POLITICS: Disorder Reigns After U.S. Attacks, say U.N. Officials

By Thalif Deen Reprint | | Print |

Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, May 8 2003 (IPS) - The United States, which militarily ousted the governments in both Afghanistan and Iraq, has two destabilised countries on its hands, say senior U.N. officials and diplomats.

Complaints of disorder in the capitals Kabul and Baghdad come not only from U.N. officials but also from people on the ground battling lawlessness, insecurity, and shortages of food, water electricity.

”There are many signs that the security situation throughout Afghanistan is worsening,” U.N. Special Representative in Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi told the Security Council this week.

Brahimi says the situation in the country is still ”unstable”, primarily because of harassment and intimidation, along with inter-ethnic and inter-factional strife.

Nearly 17 months after U.S. forces ousted the Taliban regime in Kabul, says one South Asian diplomat, Afghanistan is still in chaos. ”We hear the Taliban is making a comeback.”

The ‘Washington Post’ reported Thursday that hundreds of angry protesters carrying signs reading ”Death to Bush” and ”Long Live Islam” marched through Kabul accusing U.S. President George W. Bush of breaking his promises to rebuild the war-devastated nation.

It was the first anti-American protest in Afghanistan since the Taliban regime was ousted from power in late 2001, added the paper.

The U.S. installed administration headed by Hamid Karzai is described as being so weak that it has no money to pay thousands of government workers, including 96,000 employees in the Interior Ministry alone.

Brahimi said the peace process in Afghanistan is challenged by the fact that national security institutions are perceived by many Afghans – perhaps the majority – as not serving the broad national interests of all the people of Afghanistan.

The multi-national International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), currently led by Germany and the Netherlands, has no mandate outside Kabul. By August, ISAF will be a peacekeeping force run by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

The U.S. military force, operating outside Kabul, is still engaged in hunting down former Taliban members and al-Qaeda terrorists – besides providing a safe umbrella for the government of Karzai, who is himself protected by a heavy U.S. security detail.

”The nascent security institutions cannot be expected any time soon to provide the security that is desperately needed,” Brahimi added.

On Wednesday, the United Nations also suspended mine clearance operations in the southern city of Kandahar after attacks on U.N. vehicles left one Afghan U.N. worker dead and three wounded.

”This is one of the most severe examples of violence against the (mine clearance) programme in the last 13 years of operations,” said Dan Kelly, manager of U.N. Mine Action Service.

”And we feel we have no choice but to protect de-miners from future violent attacks by ceasing operations in areas that are not adequately patrolled and secured,” he added.

The humanitarian and security situation is equally bad in Iraq, whose government was ousted by a U.K.-U.S. military force in a 44-day attack last month.

During informal consultations in the Security Council on Thursday, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette had a litany of complaints.

The United Nations has been unable to field its entire humanitarian staff because of severe damage to U.N. offices in Baghdad. Most of the buildings in the U.N. compound were set on fire, and furniture, equipment, doors and windows were looted, she complained.

Frechette told delegates that the key humanitarian priorities include security and urgent reactivation of essential services.

Although food supplies have improved, the health sector remains difficult, she added. ”Inadequate water and electricity supplies continue to affect hospitals and health care centres, as do lootings and lack of funds to pay running costs and salaries.”

The distribution of drugs from central warehouses in Baghdad to other areas is also being hampered by insecurity on the roads and the shortage of vehicles, many of which where looted, she added.

Frechette said that problems facing Iraq include the outbreak of cholera, the loss of the school year in many areas of the country and the large number of unexploded ordnance and landmines.

Last week, the United States agreed to pay 20 dollars each to civil servants urging them to return to their workplaces in Baghdad.

”Providing these payments to the remaining public sector workers, and the introduction of a regular system of salary payments would make a significant contribution to easing the humanitarian situation,” Frechette told Security Council delegates.

As the political squabbling continues in Iraq, the United States has been unable to reach agreement on the formation of a new civilian authority in Baghdad because of conflicting claims by Iraqis to positions of power and authority.

On Wednesday, health workers demonstrated against the appointment of a senior member of the ousted Baath Party as minister of health. The demonstrators in the streets of Baghdad included doctors and surgeons.