Afghanistan

At the outset, on behalf of the Government of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, and on my own behalf, I wish to express my profound condolences to the Government of the United States of America and the American nation, as well as the families that lost their loved ones in the unfortunate crash of American Airlines flight 857 yesterday. My delegation is very much delighted at Mr. Han Seung-soo’s assumption of the presidency of the fifty- sixth session of the General Assembly and remains assured that his able conduct will lead the work of this session to its desired end. My delegation is also very pleased at Secretary- General Kofi Annan’s meritorious winning of the Noble Peace Prize this year, I wish to warmly congratulate him and his fellow recipient of the prize, the United Nations itself. I am very thankful to all delegations that have mentioned the name and the case of Afghanistan and the need for international help to reach Afghanistan. The appalling events of 11 September and the somewhat lesser-known event of 9 September — the 33 assassination by suicidal killers of the great Afghan leader Ahmad Shah Massoud — have changed the world. The United Nations, the international community and the world at large are focusing on a new war, the war on terrorism. My Government and the people of Afghanistan denounced the terrorist attacks against the United States and continue to denounce terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We ourselves have been captives and hostages of terrorism longer than most. In fact, during 23 years of war in Afghanistan, Muslim Afghans have not engaged in any terrorist acts. Islam is an integral part of life in Afghanistan and teaches justice and respect for human life and glorifies the dignity of human beings. I quote from the Holy Koran: “We have bestowed dignity on the children of Adam”. (The Holy Koran, XVII:70) Islam, in the tradition of the Abrahamic faiths, places great emphasis on peace, compassion and the value of human life. Thus, Islam should be recognized for the principles upon which it was created and not acts resulting from irresponsible interpretations, which are far from genuine Islam. These irresponsible interpretations are based on primitive and sectarian thinking, especially the retrogressive policies against women, which have no place in Islam. With the strong, broad global coalition on their side, today the people of Afghanistan have been vindicated in their righteous struggle against terrorism and extremism — a struggle pursued single-handedly but valiantly over the past seven years against the terrorist forces of the Taliban mercenaries and their cross-border and international allies, chief among them since 1996 being Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda terrorist organization. In this most trying time, when the people of Afghanistan are being liberated from the rule of the Taliban, and when Taliban forces are fleeing strategic cities across our land, including the capital, Kabul, it is evident that the civilian inhabitants of these cities and the people of Afghanistan as a whole, having offered their support to the liberating forces of the Islamic State of Afghanistan’s United Front, are deserving in the fullest measure of a Government to which their welfare can be soundly entrusted. On Tuesday, 13 November, in a series of events rapidly taking shape in and around Kabul, the Taliban mercenaries and their terrorist allies were thought to be holding ground, but abandoned the city in a hasty manner, causing a power vacuum. With the capital, Kabul, on the verge of chaos and mayhem, the Government forces were left with no option but to dispatch a limited police force to the city. The decision to police the city preceded eyewitness reports of the looting of National Bank assets and the plundering of the city’s main currency market and a number of aid agencies by the retreating Taliban forces. We deeply regret any ill treatment of individuals that may have occurred in isolated cases. We have ordered our security authorities not only to refrain from but to actively investigate any such acts that may have been committed and to prevent such incidents from taking place in the future. Let me reiterate that our desire for peace for all people in our land remains firm and that we will not, now or later, condone any lawless acts aimed at disrupting the crucial process of instituting a broad-based, multi-ethnic and fully representative Government in Afghanistan, as called for by the United Nations and the entire international community. The Islamic State of Afghanistan hails the new developments as a victory not only for the people of Afghanistan but also for the international community in our shared campaign against terrorism. Let me assure the Assembly that the recent gaining of ground by the forces of the Islamic State of Afghanistan’s United Front in Kabul in no way reflects an intention on the part of the Government of the Islamic State of Afghanistan to monopolize power. Rather, it is our sincere hope that the people of Afghanistan will decide democratically in the near future what form of political system they desire. In this context, we steadfastly support United Nations resolutions on Afghanistan, and thereby the recommendations made by the Secretary-General’s special envoys to Afghanistan, Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi and Ambassador Francesc Vendrell, and will do our utmost for the implementation of the process. The Islamic State of Afghanistan fully honours its agreement made in Rome with the representatives of the Rome process, led by the former King of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir Shah, and remains committed to its implementation. Today Afghanistan finds itself in a major humanitarian crisis — a crisis such as the world has not 34 witnessed in recent times. With winter approaching our people are facing famine. Our people will die because they do not have enough food to sustain them through the winter. Many aid agencies began leaving Afghanistan after it became evident that the bombing campaign would begin. Over the past several years, tens of thousands of civilians have either fled the country or have been internally displaced. The people of Afghanistan are not asking for a favour. They desire first and foremost to return to the position they were in before 1978 — a level playing field where they can govern themselves and grow. Twenty million landmines, a ruined and almost non-existent infrastructure and a very high illiteracy rate do not make for a level playing field. Even a fraction of the benefits bestowed on the international community by Afghan sacrifices can reconstruct our nation. Today we are charged with finding a solution for Afghanistan, even as problems continue to increase and change on a day-to-day basis. But we must now, not later, think about the people of Afghanistan and about giving them peace after so many years of war. A broad-based Government, inter alia, through the Loya Jirga — Grand Assembly — must be established. All ethnic groups must be equitably and adequately represented and given voice in this broad- based Government. The Hazaras, Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Aimaks, Turkmen, Baluchis and all other ethnic groups of Afghanistan must have fair representation in this broad-based Government. All these groups make up what Afghanistan is today, and Afghanistan is not complete without any of these groups. For centuries, all of these groups have lived peacefully among themselves without bloodshed, and each one has contributed to Afghanistan and has sacrificed tremendously in the resistance against repeated foreign occupations. For centuries, all these groups, as a united people, resisted foreign hegemonic forces. History has shown that Afghanistan is not for foreign occupation or conquest. The Islamic State of Afghanistan’s United Front wants the rule of law based on Islamic tenets, pluralistic democracy, fundamental human rights, peace, unification and meaningful reconstruction. At our core we wish to uphold human rights for all peoples of our land — men and women. We desire to abide by United Nations resolutions, the rule of law and recognized international norms and principles. We highly appreciate the efforts being made by the United Nations aimed at finding a solution for Afghanistan and support all United Nations endeavours and measures to combat international terrorism. The future Government of Afghanistan must not be subjected any more to the unilateralism that has blanketed it for so long. The nation of Afghanistan must have, as any nation must have, the respect of and sincere cooperation with its neighbours. The future Government of Afghanistan must not be reduced to a “sphere of influence”; it must be recognized as a sovereign nation in the truest sense. Self-determination for Afghanistan means that no country of the world should have a veto concerning what the Afghans decide for themselves. Recognition of the principles of mutual respect, non-interference and full sovereignty of Afghanistan will naturally be followed by economic and commercial cooperation. Hence, a sovereign Afghanistan will deploy all efforts to broaden its relations with all of its neighbours, including Pakistan. Such measures as opening up to Pakistan and opening up key transit routes, from north to south and from east to west, ought to be implemented. Afghanistan has to broaden its economic relations with all neighbouring countries. The crossroads at the heart of Asia is situated in Afghanistan, and our country’s economic and international development rests largely in utilizing this resource in a progressive and open manner. I need not remind Members today that a stable Afghanistan means a stable Pakistan and a stable Central Asia. An ignored and ruined Afghanistan would be a calamity for the entire region and the whole world. The people of Afghanistan must decide what form of Government they desire. No one ethnic group must dominate and no neighbour of Afghanistan has the right to incite, overtly or covertly, one ethnic group against others. It is time for the people of Afghanistan to think about their future and to come together. They must all work together for their country as they have worked for centuries before. It is my aspiration and the aspiration of every Afghan that normalcy will be restored and that we will live in peace. We, the Islamic State of Afghanistan, and we, the United Nations and the international community, have a duty to rebuild Afghanistan. There must be an 35 extensive and comprehensive United Nations-led reconstruction plan for Afghanistan. The international community must take the reconstruction of Afghanistan as seriously as it takes the war on terrorism. I submit that reconstruction and a people’s hope will do more to eradicate evils such as terrorism and the seeds of terrorism than war can perhaps ever do. Rehabilitation must begin with addressing humanitarian problems, including the pressing crisis of internally displaced persons and refugees. The longer- term Afghan reconstruction programme must be comprehensive; under such a programme, facilities of all kinds — roads, bridges, hospitals and schools and universities for boys and girls — must be reconstructed. Girls were purposely made illiterate by the Taliban mercenaries. A massive education effort must be undertaken so that our young people can learn skills and grow up to be a new generation for our country. The 20 million landmines must be cleared so that the people can cultivate their land and not have to rely only on poppies to make a living. In the Afghan reconstruction programme there must be a programme for orphans and widows. The Afghan reconstruction programme must directly help the war-stricken and war-devastated land and people of Afghanistan. Afghans of the diaspora, from all over the world, must come and take part in the Afghan reconstruction programme and help build their country. I believe that, with the help of almighty God, we can rebuild Afghanistan and that Afghanistan can once again live in peace with its neighbours and can contribute to the prosperity of the international community. In conclusion, I appeal to the United Nations and to the international community to adopt a new vision for Afghanistan, a vision that will leave behind the death and destruction that has seized its people for so many years, a vision that embraces tolerance and unity, a vision that will rebuild the spirit of Afghanistan and give hope for peace to each and every person of our land. The change must come from each person who calls himself a Muslim and an Afghan; it must also come from each country that calls itself a friend of Afghanistan. Our friends and neighbours must grant us the goodwill to govern ourselves and to be our own people.