Methods of Engagement in Afghanistan - Research Paper Example

 Methods of engagement in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is in a state of collapsing. Afghanistan is still the centre of terrorism in the world. Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan, filled with insecurity, trauma, instability, and uncertainty. The citizens are not at peace as the cities are corrupt, military vehicles, tankers, and suicide bombers. The warlords in Afghanistan control every sector in the country. Affecting government activities and the development aid by international community. This makes the warlords richer, while the local citizens are obscenely poor[HyS06]. Afghan citizens deserve a better life. They have witnessed the worst experience ever: the killing and torture of fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers and destruction of property[Rot07]. The Americans also need yearn for the war to stop. The war is making their economy suffer as they are the ones who foot the bill of the war. The whole world wants to see the war stopped. The present measures to stop the war are not bringing positive development. Real changes that bring an end to the war must be implemented so that peace and stability in Afghanistan prevails.[Joh07]. The insurgent groups like the Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban, Al-Qaeda and their incarnations, the differences in religious doctrines and the great poppy farming in Afghanistan are the major causes of the war and insecurity. These insurgent groups terrorize both the local and the international community’s causing unrest. Afghans believe in Islam. Some doctrines in Islam teach negative morals. The poppy farming brews the illegal heroine trade which the western world highly discourages[Rob03]. Sending military troops to Afghanistan is not the ultimate solution. Diplomacy is the greatest tool to peace building in Afghanistan. Using the counter Insurgency strategy of closely working with the NGOs is one of the sure ways of stabilizing Afghanistan. The local community must also be involved in the peace process[Rot07]. Peace solution will not be achieved without the local community participating in the peace making process. This brings the mutual respect among the Afghans and the international community. Afghanistan is one of the largest poppy producing countries in the world[Mac07]. Poppy farming increases the heroin trade which is illegal. Nongovernmental Organizations, USDA has come in to uplift the agricultural status in Afghanistan. This is through irrigation and providing alternative crops like fruits. Afghanistan has potential of producing wheat in Helmand, which is the central of poppy production in Afghanistan[Rot07]. Improving cash crop yields like nuts and horticulture, and equipping Afghans with high skills and knowledge of farming are the major ways of improving the Afghans economy[JAl09]. Afghanistan has a great population of Muslim community. 99% are Muslim. They are great fundamentalist. The Islamic clerics imposed several rules on the citizen especially women[Rob03]. The women were only to work inside their homes, and when leaving they had to have approved reasons. Women were to wear burgas; these are head to toe clothing. Schools were not for girls. Flying kites, pigeon keeping, listening to music and playing cards was highly banned.[JAl09]. Men keep bushy beards and attending mosques is compulsory. Everyone choose his religion, and it’s upon on to choose when to attend prayers. Banning girl education is not good. Some interpretations of Muslim’s Quran are harsh. Muslims found guilty of adultery stoned until they die. Muslims also interpret the Holy book that whenever they kill a Christian they will go straight to heaven[Rob03]. These interpretations bring unrest and tension within the local and international religious communities. The international community and the communists are bringing positive change in the lives of Afghans. The women given education opportunities and much reform like forming a stronger free government and urging the Afghan to interpret the Holy Quran correctly. The backbone of all the Afghans problems is in the security, economy and the differences in the identity of the Afghan: religious differences and different ethnic groups. The insurgent groups like the Taliban cause instability in Afghanistan[Joh07]. The security of the locals and the international community are threatened by these insurgent groups. Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups terrorize the locals and the international community through assassinations; they also have suicide attackers. They use grenade attacks and local raids and use of rockets[JAl09]. Curbing and controlling these insurgent groups is becoming difficult each day. Illegal firearms openly sold in the markets. This creates high tension as anyone can buy these firearms. A free movement of these groups between Pakistan and Afghanistan is making fighting these groups difficult[Joh07]. Incorporation of Pakistan and the United States is enhancing this war. America believes that Pakistan has a link with the insurgent groups. This makes fighting the groups difficult. The free joining and recruitment of the Afghans is also a contributing factor in the growth of these groups[Mac07]. The high level of corruption of Afghans government official is making fighting of these insurgent groups difficult. These officials provide them with protection hence they operate more freely terrorizing people. These groups have strong links with the wealthiest people in the Middle East. These persons fund the groups with training, financial assistance, information and hiding places. Some western countries also sell the group firearm, equipping them with high quality firearm. The poppy farming also fetches them good income that they use to run their activities[Mac07]. Internet is a tool to get money and spread terror information. Sending military troops to Afghanistan will not completely counter these groups. A consensus among international communities should employ diplomacy measures so that the communities and the representatives should come together and have a dialogue on ways of stopping the war[Rot07]. Involving the local communities will also see drop in recruitment to the insurgent groups. Pakistan should stop the Al-Qaeda penetration into Pakistan and stop recruitment of young children into the insurgent groups. This will break the link of Al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups as they will have fewer personnel and their movements hindered[HyS06]. International organizations should come up with strict laws against anyone funding these insurgent groups. The poppy farming should be completely abandoned because it’s illegal and it earns a lot of money for these groups. This money purchases illegal firearms for illegal operations[Mac07]. Afghanistan should have a strong political base. This will enable them have a strong army that will withstand the insurgent groups, and any corrupt officials should face severe punishment. Afghanistan is the leading poppy producing country in the world. Most Afghans are poor. They entirely depend on the poppy farming[Mac07]. Poppy is a substance for producing heroine. International community discourages poppy farming. The afghan farmers are reluctant in abandoning this poppy farming. The afghan farmers are so poor that they opt to grow this poppy because it earns them twenty times more than wheat could earn them[Mac07]. The incorporation between America and the warlords has brought the war of poppy growing to a standstill. The warlord would never want to abandon this trade for it earns them lots of dollars that they use to control the afghan economy. The corrupt government official is also making the poppy eradication war very difficult. They get involved in the poppy dealing. They earn lots of cash for protecting the farmers who grow the poppy. Taliban insurgent group is a great menace. They are mostly in Helmand, where poppy grows widely.[Rob03]. They protect the farmers for this is the money that support there illegal activities. Infiltrating the Taliban is a hard task. The incorporation of the farmers themselves also creates a great problem. Most of them are poppy farmers fetch a lot of money, and, therefore, convincing them abandon illegal poppy farming to a legal farming is very difficult. International organizations like USDA have taken economic measures to convince the Afghans to abandon the poppy farming and embrace legal crop farming[Rot07]. Afghanistan has fertile soils. Irrigation provided by the USDA in places like Helmand provinces in Afghanistan irrigates the dry lands. Afghanistan can economically support her agriculture. In generations, Afghan produces high quality woolen blankets, sweaters. Afghan was exporting raisings. Seedless grapes also thrive well in Afghans soils. International organizations strengthen Afghanistan’s agricultural sector. They do this by providing alternative crops like wheat farming, soybeans. Increasing horticultural and nut yields. This will increase the production of staple food, giving the Afghans a strong economy. Giving the Afghans farmers proper training on better methods of farming improves their living status[JAl09]. Rebuilding the marketing system of the Afghan improves their sales hence improving the economy. Having measures of protecting Afghans resources and investing in water management will see Afghan economy improve to higher heights stabilizing the economy. Islam is the major religion Afghanistan, 99% of Afghans are Muslims. Hindu population is about 30000. Afghan has ethnic groups, the Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Aimak, Turkmen, Baloch[Pet021]. There is an ethnic difference in Afghanistan in terms of its religion. There is a great distinction in Islam, and this brings unrest in afghan. The Afghans uses Islam to run their operations. The Jihad fighters and the insurgent groups claim that the fights they are fighting are holy wars. They misinterpate the Holy Quran to fit their doings that cause instability and increase terrorist attacks both locally and internationally. The Islamic clerics wrongly interpret the Quran. The women suffer the more in that they do not work outside their homes. They have to putt on garments that cover their head to their toes, men forced to go to the mosques. The Islam community takes killing of Christians as blessings and an act of heroism, which is not. These practices lead to more terror groups uprising and international unrest[HyS06]. Practicing religion is ones choice. Coarsening one to practice what he is not willing to do, discourage. The international community and the United States have brought in teaches that preaches harmony and peaceful coexistence. Taking one’s life because of religion is strongly discouraged. Respect and correct interpretation of the Quran encouraged. The West people should allow the peaceful relation, discrimationation of race or religion that would lead to the taking of one’s life should be abandoned. With peaceful relation and embracing a peaceful religion, there will be peace and harmony in the entire continent. Love will always prevail making the world a better place.[Rot07]. Diplomacy will increase the peaceful stability in Afghanistan. The level of fighting will greatly be reduced. The number of insurgent groups will reduce[JAl09]. Afghanistan will have a more stable government that is recognized internationally. Afghanistan will have a good relation locally and with internationally. The NATO and the European Union have reduced the civil war. The reduction in the war will bring peace in Afghanistan[Rot07]. Afghanistan will be open to the world. Tourists will visit Afghanistan as it is rich in historical information. The food security in Afghanistan will improve the economic situation. Afghanistan will have highly skilled farmers due to training in food production. Production of the staple food, wheat will greatly improve. The great work of conservation of watersheds will make irrigation of fertile lands easier. The juice factory in Kabul has provided employment for many Afghans.[Rot07]. The insurgent groups will greatly reduce. This is because Afghans have alternate sources of income in farming. This will not provide financial assistance to Taliban thus hindering their operations. Demand for Afghans agricultural food products like fruits has greatly increased. The Afghans embracing religious practices of not killing Christians will greatly improve the relationship of Christians and Islam. [JAl09]. Introduction of education to the Afghan women will improve their living standards. They can participate in education and can also work in any occupation they want. This will not only stabilize the Afghan but also improve their religious faith. They will abandon their belief of killing other members of other religion, and will appreciate members of other religions [Rob03]. References HyS06: , (Rothstein, 2006), Rot07: , (Rotberg, 2007), Joh07: , (Montgomery, 2007), Rob03: , (Roberts, 2003, p. 76), Mac07: , (Macdonald, 2007), JAl09: , (Thier, 2009), Rob03: , (Roberts, 2003), Joh07: , (Montgomery, 2007, p. 123), Mac07: , (Macdonald, 2007, p. 105), Mac07: , (Macdonald, 2007, p. 87), Pet021: , (Marsden, 2002), JAl09: , (Thier, 2009), Read More