IWPR: Herat Reeling from Violent Crime Wave

A spate of murders and kidnappings is denting the economic prospects of a formerly stable part of Afghanistan.

By Sadeq Behnam and Sudabah Afzali in Herat (ARR No. 270, 24-Oct-07)

Deteriorating security in Herat has led to businesses shutting down and left residents wondering who is behind a recent wave of kidnappings, murders and armed robberies.

After the fall of the Taleban, investors flocked to open factories in what was considered one of the most stable cities in the country. Now many say they are afraid to continue operating.

One businessman, who did not wish to be named, told IWPR he was kidnapped about a month ago and only released following lengthy negotiations and the payment of a ransom. He has now shut down his factory, which produced bread and biscuits.

“The security forces aren’t capable of arresting a pickpocket, let alone a kidnapper,” said the entrepreneur.

This man was just one of six businessmen recently abducted and released for money, according to Tooryalai Ghausi, who is deputy head of the local industrialists’ union.

Of more than 170 factories based in Herat province, about 60 per cent have ceased operating in recent months, Ghausi said.

Even government officials are not safe. Ghulam Mohammad Mudabber, the head of the provincial mines and industries department, was reportedly kidnapped and badly beaten. A relative, Noor Mohammad, told IWPR that Mudabber was released after the family paid a ransom of 140,000 US dollars.

Police spokesperson Noor Khan Nekzad said the number of armed robberies and kidnappings in the city was actually down 60 per cent in September. He predicted that the trend would continue, attributing this to continued cooperation from local elders and former commanders from the mujahedin factions, along with the recent appointment of a new police chief, Mohammad Juma Adeel.

Despite the fall in crime figures, security officials said there were five murders, five kidnappings and 15 robberies during the month.

While Nekzad would not say who he believed was responsible for the crime wave, he denied it was the Taleban. Instead, he suggested the criminals are linked to influential figures vying for power in the area.

Some residents and analysts suspect that armed men loyal to Energy Minister Ismail Khan are attempting to regain lost power by destabilising the region.

The former mujahedin commander and self-styled emir of western Afghanistan ruled Herat until the Taleban overran the city and imprisoned him. After the fall of the fundamentalist regime, Ismail Khan was appointed governor of the province, before being sacked by President Hamed Karzai in September 2004, a move which sparked massive demonstrations in Herat. Following the presidential election in October that year, Karzai appointed Ismail Khan as energy minister.

Mohammad Rafeeq Shaheer, head of the Experts’ Council, a non-governmental institution, said Ismail Khan loyalists have been well armed over the years. “Those who have been armed may be the cause of such incidents today,” he added.

Herat resident Ghulam Mahboob told IWPR that he had witnessed an attempted abduction by men connected with Ismail Khan.

“A few days ago, armed men wanted to kidnap my neighbour. He shouted out, and I came out of my house. I saw a person loyal to Ismail Khan there whom I knew very well,” he said, adding that the would-be kidnappers gave up after neighbours intervened.

Qari Mohammad Yousuf Masoon, a former spokesperson for Ismail Khan, who is now secretary of the minister’s Afghan People’s National Solidarity Council, denied the allegations.

“These rumours and accusations are being spread by those who are in some way involved in security problems,” said Masoon.

He blamed the skyrocketing crime rates on a lack of Islamic values within society, as well as on ineffectual security forces. Masoon claimed that some government officials know who the criminals are but refuse to arrest them.

Mohammad Musa, a local resident who was once a combatant with one of the Afghan militia factions, Hezb-i-Islami, said the government’s attempt to marginalise the former mujahedin groups has caused resentment among their members.

“People who stood up to foreign invasion for 20 years are now looked upon as criminals,” he said. “They were discharged via the DDR [Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration] programme, and this is one of the most important contributory factors in the lack of security in Afghanistan.”

Musa recommended that the government focus on integrating former combatants into the new national army and police force.

While crime in Herat is hurting the local economy, it is also affecting the Afghan government’s revenue, according to Khushhal Rasi, head of the provincial customs department. He said customs receipts in the province for the last five months have fallen by 30 per cent compared with the previous five-month period.

Herat province, which borders Iran and Turkmenistan, is a key transport corridor for the region, but traders are becoming more wary of bringing goods across the border with Iran.

At least one business is benefiting from the security problems, however. Metalworker Gul Ahmad welds iron grills to keep the criminals out of homes and businesses. These days, he said, “I have so much business, I am turning customers away.”

Sadeq Behnam and Sudabah Afzali are freelance reporters in Herat.

Fars News Agency: Iran Hopeful About Boosting Economic Exchanges With Afghanistan

October 19, 2007

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki expressed hope that trade and economic exchanges between Iran and Afghanistan would increase in future.

Mottaki made the remarks in a meeting with Afghanistan’s Energy, Water and Power Minister Ismail Khan in Herat on Friday, where the two sides reviewed latest developments in the two countries’ ties as well as projects underway in the city of Herat.

Also in the meeting, Mottaki noted the two nation’s interests, and viewed Tehran-Kabul ties as developing.

He hoped that longer strides would be taken for the boosting of the two sides’ trade exchanges, implementation of joint ventures, facilitation of the visits of traders and industry owners and materialization of economic prosperity in light of the existing potentials.

The minister also stressed Iran’s deep eagerness to implement joint ventures and assist Afghanistan with technical and engineering services.

For his part, the Afghan minister underlined Iran’s positive role in his country, particularly in promoting trade activities and reconstruction of Herat, and expressed the hope that the two countries’ exchanges would increase.

Mottaki is in Afghanistan to attend the 17th ministerial meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).

The foreign ministers of ECO’s member states are scheduled to convene in Herat to attend a meeting on October 20.

Meantime, Iranian, Afghan and Tajik foreign ministers are scheduled to attend a trilateral meeting to study regional issues and discuss economic cooperation.

The Economic Cooperation Organization which was established in 1985 in pursuit of the promotion of economic, technical and cultural cooperation among the member states has now turned into a powerful body.

The organization was founded by Iran, Turkey and Pakistan but Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan jointed the block afterwards.

[Description of Source: Tehran Fars News Agency (Internet Version-WWW) in English -- Privately-owned news agency. It began operating in mid November 2002. Its managing editor is Mehdi Faza'eli, the editor in chief of the Javan daily and a member of the managerial board of the Association of Muslim Journalists. The other members of the board of directors of the news agency, are Alizera Shemirani, of Farda newspaper, Abdollah Moqaddam and Akbar Nabavi of Resalat newspaper, the former director of Farabi Foundation Hasan Eslami-Mehr, and university professor Abolhoseyn Ruholamin. OSC IAP20071019950066 1425 GMT 19 Oct 07.]

Herat TV: A snapshot of key issues at Eid al-Fitr

Programme summary of Afghan Herat TV news in Dari 1630 gmt 12 Oct 07

Home News:

1. 0030 The governor of Herat Province, Sayed Hosayn Anwari, attends Id prayers at Herat Grand Mosque today. Addressing the worshipers, the governor called on further cooperation of the people with the security officials. Video shows the governor addressing a number of worshipers.

2. 0230 Herat Province governor congratulates the minister of water and energy, Mohammad Esmail, on Id days. Video shows the governor talking to the minister and some other officials.

3. 0340 The governor of Herat Province visits the patients in Herat Hospital and provides them with some cash amounts. Video shows the governor talking to some patients in the hospital.

4. 0420 A armed man has been arrested an two others were injured after a brief clash with police in Herat city today. The security commander has said that the armed men were planning to attack some government officials. Video shows the security officials talking to a TV reporter.

5. 0530 A group of insurgents attacked a security check post in Shindand District of Herat Province last night. No casualties reported. Video shows some security officials talking to a TV reporter.

6. 0810 Report on Id ceremonies at Zafar Military Corps No 207. Video shows the soldiers praying, congratulating Id to each other.

[Description of Source: Herat Herat Television in Dari -- state-run television. OSC IAP20071012950087 1630 GMT 12 Oct 07
]

Cheragh: former governor influential in Herat reshuffles

Text of article in Dari entitled “Who governs Herat” by independent Afghan newspaper Cheragh on 1 October

Herat Province, as a key province in Afghanistan, has had direct affect on the northwestern region and indirect affect on the whole country. As the past skirmishes and fighting in Herat had affected the rest of the Afghanistan. When Herat fell to the Taleban [in 1995] the government in Kabul was disheartened. Herat’s role to is also vital and crucial. Because, the residents of Herat have witnessed good security and stability in this province. Because, the province is on of that the Taleban have only limited activities and the drug cultivation is also very low. Meanwhile the presence of two transit borders, Eslam Qala and Torghondi, adds to its importance and is the economic hub of Afghanistan.

All these have made the government to view the province differently. This special attention has caused high-ranking posts there to be a means for government deals. On the other hand, those who claim to deserve high posts in Herat strive very hard and play any games to reach the positions.

Killing, armed robberies, murders, kidnappings and series of insecurity made the provincial security commander leave his post. He left Herat with fewer achievements.

Meanwhile, another official was appointed chief of Herat intelligence department. There are rumours of other imminent reshuffles in the province. Whether or not these reshuffles will affect the security situation in Herat will be known in the coming days and weeks.

But, according to the writer, positive changes are likely. Because, most probably this time the reshuffles have been made in close cooperation with a man who claims to be Herat’s ideal father.

Although this man has been away from the recent reshuffles in Herat, his efficient affect on huge groups of people and parties that had huge authority and equipment during his reign have always been counted as a tool of pressure on the leaders and those living in the capital.

At a glance at the situation and the series of insecurity in Herat, the dissidents are seeking other targets than financial benefits.

Leading investors and owners of biggest production and trading firms were the targets of the kidnappers. Meanwhile, robbery in Herat’s money exchange market in broad day light in presence of security forces show the publicity priorities in the events.

Because, reaching the economic sources needs very easy targets. We should not forget that those involved in recent skirmishes and fighting misuse the nonchalance of the security officials and approach their targets. They also stir the insecurity up. Hence, personal disputes, assassination of civilians and robberies could have been done by these people.

Anyway, a man has taken the responsibility of ensuring security in the key province of Herat, who has been security commanders of Samangan and a security commander at Kabul Airport.

Meanwhile, the new security commander is a former jihadi commander and is a confidential figure. We can very easily understand that his appointment has been done under the agreement of the powerful man of Herat [Esmail Khan].

Finally, those living in the capital understood the fact that the satisfaction of the former governor of Herat can guarantee security and stability in Herat and in particular in the southwest region.

But, apart from officials’ discussions and talks, people think about return of security and hope that Herat return to its status as economic hub as the past years.

High-ranking officials in Kabul have also understood the fact that by giving privileges to their friends and close allies can have command on country’s affairs. Because, experience shows that since the government ignored privileges to the intellectuals who have had a stronghold in the region, it is ready now to even hold unconditional talks with the government opponents in those regions.

We are optimistic about the appointment of the new security commander and we really hope that the young general will bring peaceful days for the people of Herat.

[Description of Source: Kabul Cheragh (Light) in Dari -- Eight-page independent daily, publishes political, social and cultural articles; critical of the transitional government. OSC IAP20071003950103 0000 GMT 01 Oct 07]