Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

The Frictional Relationship

The relation between President Karzia and Afghan foreign allies has not been moving on a smooth track since the end of his first round of presidency. But both sides were trying their best to keep secret the delicacy of bilateral relationship. After the second presidential election, it emerged that how Mr. Karzia has lost foreign trust when foreign officials clearly blamed him of systematic electoral fraud.

Seemingly, international community has no choice ahead to deal with someone other than him. So, when he became the president once again, having no choice ahead with the involved countries he tried to lubricate and restore trust-based relationship. Obviously that has not been easy, and the relationship has became further complicated as there is not agreement on several key issues.

Mr. Karzia has always opposed night raids that have proved effective to bring down al-Qaeda and Taliban field commanders. Mr. President has been arguing that during night raids the Afghan innocent people are being targeted and victimized instead of Taliban and al-Qaeda elements. No doubt, occasionally those attacks have failed to achieve the intended result or held on the basis of false and inaccurate information which led to death of women and children. But absolutely all were not like that.

Many high commanders of Taliban and al-Qaeda have been killed who were quite important in militants' establishment. Such kind of operations are also so cheap for foreign forces as less combatant troops are required to perform the operations.

And it also gives lesser maneuver for militants to revenge as they know nothing when and where they are going to be attacked, unlike daylight patrolling in which militants are informed when and from where the NATO and Afghan forces' convoys are going to pass. Militants can ambush and deal lethal blows to them.

While in the case of night raids, NATO and American attacks are able to strike any target across the country and kill elements and commanders of Taliban.

Now it is not just night raids. Karzia opposed the opening of an office for Taliban in Qatar which challenged severely the measure of US to jump-start negotiation with militants.

Now he wants US to cede the Bagram Prison to Afghan government, where his assigned commission reported abuses. The head of commission has said that presence of foreign prison is against constitution and national sovereignty. Such statement further makes the relationship delicate and would prove harmful to the country.