How about wiping Afghanistan out of the map?
The strongest option being proposed to an anticipated “Policy Review” in December in Washington is the partition of Afghanistan into “Talibanistan” and “Warlordistan” along certain ethno-geographic lines.
As armed violence, corruption and political crisis mount in Afghanistan an increasingly vexing question is gaining more weight in Europe and US: How to cut short?
Peace-making with the Taliban has not given fruit, as has the overwhelming use of military force to eradicate them, so a new solution formula has been initiated by a former US official, Robert Blackwell: Let’s divide Afghanistan!
Blackwell and other people who back his proposal are not concerned about Afghans and their country.
They want an immediate end to US’s spending in Afghanistan. War is unaffordable – allegedly costing over US$100 billion to US alone – and Afghanistan has no oil. In fact, they want to say:
“Sorry Taliban, we’re running out of money to buy bullets and kill you!”
In 2005, when Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad suggested that Israel should be wiped out of the Middle East map in order to end a long-standing regional conflict, he was globally condemned and labeled as insane. Even George W. Bush refused Ahmadinejad’s challenge for a debate on the issue, and no foreign journalist dared to request an interview and question his philosophy.
However, Mr. Blackwell was invited to London this week to lecture a large group of British officials, journalists and writers. His blunders are well-reported by almost all major US and British media outlets. And this is no double standard – ignoring Ahmadinejad, reporting Blackwell – simply because no one can question Israel but Afghanistan, off course, is an open-to-all lab.
In case the new states of Talibanisation and Warlordistan do not live in peace and pose threats why not go one step ahead and eradicate both, or indeed the one Afghanistan, by a few nuclear bombs?
Off course every effort will be made to only target the Taliban and avoid civilian casualties.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Can a German-like Black Book curb corruption in Afghanistan?
Every government agency in Germany tries to avoid appearing in a Black Book which reports misuse and misspending of public funds by government authorities, deliberately or otherwise.
In 2009, the Black Book, published annually by the independent Ger
man Taxpayers’ Association (GTA), over 120 cases of wasteful and inappropriate expenses by various government agencies totaling 30 billion Euros were reported.
In one project, a provincial agriculture department spent 250,000 Euros on music parties for cows! Another government body procured camel’s milk worth of 40,000 Euros from Kenya to feed camel babies in Germany.
At least 1,600 articles appeared in the German print media about projects mentioned in the Black Book last year.
Ranked the second most corrupt state in the world in 2009 by the Berlin-based anti-corruption organization Transparency International, the Government of Afghanistan has no checkbooks to fear. Hardly any Afghan knows how much their government earns (from taxes, foreign assistance etc) and how much it spends on what projects.
Bribery, embezzlement and misuse of public money by government officials are rampant and hinder Afghanistan’s efforts to end conflict and implement development projects.
Donors who have a stake in a stable Afghanistan and have repeatedly and increasingly called on President Hamid Karzai to tackle corruption in his administration, but Mr. Karzai has fallen short in meeting their expectations.
It is widely believed that so long as Mr. Karzai refuses to take bold action against official corruption – starting with his own brothers, ministers and political allies – fighting corruption will only remain in words.
Facing little or no domestic pressure, Hamid Karzai has fiercely rejected external criticisms of his corrupt government under the pretext of national sovereignty. He wants to keep anti-corruption an Afghan government business with no foreign involvement.
However, critics doubt a highly corrupt government will really fight corruption.
Another concern is the abuse of anti-corruption by Mr. Karzai against his political rivals, particularly when only he is in full control.
Afghanistan needs not only a Black Book but also truly independent watchdogs in order to combat corruption effectively.
Perhaps German officials would have already banned the Black Book if the GTA had not been an independent entity. Founded in 1949, the watchdog is entirely funded by thousands of members who pay 50-90 Euros annually to enable it track their taxes.
In the immediate post-World War II years, Germans paid up to 90 percent tax to help rebuild their country.
Afghanistan may not have a large taxpaying population to form a similar association but Afghans definitely need a Black Book to tell them how much their government spends inappropriately.
Every government agency in Germany tries to avoid appearing in a Black Book which reports misuse and misspending of public funds by government authorities, deliberately or otherwise.
In 2009, the Black Book, published annually by the independent Ger
man Taxpayers’ Association (GTA), over 120 cases of wasteful and inappropriate expenses by various government agencies totaling 30 billion Euros were reported.In one project, a provincial agriculture department spent 250,000 Euros on music parties for cows! Another government body procured camel’s milk worth of 40,000 Euros from Kenya to feed camel babies in Germany.
At least 1,600 articles appeared in the German print media about projects mentioned in the Black Book last year.
Ranked the second most corrupt state in the world in 2009 by the Berlin-based anti-corruption organization Transparency International, the Government of Afghanistan has no checkbooks to fear. Hardly any Afghan knows how much their government earns (from taxes, foreign assistance etc) and how much it spends on what projects.
Bribery, embezzlement and misuse of public money by government officials are rampant and hinder Afghanistan’s efforts to end conflict and implement development projects.
Donors who have a stake in a stable Afghanistan and have repeatedly and increasingly called on President Hamid Karzai to tackle corruption in his administration, but Mr. Karzai has fallen short in meeting their expectations.
It is widely believed that so long as Mr. Karzai refuses to take bold action against official corruption – starting with his own brothers, ministers and political allies – fighting corruption will only remain in words.
Facing little or no domestic pressure, Hamid Karzai has fiercely rejected external criticisms of his corrupt government under the pretext of national sovereignty. He wants to keep anti-corruption an Afghan government business with no foreign involvement.
However, critics doubt a highly corrupt government will really fight corruption.
Another concern is the abuse of anti-corruption by Mr. Karzai against his political rivals, particularly when only he is in full control.
Afghanistan needs not only a Black Book but also truly independent watchdogs in order to combat corruption effectively.
Perhaps German officials would have already banned the Black Book if the GTA had not been an independent entity. Founded in 1949, the watchdog is entirely funded by thousands of members who pay 50-90 Euros annually to enable it track their taxes.
In the immediate post-World War II years, Germans paid up to 90 percent tax to help rebuild their country.
Afghanistan may not have a large taxpaying population to form a similar association but Afghans definitely need a Black Book to tell them how much their government spends inappropriately.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Return of God
A Church in the US state of Florida plans to burn copies of the Holy Quran on the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The church’s pastor, Terry Jones, claims he “hates” Islam and will “burn Quran” for the “Love of God”.
In Iran a woman is facing death sentence for alleged “consensual” adultery. Iranian judges say the verdict is God’s command: God will be pleased with Sakina’s death, they claim.
The Vatican has remained silent in regards to Quran’s burning controversy. However, it has called on Iran not to hang the alleged adulterer woman. A French government facing immigration, pension and social scandals is willing to send its foreign minister to Tehran to request clemency for her.
As floods rage catastrophes across Pakistan, suicide attackers blew up mosques, shrines and police stations to “please the God”. Won’t God be pleased if the suicide attackers at least postpones their attacks and instead give hands to desperate flood-affected people?
God has returned into our lives/minds and forces us to sacrifice each other for His satisfaction, or so is the perception among some people.
Some would argue God never left our lives/minds, at least in strongly religious societies such as Afghanistan. It might be true but God was said to have given His place to human rationality in the 21st century. Perhaps, the politics of God have resurfaced.
A Church in the US state of Florida plans to burn copies of the Holy Quran on the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The church’s pastor, Terry Jones, claims he “hates” Islam and will “burn Quran” for the “Love of God”.
In Iran a woman is facing death sentence for alleged “consensual” adultery. Iranian judges say the verdict is God’s command: God will be pleased with Sakina’s death, they claim.
The Vatican has remained silent in regards to Quran’s burning controversy. However, it has called on Iran not to hang the alleged adulterer woman. A French government facing immigration, pension and social scandals is willing to send its foreign minister to Tehran to request clemency for her.
As floods rage catastrophes across Pakistan, suicide attackers blew up mosques, shrines and police stations to “please the God”. Won’t God be pleased if the suicide attackers at least postpones their attacks and instead give hands to desperate flood-affected people?
God has returned into our lives/minds and forces us to sacrifice each other for His satisfaction, or so is the perception among some people.
Some would argue God never left our lives/minds, at least in strongly religious societies such as Afghanistan. It might be true but God was said to have given His place to human rationality in the 21st century. Perhaps, the politics of God have resurfaced.
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