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Afghans back chicago deal, warn west to keep promises by wwy yrj
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Afghans back chicago deal, warn west to keep promises by WWY YRJ
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| Article Posted: 12/02/2012 |
| Article Views: 53 |
| Articles Written: 1412 - MORE ARTICLES FROM THIS AUTHOR |
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Afghans back chicago deal, warn west to keep promises |
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A Chicago summit meeting of the 28-member bloc, attended also byAfghan President Hamid Karzai and other world leaders, endorsed anexit strategy on Monday that calls for handing control ofAfghanistan to its own security forces by the middle of next year. But it left unanswered questions about how to prevent a slide intochaos and a Taliban resurgence after the pullout. Despite the sense of combat fatigue in Chicago and frustration thatnearly 11 years of military engagement had failed to defeat TalibanIslamists, Afghans were surprisingly upbeat. They said theagreement showed Western nations would not abandon their nationafter a decade-long war and a massive aid and reconstructioneffort. "I don't think foreign nations will leave us as easily as they say.The international community has spent billions of dollars herenow," said university student Tawab, speaking to Reuters at a parknear a mosque in central Kabul.
"The conference has decided that some foreign forces will stay inAfghanistan, so it's like back-up support." Housing prices in Kabul have jumped 15 percent since U.S. PresidentBarack Obama, who declared on Monday that the 10-year war was"effectively over", visited Kabul to sign a long-term security dealwith Karzai on May 2. Donor nations have been negotiating agreements with Karzai'sgovernment committing to ongoing aid and reconstruction support, aswell as government and agricultural advisers, for at least a decadebeyond the two-year NATO drawdown ending in 2014. Since a U.S-led coalition helped Afghan forces topple the Talibangovernment in late 2001, Afghanistan has been one of the world'slargest aid recipients, with more than US$57 billion spent ondevelopment to help counter support for insurgents. In volatile southern Helmand province, one of the most violentparts of the country and the scene of several major clashes betweenthe Taliban and Western troops, villagers said their lives hadimproved.
AND NOW WE HAVE A HEALTH CLINIC Ezatullah, a shopkeeper in the town of Marjah where NATO troopsfought one of the bloodiest battles of the war, said a 35-km(22-mile) paved road connecting to the provincial capital LashkarGah had nearly been completed, cutting costs and travel time toprevent vital food supplies spoiling in the area's searing summerheat. "And now we have a health clinic built three years ago whichprovides most services to people. But still people are facingproblems, as it's not enough. There should be at least a clinic inevery big village," he said.
Security had also improved since 15,000 U.S. and British surgetroops ousted around 2,000 insurgents from the area, said Marjahresident Nisar Ahmad, draining support from the Taliban. "Now this district is fully protected by Afghan Local Police.Almost all of our schools are open and boys and girls attendschools. But we still face a lack of electricity despite thebillions of dollars spent," Ahmad said. In the Arghandab district of neighboring Kandahar province - whereU.S.
troops suffered heavy casualties in 2010 - local residentHajji Shah Mohammad Ahmadi said economic progress had been spurredby roads, schools and new health clinics. And even in restive eastern provinces, where Western troops arestill fighting to choke off insurgent supply routes across themountainous Pakistan border in one of the last major offensives ofthe war, local people counted improvements. Abdul Naser, from Chapa Dara district in Kunar, said where oncethere had been no roads, water canals, electricity, schools,clinics or security, now there was vehicle traffic, powergenerators, doctors and education. "We got two clinics during the past months with female doctors.
Wehave paved roads. But some projects were not well built and peoplestill face some security threats," he said. However, an April poll by the privately-run Tolo TV channel foundjust over 50 percent of Afghans though civil war would break outagain after foreign troops withdrew, while 26 percent saw no changeand 23 percent thought security would improve. Still, property dealers in the capital Kabul - once convulsed bycivil war but where cars have now replaced bicycles and somehigh-rise apartment buildings have sprung up - say business isthriving despite worries.
"People's morale and economic morale have gone up," said MohammadNader Faizyaar, the owner of the high-end Faisal Business Centremall that retails everything from women's fashion accessories tofurniture. "People feel that the future of this country is stable and everyonecan hopefully invest." Sarwar Akbari, 38, a Kabul resident in the Wazir diplomaticdistrict, said international backers had to now honor theirpromises not to abandon the country amid pressure on aid budgets,particularly in cash-strapped Europe. He also said they had toreach some kind of agreement with the Taliban. "If they don't fulfill their promises, and if they don't stopneighboring countries from interfering in Afghanistan and reach apeace with the Taliban, then this conference and any others will beuseless," he said.
(Additional reporting by Jack Kimball; Editing by RajuGopalakrishnan). I am a professional writer from Office & School Supplies, which contains a great deal of information about ski buying guide , epson c60 printer, welcome to visit!
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