Get Rid of the Warlords

If rule of law is to mean anything to the Afghans they are going to have to establish it themselves. If the Karzai regime is to be successful it must recruit military and police forces loyal to the central government and led by competent, dependable people who will not use their offices as racketeering fronts. We can provide money, advisers, training, hardware, etc., but we cannot do this job for them. The Afghans themselves will have to decide who is in charge of their country and how it is going to be run. It is, after all, their country.

Editor's Comment:

Ms. Smith, I am still envious of your opportunity to be in Afghanistan. I am well pleased to see someone report with an objective eye. It is sorely needed.

The people of Afghanistan should rally behind Hamid Karzi and perhaps keep him around for a 100 years or so. However, there is that little matter of trust. Until the warlords, traders, fence sitters and other opportunists are either solidly aligned with the Karzi government or are tending goats, the people will continue to be in fear. I noted that the Karzi administration is asking for more and extended geographic support for Afghanistan. That is what the people want. It is what they have waited, worked, and died for over the last decades. I am pleased to see him able to focus on what is really needed and be able to listen to the people.

I am heartened by your news, Ms. Smith and I will take two things away from this read: One is my hope that you need an assistant at some point and; two is that I will avoid Lux soap at the grocery store. Thank you and keep up the good work.

Editor's Comment:

Another excellent article by Ms. Smith to educate and inform the rest of us about the conditions and individuals that the American government and our allies are dealing with as we first fought and rid the country of the Taliban-style government. Now the stabilization of Afghanistan is incredibly difficult while dealing with the self-serving and dangerous warlords.

As I read the article, I thought, what a cast of characters William Shakespeare would have had for a tragic play written about the chaotic and violent country of Afghanistan during the last 20 years or so. This is neither a play nor a piece of fiction but the reality of the situation that the American government must deal with successfully if this region will ever attain peace. This is an enormous undertaking but one which was forced upon our nation by the events of Sept.11.

I have confidence that in time, the warlords and the instability that they bring will be dealt with in an efficient manner much as other problems in the war on terrorism have. I feel that President Bush and his cabinet and military advisors might say, "all in good time." Patience is a virtue.

Editor's Comment:

What an interesting and well-written look at the current state of affairs in Afghanistan and the warlords who are basically in control. It doesn't sound as though life for the average Afghan will be much better under their rule than is was under the Taliban, standing in the way of some measure of order and stability, necessary for peace. Sitting comfortably in my rural American home, I can't thank you enough for your courage and willingness to continue reporting from such a dangerous and unsettled part of the world, providing your insight and knowledge to those of us on the other side of the globe.

Editor's Comment: