the Islamic association that was supported by the military militia of the association under the leadership of Ma� ud Shah. However, there was a problem that Rabbani and his group were Tajik who do not represent majority in Afghanistan. More important, they were not supported by Pakistan, which is their strong and main neighbour, and which supported the mujahisdoon throughout the long years of war against the Soviets. Therefore, the Bushtun group led by Hikmatyar and dependent on Pakistan at that time, rejected to recognise the leadership of the Tajik to the government because the Bushtun tribes had claimed monopoly to the authority the whole centuries. An uninterrupted internal fight between the forces of Rabbani and Mas� ud from Tajik and the forces of Himatyar from the Bushtun, resulted. The victims of the sectarian fight between the two groups counted 25 thousands Afghani. During this fight, Iran and Tajikistan supported the group of Rabbani with funds, arms and political support in the international circles, while Pakistan embraced the group of Hikmatyar. When Hikmatyar failed to settle the struggle with Rabbani for the advantage of Pakistan, the Pakistani government turned away from him, and started in 1994 to form a new Bushtuni group known as (Taliban). The Pakistani intelligence services undertook its preparation with the knowledge of the American intelligence services, as an alternate to Hikmatyar.
Taliban burst out strongly and quickly with support from Pakistan. It swept over the Afghani lands and towns, which fell to its authority one by one. Withing two years only, Taliban managed to capture the capital, Kabul, where its forces entered the capital in 1996. It established in Afghanistan an Islamic emirate under the leadership of Mullah Mohammad Omer. It then brought down Rabbani government, whose forces fled to the northeast areas, neighbour to Tajikistan. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Emirates recognised the authority of Taliban. Thus, the matters were settled in Afghanistan for the advantage of America through the way of Pakistan, which is the main puppet state for America in the region, and which used to support Taliban directly and strongly. However, fight did not stop north of Afghanistan between Taliban forces and the forces of Rabbani and Mas� ud, together with the Uzbek militia led by Abdul Rashid Dostum. Russia, Britain, Iran and India used to support the forces of Mas� ud, while Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, with American help; they supported the forces of Taleban.
Between 1996 and 1998 there were negotiations between officials from Taliban and American officials, related to the recognition of America of Taliban movement as an official government in Afghanistan and handing over the empty seat of Afghanistan in the UN to Taliban. There were other negotiations between Taliban movement and the American company (Yunocal) and the Saudi company (Delta) for concluding an agreement regarding a deal for transferring gas from Central Asia, through Afghanistan, to Pakistan and Indian Ocean. However, exploding the two American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 suspended the treaty that was signed in Ishqabad, the capital of Turkmenistan in 1997. The relation of Taliban with the USA and Saudi Arabia was friendly and good. However, exploding the two embassies poisoned this relation. America, followed by Saudi Arabia, started to re-examine this relation. Taliban started negotiations with Saudi Arabia for the handover of Usamah b. Laden to it, because he was accused to be behind these explosions, so as to put an end to this issue. The attack of the American planes against Afghanistan in 1998 prevented the conclusion of the negotiations regarding the handover. Torky al-Faisal, the head of the Saudi intelligence at that time, said in an interview with MBC TV channel: � Taliban authorities were ready at that time to handover Ben Laden to Saudi Arabia. There were negotiations concerning this smatter, but the events of 1998 aborted the process� . After that operations ascribed to al-Qaidah increased. So, America started to look for new alternates for Afghanistan outside Taliban, which was considered patron to al- Qaidah organisation that America started to consider a terrorist group. When the explosions of 11 September (2001) took place, the matters changed radically, and the view of America towards the Islamite people, which she used to cooperate with them in the past, has radically changed. She adopted the idea of fight against (terrorism) as a basis for the new American foreign policy of Bush administration. America quickly resumed its relations with the group of Rabbani and Mas� ud, and brought Dustum, who was a political refugee and expelled to Turkey, back to Afghanistan. She supplied the forces of Mas� ud and Dustum with weapons and funds, and turned its back to Taliban. This coalition between these forces supported by America was called (North coalition). The American savage invasion to Afghanistan started after Pakistan stopped the support to Taliban, and allowed America to use its air space, water ports and land bases for the attack against Afghanistan. Taliban recorded at its last days a strong stance by freeing itself from the American and Pakistani influence. This emancipation was reflected in its refusal to the Pakistani pressures for executing the demands of America. It drove back the Pakistani government delegates that exercised strong pressures on them and did not yield to their demands. However, this stance came late after it was pushed in the corner.
America used the forces of the North coalition as land troops to the American army 11 and as human shield so as to reduce its losses. Thus, in 7/10/2001, the head of kufr, America and her ally, Britain waged a savage war against Muslims. She bombarded the Afghani cities: Kabul, Qandahar, Jalalabad and others with Tomahook rockets, bombers and various weapons. These rockets and bombers took off from the air space, waters and lands of Muslims, which the treacherous Muslim rulers, particularly Pakistan and Uzbekistan, allowed the aggressors to use. This continued for some weeks without interruption. The Muslims showed great courage, and extraordinary resolve in resisting the aggressors, with the simple weapons they had compared to the forces of aggression. However, the condensed barbaric attack of the aggressors, together with the treachery of the rulers neighbouring Afghanistan, led to the downfall of Afghanistan in the hands of America in 2001. The number of the Afghani victims during quarter of the last century reached about two millions. This big number of victims was killed only in the period starting from the Russian invasion to Afghanistan in 1979 till the end of the American invasion to it in 2001. These huge Afghani sacrifices were unfortunately crowned with appointing Hamid Karzay, as a ruler puppet to America in Afghanistan. Bonn Agreement that laid down the new Afghani constitution was signed in 6/12/2001. America obtained resolution number 1883 from the Security Council to support this document. The constitution that was mentioned in the document gave to America, under the guise of UN, a distinct role in deciding the internal and external affairs of the Afghani people, and supervision over every matter in Afghanistan. So, the document stipulated American presence in the formation of the constitutional committee, the formation of the civil servant committee, the activities and tasks of the government, any change related to the rules of proceedings of all the state departments, and supervision over the implementation of all the aspects of the document. This means America appointed herself as the actual ruler of the state, forever. This reveals the hidden intention of America that the purpose of the invasion was to control the Islamic region, rather than creating a liberal authority as she claims. In fact, her war that she waged under the name of fighting terrorism is not save an introduction to a crusader war against Islam and Muslims. She wants to consolidate her control over the Muslim lands and to eliminate Islam from their life as they did and still do in Afghanistan and Iraq, and is it is recorded in their plan of (Great Middle East). It is a crusader war disclosed by the military, political and educational actions, which America pursues everywhere she stayed in Islamic lands. Bush, the son, had even disclosed this aim since the first days of the events of 11/9 (2001). This came in his speech in 16/9/2001, where he declared that his war against terrorism is a crusader war. This is despite his speech came four days only after the mentioned huge explosion event, which is a period not enough to complete an investigation of an incident that is one percent of this event. This reveals the plans hidden in the storerooms of the American politicians against Islam and Muslims. Though he said, it is (a crusader war) to rally the enemies of Islam around him; it however rallied the Muslims to resist him. Thus, we see the resistance in Afghanistan intensifies to the point that the news reported those who disputed with each other in the past, like Taliban and Hikmatyar, the leader of the Islamic party; they fight together against America.
The American forces, aided by the international forces of (ISAF) and the NATO leadership failed to extend the control of the occupation, even incompletely, except on the capital. The rest of the Afghani regions beyond the capital, Kabul remained a theatre for the military operations that did not cease any day since the American occupation of Afghanistan. The mentioned Bonn agreement stipulated, in its last stage, to hold in Afghanistan presidential and parliament elections in June 2004. However, the gravity of the resistance against the American occupation forced the occupants and Karzay government to delay the presidential elections till September 2004, and the parliamentary elections till spring of 2005. Previously, America succeeded in the first stage of the agreement to create a transitional government led by her agent, Karzai. She, as well succeeded in marginalizing the influence of Europe who favoured King Zahir Shah and his people to head the government. It was reported by New York Times reported that Amirica� s envoys pressed the king to withdraw himself from the scene so that the Loya Jerga itself can chose a leader for the nation. So, before Zahir Shah could even make his own announcement, Zalmay Khalilzad (now US ambassador to Afghanistan) told the press: � The former king is not a candidate for a position in he transitional authority, and he endorses Karzai, the chairman of the council� . Then, on 3rd of January 2004, under UN auspices, America succeeded in coercing the Council of Afghani representatives (Loya Jirga) to pass a new secular constitution for Afghanistan. The constitution bestowed huge powers to the president and diluted the authorities given to the parliament, which at best could only veto appointment of ministers. The American ambassador in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad called it: � one of the most enlightened constitutions in the Islamic world� . President Bush praised the outcome in a statement from Washington, saying that the new constitution � lays the foundations for democratic institutions� in Afghanistan. In this way, America charted a new secular course for the people of Afghanistan, and also legitimised Karzai and his transitional government. The last piece of the political plan is for Karzai to assume the office of the president, forms a new government through the elections of the last phase. However, the deteriorating security situation has sled to the postponement of the elections.
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The fluctuating position of the resistance continued despite all the forces that America rallied, in terms of international forces, NATO and American forces, besides the assistance of the Pakistani forces. However, these forces could not have control over the security for holding the elections. Therefore, those who draw the American policy resorted to the political actions in attempt for preparing the security
environment for elections.
Thus, Afghanistan witnessed wide diplomatic activities by the government of Karzay and the American there. One of these activities was calling Taliban to participate in the elections planned in next September, which were originally planned in June, but were postponed till September because of security fears. These elections aim at giving legitimacy to the agent government of Karzay, and creating political stability in Afghanistan so as to conclude the American regional plans. However, Mullah Dadallah, who is a senior leader in Taliban, rushed in 25/4/2004 to reject the offer of Karzay, and repeated his threat to foil the presidential and parliamentary elections in Afghanistan. Karzay had mentioned before that his government conducts talks with the hard-line movement to end its bloody revolt. This offer comes at a time where the resistance activities continue against the American occupation of Afghanistan and their agents of the Karzayi puppet government. There are daily explosions that cause sleeplessness to the disbeliever occupants and their henchmen. So, they looked for convincing more states to send their armies to help them in Afghanistan. This explains the statement of Nicholas Pearns, the American ambassador at the NATO who said in 26/4/2004 that Spain, Turkey, Germany and other seven countries (which have no forces in Iraq) showed their readiness to participate with some forces in Afghanistan to enable NATO expand its role outside the Afghani capital, Kabul. He also announced that the forces of these countries could participate in preserving security during the Afghani elections, which are going to be held in September. This is based on the request of the Afghani president, Hameed Karzay, who is worried about the elections in the disturbed provinces (threatened by) non-controlled special militia organisations. Bearns said to the journalists aboard an airplane that carried general James Johns, the military director of NATO and ambassadors of 26 countries in the alliance to Kabul: � There are many governments that do not participate in Iraq or leave Iraq, like Spain, which have extra forces� . BBC mentioned in 6/2/2004 � that the defence ministers of NATO agreed, in their meeting held in Munich, to increase the peace keeping force that follows to the alliance and is distributed in Afghanistan� . Andrew Lizli, the deputy of the leader of NATO forces in Afghanistan, who finished his service term, said that ISAF forces must be supported to reach12 thousands so as to be able to maintain security. He added saying that the task of the NATO forces might continue for a period of ten years. The American defence minister, Donald Rumsfeld, emphasised the current task must be executed with the highest possible efficiency before sending extra soldiers. He said during his trip coming from Washington: � I think the prime job of the NATO must be the good performance in Afghanistan� .
The secretary of the NATO suggested working to strengthen the relations between the forces of ISAF and the American forces distributed in Afghanistan, which reach 12 thousands� . However all of these efforts failed to weaken the resistance, militarily and politically. The result was that the resistance of Muslims, from Taliban, al-Qaidah and others has become stronger and harder; and the fight against the occupants as disbelievers has concentrated in the Afghans minds and increased in power. This is Afghanistan; and this is the result of the war waged by America, Britain and their allies, from one side, and the resistance represented by Taliban as a state and a movement, Hikmatyar and the rest of Muslims. It deserves attention, particularly the rule of Taleban, the rule of North alliance, the rule of Karzay and the role of America and Pakistan. These events deserve contemplation due to their importance and for learning lessons from them. Thus, the Muslim becomes aware of his matter, and does not fall in the trap of the enemy and regrets when it is late. The first lesson is the obligation of not cooperating with the foreign disbeliever, and nor have trust in him, whatsoever. This is because the disbelievers do not want any good for this ummah. They fight in the path of shaytan, conspire against the Islamic ummah and wait disasters for us. Even those who cooperated with America obtained nothing, for America abandoned them once their role finished. Thus, having trust in America is like having trust in shaytan. Dependence on her is reliance upon a malicious enemy that continuously shows hostility to the Islamic ummah, with all of her sections. Even Pakisatn that betrayed Taliban and helped America to enter Afghanistan and destroy Taliban, did not also benefit any thing from America as price for its horrible treachery. America joined with India, the arch enemy for Pakistan, and compelled Prevez Musharraf to concede Kashmir and suppressed the mujahidoon. The second lesson is not to have trust in the agents of America. The ruling power in Pakisatn was behind the creation of Taleban; but when the interest of America required something different, they abandoned Taliban and tightened the grip around their throat.
The third lesson is the political awareness. The believer must be intelligent and bright and not be taken unaware. Taliban used to associate itself with the ruler of Pakistan at a time when he was completely in her grip. Taliban thought at that time she did well by such action. As for the last lesson, it is the fact that Islam does not admit compromise. Taliban assumed the power in Afghanistan, so it should have declared it Khilafah, and dissociated itself from the agents of America in Pakistan. At the same time it should have sought help and assistance from the influential people for implementing the rules of shar� properly and seek proper knowledge in it. Instead, they declared it as an Imarah, which is from one side, linked to Islam; but from the other side it was linked to Pakistan, which is operated by America that strongly opposes the system of Khilafah. However, the solution is not beyond our reach; it is rather so close. It only requires Pakistan breaks out from the influence of America, and establishes a sincere authority, rather a true Islamic system in it, which is Khilafah rashidah. Then it implements the shar� of Allah, makes jihad fee sabeelillah and turns together with the mujahidon in Afghanistan and outside Afghanistan to uproot the American influence from Afghanistan and annex it to the Khilafah. This will raise high the banner of Islam (la ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadun Rasulullah). Though this matter might look difficult at the first glance, but it is easy for those to whom Allah made it easy.
Indeed this is not hard for Allah� . [TMQ: ]
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