Making of Narco State in Afghanistan - Assignment Example

The Influence of Tribalism and the Making of Narco in Afghanistan Afghanistan is a nation full of stories of war and civil unrest which causemainly of external interference and internal tribal conflicts. Its name is believed by some as formed from "Apagan" which means brave and noble, and this name, from ethnological point of view, is the term by which the name Pashtun was derived. Pashtun is a tribe in Afghanistan having the largest number of all. Although, in history the place is attributed to Pashtuns, but generally, Afghanistan is a nation having variety of kingdoms that separate each tribe from one another. Until today, this is one of the biggest reasons for conflicts within the region which turned out to be the base of the worldwide problem which is terrorism. To many, the United States led invasion of Afghanistan to topple Taliban's rule of the country were seen as aggression designed to get back to the international terrorist who staged the 9/11 attacks on Twin Towers of New York World Trade Center. But studying the background of the Talibans even the more objective mind might justly the US led coalition action against Afghanistan. First, it has become the breeding ground for international terrorist who do no have regard at all to human life, human rights and human dignity. As a matter of fact, even Afghan citizens particularly women were victims of bodily abuses, economic deprivation and injustice, corruption and so forth. This paper deals with the historical and cultural concept and influence of tribalism in their country, as well as its effect in the rise of the world's perception that Afghanistan is becoming a Narco State. The Influence of Tribalism In 1960s, Afghanistan was monarchial with the king and his relatives "dominated the central government," according to Microsoft Encarta. But in 1963, a prime minister was appointed for the first time outside the "royal family in order to distance the monarchy from policy-making" (Encarta). However, the administration of the new prime minister had experienced many conflicts; a series of coup ahs brought into power the Mujahidin Government. According to report made by Afghanistan Assessment, the new government is faced with "immense economic problems, including serious food and fuel shortages, a collapsed industrial sector, a severely damaged infrastructure, the difficulties of refugees returning to their ravaged farms and field studied with mines and high inflation." Prior to the 1973 Coup d' etat, Afghanistan has been beneficiaries from both East and West; both the United States of America and the Soviet Union built an international air part in Kabot and Kandahar respectively. But the 1973 coup d' etat had not only had some effect on Afghanistan but also foreign powers' attitude to domestic and political forces in Afghanistan. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, the Soviet installed Karmal as President, yet his regime was continuously plagued by civil wars, and constantly disrupted by anti-government guerilla forces; the Mujahiden depriving the government of authority over large areas of the countryside. Though poorly armed at first, they soon began to receive supplies mainly from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United States of America and China, which later helped them overthrow the existing government. According to Mohsen Makhmalbaf, during the early years, Afghanistan was "ruled by tribes." These tribes had each leader that a single leader coming from one tribe may not be acceptable. So they formed Tribal Federalism known as "loya Jirga." Makhmalbaf stressed that since then until now, "a more just and appropriate form of governing has not emerged in Afghanistan." Same author added further that the Loya Jirga system shows that "Afghanistan has never evolved economically form an agricultural existence." It has never moved beyond tribal rule and failed to achieve a sense of nationalism. He also pointed out that in Afghanistan each Afghan is Pashtun (the most dominant tribe), Hazareh, Uzbek or Tajik. Everyone is primarily a member of a tribe, and according to Makhmalbaf, "tribalism is the first aspect of their identity." Tribalism had really wide ranging influence in Afghanistan that while other countries all over the world are preaching unity, nationalism and cooperation in order to attain economic progress and peace, Afghans have always been "contend with tribal feudalism" and that even in war, Makhmalbaf argues, even the Mujahedin "never fought foreign enemies in a unified manner, rather each tribe warred with foreign in their region." The influence of tribalism among Afghans is so deeply engrossed that according to Makhmalbaf, even in refugee camps which they lived a difficult lives, they still did not accept Afghan national identity. He said that "they still had conflicts over being Tajik, Hazareh or Pashtuns. The most common cause of conflict between each of them is tribalism. He further stated that "inter-tribal marriages still do not take place and neither is there any business conducted between them." These tribalistic emphases had not only withheld nationalism, cooperation and unity among Afghans but it also continuously tears them apart. The same author noted that in a minor conflict, the "danger of mass bloodshed prevails." Even children are not spared from these back ward exclusivism for they find it difficult to inter place with their peers of other tribes. Even in matters of health tribalistic attitude also exists. In many hospitals around the world, the immediate priority for treatment is those who are really seriously ill. What matters most is the principle of "life and death." We all uphold to the ethical principle that prioritizes the right to live of everyone. This is not the case in Afghanistan. Makhmalbaf observed that camp residents "did not give priority to treating those who were most ill. Only a tribal order was accepted." According to him, tribal disposition always came first in any decision." The factor even worsens as the main cause of this tribal conviction rests in their agricultural economy. Mackmalbaf nicely described geographical condition in which Afghans are naturally grouped. He said, "Each Afghan tribe is tapped in a valley with geographical walls and is a natural prisoner of a culture stemming from a mountainous environments and farming economy. Cultural tribalism is the product of farming conditions rooted in deep valleys of Afghanistan. Belief in tribalism is as deep as those valleys. According to Professor Lalzad in his article 'An Overview of the Life under Taliban,' Afghanistan is a multi-ethnic society composed of minorities such as Hazaras, Tajiks, Pashtuns, Uzbek and many others. The Talibans which came to power in 1995 were largely Pashtuns. Professor Lalzad observed that although Pashtuns had long been involved in politics," it was under Taliban's rule that there was an "extensive push for Pashtunization and imposing values on other ethnics" were strong. The Talibans imposed cultural values that had changed the whole life of the Afghan society but not towards economic improvement, rather for worse especially among women. The extreme tribalism emphasis of the Taliban has brought tens of thousands of families "into poverty due to the ban on women working, because many women in the country were war widows and the only source of support for their families." This change has indeed virtually made women a prisoner or even worse stripped of their right in their right. Although Talibans must have attempted of Pashtunization, a move which is maybe aiming to bring all tribal factions under Pashtuns yet, its too harsh and oppressive implementation of tribal culture has made people a little less than a slave to their alienating Afghans in the world of technology and basic human rights. As professor Lalzad puts it, "Taliban prohibited television, cinema, theatre, music, dance, shaving, several sports, kite flying and other aspects culture such as celebration of New Year's day." They also enforced the banning of any artwork or photography that showed the faces of living things. Under this condition, Afghans were not only reduced to the level of a slave, they were brought back to the ancient economic condition in the midst of the benefits of human relations, advancement of technology, freedom to enjoy our basic rights and all the benefits to life the modern world offers to every individual. Thus, the influence of tribalism in the Afghan nation can be generally seen as offensive and morally degrading for it placed high value on tribal culture rather than the welfare of the people. It has been become a deterrent towards achieving their common goals of having a complete life enjoying companionship and technology just as people of all countries of the world enjoys. The Making of a Narco State According to Makhmalbaf, the topography of Afghanistan is "seventy-five percent mountainous of which only seven percent is suitable for farming," the lack of any industry although they may have an oil in the northern part of the country. Makhmalbaf said that "opium is the only product that Afghanistan offers to the world." In the working paper, series of Jonathan Goodhand entitled "From Holy to Opium Wars" he pointed out that "wheat farming and livestock trading are still important sources of livelihood, but over the last seven years, poppy cultivation and the opium trade have become the key economic activities in the village." Goodhand presented a comparison of how much profit a farmer benefits in cultivating poppies, compared to wheat. He noted that a farmer could get 1100 to 2000 lakhs annual profit compared to only twenty if he plants wheat. Thus, the economic benefits coming from the cultivation of poppies could be a good source of income in a country which has literally devastate economically, geographically and politically by wars both by international aggression and internal tribal conflicts. Goodhand pointed out that villagers have few options beyond migration, joining the Java or cultivating poppies (Java accordingl is a military recruitment). Goodhand noted that money-leaders provide loans for opium production. Because all economic advantage seems to fall on poppy cultivation aggravated by scarce economic opportunity and low output in agricultural products, it is quite logical to think that people would surely bite any opportunity that offers them economic benefit. Thus, in Afghanistan even police and military personnel who were supposed to track down on all these businesses are generally believed to be involved in the drug business too. Paul Geitner in his article "Afghanistan Becoming a Narco State" said that "Afghanistan is in danger of becoming a Narco State, because soaring opium cultivation now accounts for sixty percent of the economy." He also said, "cultivation has spreadmaking narcotics previously quarrelsome peoples" quoting Antonio Marier Costa, directore of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Scott Baldauf and Faye Bowers of Christian Science Monitor feature the case of Afghan village police chief which was accused of drug smuggling. He argued that he has arrested suspected drug dealer and confiscated eighty kilos of opium but his action was seen as a warning against competitor from fellow opium traders. As one Afghan official interviewed said, "Whatever number of police cars there are in Kabul, I can tell you that more than fifty percent of them are carrying drugs inside from one place." Baldauf said, "the problem is that Afghanistan is training police to stop drug smugglers, and when they go out into the field, their police commander tells them how to protect the drug smugglers," according to statistics provided SBS, March 3, 2005) Opium production in Afghanistan last year reached 4,200 tons, the number 1,000 tons more than 2003. Despite that drug business offer economic benefits to Afghan people, Baldauf said, the government was working to close the markets. A move that will be appreciated by many countries but will at once deprive the people were long victims of human rights, economic injustice, poverty, of economic opportunity which they may have enjoyed in their cultivation of poppies. But the job of confronting the drug lords must no be easy. According to Baldauf and Bowers, "despite of corruption in the police ranks, many Afghan politicians say that Afghanistan's drug problem can be solved. They said that Minister of Labor, Ikramuddin, agrees that "Afghanistan drug problem is solvable." He sees that with the help coming from outside and political will are needed to win this battle. He added in his statement that "if the world could not tolerated Afghanistan as the center of terrorism, then the world is not going to tolerated Afghanistan as the world's biggest producer of drugs." According to Baldauf and Bowers, despite of the backing of the unified states, the fight against drugs and "international community with Britain taking the lead firmly behind Afghanistan, it would still be difficult to eradicate the opium economy. They said that "the opium trade is deeply rooted in Afghan society." They concluded that the immediate task and the most complicated one is to "get corrupt officials to turn away from the drug trade as a source of personal income. Geitner said that the United States and the NATO lead forces should "get involved in fighting the drug trade," quoting Mr. Antonio Costa, "it would be a historical error to abandon Afghanistan to opium, right after we reclaimed it from Taliban and Al Qaeda." Afghanistan is not yet a Narco State but is on the way of becoming a Narco if the "Narco trafficking problem is not addressed" said Ursula Muller, political Councilor at the German Embassy in Washington (work cited in Baldauf and Bower). Muller says, "it can be done." The extent of opium business in Afghanistan estimates at about 1.5 billion pound, with plantation to cover a record of 131,000 hectares in 2000 and 323,708 acres in 2004. Out of this figure the ten percent of the population or 2.3 million people are involved in poppy farming. Conclusion All over the world, the problem of addiction has always been in the least of top priority concerns of every government. Many of the crimes and violence committed against the society are related to drugs and many lives particularly young people are wasted because of drug use. Afghanistan becomes an exporter of these two deadliest causes of destruction of human lives and properties, terrorism on the one hand, opium production on the other hand. US led coalition rightly and ably destroyed the breeding ground of terrorism which for many may have been viewed as aggression because some innocent civilians have suffered. Afghanistan has turned out to produce opium because of the nature of their economy; although it is deeply rooted in the culture of the country, opium trading is observed as very potential in producing high GNP product of the country. Since the US led Coalition has brought great damage of the economy, so farmers instead of planting wheat, they now cultivate opium plantation. This has improved economic condition especially the farmers because of high income generated by the opium economy. On the other hand, the Taliban has attempted to Pashtunize the Afghan people by imposing the culture of Pashtun tribe among other tribes which has led to extreme implementation of discipline and values to the point of human right violation and abuses particularly on women. Thus, the US led Coalition against the rule of Taliban is justifiable. But, as Muller quoted it, the world did not tolerate Afghanistan to breed terrorists, the world should not also tolerate the production of opium in Afghanistan. Work Cited "Afghanistan Assessment Version 4" Country Information and Policy Unit. September 1999, http://cc.msnscache.com/cache.aspxq=8172340450792&lang=en-SG&mkt=en-SG&FORM=CVRE Baldauf, Scott and Bowers, Faye. "Afghanistan Riddled with Drugs Ties." Christian Science Monitor (May 13, 2005 Edition) http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0513/p01s04-wosc.html Geitner, Paul. "Afghanistan Becoming 'Narco State' - UN." Rense.Com. http://www.rense.com/general59/narc.htm "Afghanistan 'Narco-State': UN" SBS, (March 3, 2005) http://www.rawa.org/drugs05.htm Goodhand, Jonathan. "From Holy War to Opium War" PEACE BUILDING AND COMPLEX POLITICAL EMERGENCIESWORKING PAPER SERIES (1999) http://www.fsa.ulaval.ca/personnel/vernag/eh/f/noir/lectures/Afghanistan_drogue.htm Prof. Lalzad. An Overview of the Life under the Taliban Regime. http://www.ariaye.com/english/lalzad.html APPENDIX Political Map of Afghanistan Warlords map Opium Production in Afghanistan Read More