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AFGHANISTAN: Afghans Blast Karzai Over Coalition Killings

Najiba Ayubi*

KABUL, Jun 25 2007 (IPS) - A day after an agitated President Hamid Karzai reprimanded foreign troops for unnecessary civilian deaths, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) shot dead one Afghan and wounded two others in retaliation for a roadside blast that damaged their vehicle.

Afghan lives are not cheap, Karzai told a press conference Saturday in Kabul.

On Sunday, in Lashkargah, the capital of southern Helmand province, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) troops opened fire on locals who were trying to run away from the area after an ISAF vehicle was hit by a landmine. The Taliban, who are entrenched in the province, claimed responsibility for the powerful blast.

As civilian deaths spiral in the widening conflict in Afghanistan, there is anger on the streets against the government, and foreign security forces.

Anti-U.S. and NATO protests have rocked Kabul, and the eastern and southern provinces. In July last year, the death of civilians in Kotal-e-Khairkhan, in Kabul, sparked riots.

Last week, public resentment erupted on the airwaves. An independent radio network stopped regular transmission to go live with a spontaneous, two-hour discussion following a suicide bomb in Kabul on Jun. 17. At least 30 police instructors were killed when the bus taking them to work at the Kabul Police Academy exploded in front of the heavily fortified police headquarters.

Furious listeners who phoned Radio Killid, an FM station that broadcasts from Kabul and Herat, forced President Karzai’s spokesman to come on air to defend the government over the second attack on a police bus in Kabul this year.

“I blame the government of Karzai,” said a caller who identified himself as Abdul Gulbahari. “I am a truck driver and have visited 31 provinces, including many of the districts. I see no positive changes in those provinces. The government has done nothing to solve the people’s problems.”

“I don’t know why the coalition forces are in the capital city. Why don’t they go to the rural area?” said an annoyed anonymous listener from Kabul.

“I blame the president. If you cannot lead the government, then quit,” a third caller, Abdul Qayom, said. “Yesterday, Americans killed our countrymen. We really regret voting for Karzai,” he added referring to the Jun. 16 incident when one civilian was killed in retaliatory fire by foreign troops in Kabul’s fifth district.

Sakhi Munir, editor of Anis, a government daily, said: “The attack demonstrates the failure of security forces to prevent such attacks.”

Afghan and foreign security forces have constantly claimed Kabul is safe from Taliban fighters seeking to topple the Karzai government. But successive suicide attacks here have nailed the lie, according to political commentator, Dad Noorani.

“I think that security forces are unable to control the situation, including the U.S-led coalition and ISAF forces. And when attacks happen the government loses people’s confidence,” said Noorani, a well-known Radio Killid journalist. “We have troops from so many nations… in order to secure our country but insecurity increases day by day,” he lamented over the radio.

Noorani appealed for restraint. “It is understandable that in the aftermath of attacks chaos follows, but the international forces should be more careful… We all know how uneasy they are even while driving around Kabul, so the excitement must be much higher when they come under attack.”

Hameed, who witnessed the Jun. 16 incident, phoned the radio station. “We can’t identify suicide bombers because we cannot see them. However, we saw President Karzai’s friends (foreign troops) who opened fire on civilians,” he said.

“The painful truth is that the international peacekeepers have on more than one occasion been accused of killing civilians,” said Noorani. “ISAF and coalition (U.S.) forces have time and again apologised but the practice of killing civilians as part of military operations seems to continue,” he added.

Security has sharply deteriorated in Afghanistan since late 2004 when many U.S. troops were evacuated to Iraq. A resurgent Taliban has made deadly strikes on government facilities including schools, and on foreign troops. The nearly daily attacks, which began in the southern provinces along the country’s border with Pakistan, have spread to the east.

Civilians, increasingly, are caught between the warring sides.

Zia Syamak Herawi, the president’s spokesman, defended Karzai. “The Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and the National Directorate of Security, under the leadership of the president, are all trying their best to prevent such activities but suicide attacks are a little hard to control and after three years the incidents are on the rise,” he told Radio Killid.

“Our enemies use these tactics to discredit the government and turn people against their elected leadership,” he claimed.

Still, listeners demanded immediate action. Said Mustafa from Kapesa: “I would like to see three ministers resign – ministers of interior, defence and national security. Why don’t they prevent the arms coming from Iran and other countries?” This was a reference to recent U.S. allegations that Iran was backing the Taliban.

“I blame the police who are unable to protect even their own bus,” rued Abdul Karim from Kabul. He found support from another caller, Ahmad Shah who identified himself as a police officer.

“Police do not check the trucks when they enter the city. If they search the trucks nobody can bring in explosives,” Shah said, adding, “I blame the judicial system in the country. I arrested many criminals and sent them for prosecution… but after a while they were released without serving any jail term. The judiciary is terribly corrupt.”

“Afghan officials must penalise the U.S. soldiers who opened fire on civilians in the fifth district,” Yama from Kabul phoned the radio station to say.

Afghans are demanding answers from their government. The truth is that “no conclusive investigation has taken place, and if they have the reports have not been made public,” according to Noorani.

(*Reporting contributed by The Killid Group)