Herat Pagah: “Free market economy is a challenge to the poor”

06 Oct 07

Text of editorial entitled “Free market economy is a challenge to the poor” published by Afghan Herat University newspaper Pagah on 6 October

Over the last five years, Afghanistan has been like a laboratory in which various political, social and cultural phenomena, most of them imported from the West, were tested. But this piece of writing is highlighting the current challenges within the economy of the country.

Although economic measures which have been taken in the country so far have both weaknesses and strengths, here is a point worth further thought and deliberation. It is a fact that the new economic system (free market economy) has led to a lot of changes in the lives of the poor, who form most of the country’s population. It must be said that these formulas do not fit in the trade system of our country, where very basic needs, such as food, clothing and accommodation of 80 per cent of its population are not met. Concepts such as supply, demand or free market do not make any sense to these people.

This type of economy is, on the other hand, providing a golden opportunity for a number of greedy businessmen who prefer their personal interests to those of the nation. These businessmen do not care for the people who live in poverty and destitution. In the meantime, the government is doing serious harm to the poor by asking the businessmen for various types of tariffs and taxes. This is because the businessmen do not pay the government taxes out of their profits but, instead, they increase the price of their commodities.

Even though there are centuries of distance between Afghanistan and the West, we are walking on our poor people’s rights by bringing slight but detrimental changes. This is at a time when we are not moving towards development step by step, but we are just showing off that we are modernists. Instead, it would be far better if we thought of the obvious difference between the lives of the poor and the rich. We’d better not turn a blind eye to the current challenges and chant optimistic slogans. We accept the fact that the prices of gas and fuel have come under control recently, but the price of petrol is still the same at eight afghanis more expensive than its former cost. So, how can we be reassured that the recent month’s escalation in the price of fuel will not take place again?

There is another noteworthy issue: Economic changes cause direct and indirect effects on the security, cultural and social situation. Therefore, we can find out that insecurity, drug trafficking, kidnappings, murders, robberies and other security incidents all have a symbiotic relationship.

[Description of Source: Herat Pagah in Dari --Sometimes critical of the government and foreign forces. OSC IAP20071008950024]

Milan Corriere della Sera: Italian Agent Reveals Mission in Afghanistan, Recounts Abduction, Release

05 Oct 07

[Report by Fiorenza Sarzanini: "Second Agent Tells His Story: 'We Were Supposed To Negotiate With the Taleban Over the Construction of a Bridge'"]

Rome — The two intelligence agents from the SISMI [Intelligence and Military Security Service; now renamed Italian Agency for External Security and Intelligence (AISE)] who were abducted in Afghanistan were to be used for an exchange of prisoners. This was revealed, immediately after his release, by the agent who survived the blitz carried out by the British and Italian troops. He went back over the phases of the abduction, and revealed the purpose of their mission: to meet with a leading member of the Taleban. There are many details, but some understandable omissions in the reconstruction by the official, who, prior to his return to Italy, went through the so-called debriefing, the procedure envisioned in cases such as this, precisely to ensure that details which are official secrets are not revealed.

The meeting with the Taleban

“Ever since June — he said — we have dealt with getting information from collaborators and informants, so as to guarantee the security of the Italian military contingent.”

In actual fact, the prime objective was to allow the building of a bridge in the Zirko valley, an area where several groups and ethnic tribes live side by side, and where armed militias are also present. “With my colleague, I had entered into contact with all the main figures in the valley, including the Taleban, so as to ensure that during building work there were no acts of violence against employees of the construction firm.” The intelligence agent then revealed what the objective of his trip on Saturday 22 September was: “A ’source’ allowed us to enter into contact with a leading Taleban figure. In the morning I, Lorenzo, and the interpreter left, and on the way we also picked up the person who was to act as our go-between. We were bound for the Zirko valley, but he told us to change route, and not go through the city center, because they might recognize us. After a police road-block, we took a dirt track.”

The capture

A short time later, the trap was sprung. “We saw a number of men coming toward us. As soon as we got out, we were surrounded by armed people who took away our weapons and objects. They made me get inside the trunk of a car. I was alone, with a hood on my head. Then they made me get out and walk, I think I crossed a small stream. When we came to a halt they lifted off my hood, but I could only look down at the ground. We went up, into the mountains, I think. I could hear the interpreter and Lorenzo close by. I still had the hood on, and every so often I was kicked. I tried to talk to Lorenzo, who was trying to reassure me. At a certain point they went off to one side with Lorenzo, I don’t know what they said to him. They were asking him questions, I was some distance away, and I couldn’t hear. At dawn, they made us resume walking, still blindfolded, and then they led us into a kind of cave. They took the blindfold off, because they wanted to know who we were, and what we wanted. Lorenzo explained to me that I had to tell the truth, and I admitted that we were there to allow the commencement of construction work in secure conditions. The interpreter translated. Then I was blindfolded once again.” At the base in Herat the alert had already been triggered. The hypothesis that the two men had been captured was the prevalent one. Contacts were got under way to try to find out whose hands they had ended up in.

The exchange of prisoners

The abductors revealed to the two intelligence agents what was at stake. “The person who had questioned us began to beat us, accusing us of belonging to the secret services. They told us that it was their intention to exchange us for their prisoners.” After the “Mastrogiacomo affair,” Westerners have become a more and more valuable commodity to Afghan guerrilla fighters. The President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, said at the time that no concession would be made in the future to the terrorists. This firm stance was agreed with by Italy, and was reiterated in this case too. Then there was the aggravating factor that the hostages were secret agents, and so no negotiation would be possible. It was precisely in view of this situation that the government decided to immediately manifest its “agreement to a military intervention,” as was explained in parliament by Defense Minister Arturo Parisi.

The blitz

When evening descended, the prisoners were taken near a house. “They didn’t let us go inside — the intelligence agent revealed — but they forced us to sit down on the ground. That night, the man who had questioned us came back; he had a turban on, as before. He told us that he was happy, because the media had reported our abduction. He knew that we were military (?intelligence) personnel. We stayed bound and hooded until the morning. Lorenzo was also tied up. The next morning, at dawn I think, they made us walk again, still with hoods on. They forced us aboard a car, the same car which we were found in.”

At this point, the gang was located by the intelligence services. The blitz by the Western military forces was launched a short time after. “I was the last one to get in the back of the car — the agent recollected — They covered us with a canvas. I thought that we were going to die, we couldn’t breathe. Two hours later, we heard the noise of a helicopter. The car began to go faster, then it suddenly stopped. I heard two shots, and then a number of bursts of gunfire at the car. I flattened my body more, I began to shout, I showed my wrists. A Briton freed me from my hood and made me lie flat on the ground. The shoot-out was continuing. The abductors got out and opened the car doors. I don’t know where the shots were coming from, but not from the helicopter. I think that the abductors fired at the car. It all must have happened in the space of around two minutes. When I got out and began to walk, a British man helped me to get aboard the helicopter. Lorenzo was placed aboard by two people, because he was seriously injured. We were taken first to the hospital in Farah, and then to the British hospital. All the personnel I saw were British, and in the helicopter they were also British.”

[Description of Source: Milan Corriere della Sera (Internet Version-WWW) in Italian -- leading centrist daily; largest circulation of Italian dailies. OSC EUP20071005058008, October 5, 2007.]

Radio Sahar: First modern burn unit opens in Herat

Excerpt from report by Afghan female-orientated community Radio Sahar on 7 October

[Presenter] Afghan health minister took part in the inaugural ceremony of a burn centre in Herat Province today. The burn centre has been built thanks to the financial support of the US and French governments. Here is a report on this:

[Correspondent] The hospital has been built amid mounting concern over the increasing instances injuries involving burns. The officials are now trying to prevent casualties caused by immolation instances at this hospital.

In the meantime, Afghan Health Minister Sayed Mohammad Amin Fatemi says this is the only modern burn centre in the country, adding that the US government has spent 700,000 dollars for construction of the hospital. In addition, the French government provided 400,000 euros as aid for equipping it, the minister states. [Passage omitted: minister's comments, repetition]

The hospital has 36 beds and has been built in three floors, with different wards of physiotherapy, treatment of burn injuries and psychosocial services. It is said that the cases of immolation have exceeded 270 in the current year, 246 cases among women and children and 47 cases of self-immolation. It is reported that most of the people setting fire to themselves succumbed to their injuries.

Self-immolation mainly takes place among women, which has caused deep concern [in the Afghan society]. The observers blame patriarchy and traditionalism as the underlying factors of these instances in Herat Province.

Source: Radio Sahar, Herat, in Dari 1230 gmt 7 Oct 07 via OSC EUP20071008950050 Caversham BBC Monitoring