The US has no reason to keep Afghanistan’s assets away from them anymore Photo The Free Press Journal
Afghanistan – A United States judge has recommended the $10 billion held by Western countries be returned to the Afghan people. This recommendation still needs to be upheld by one more judge before it can be accepted as a ruling. While that happens, Afghan people continue to suffer while the US withholds their rightful billions.
The recommendation is a step in the right direction according to many NGOs. Many claim the release of the money is being upheld as the United States believes releasing it will signify, they recognise the Taliban government. Something they have been trying to avoid for some time. However, Na’eem Jeenah, Executive Director at AMEC, believes the US have already recognised the Taliban as the rightful government of Afghanistan.
“The US legitimised the Taliban when they negotiated with them in Doha. They negotiated with the Taliban for the transfer of power when the Americans ended the occupation … To now say that they don’t want to legitimise the Taliban is kind of neither here nor there. Certainly, the claim is that they don’t want to legitimise the Taliban government which in itself is a fairly hypocritical statement.”
Using 9/11 as a way to keep Afghanistan funds away from them
September 11 is a painful memory for every American. It is a time in their history, which till today, still invokes deep emotions. It seems as if the United States is using this painful memory to keep Afghanistan’s funds away from them. Successive years of spinning the story has led to the blame being put on the Taliban, said Jeenah.
“The United States successive governments have spun it as being the fault of the Taliba and now it’s a bit difficult to unspin. The reality is the Taliban was not responsible or not involved in the events of 9/11. It possibly was Al-Qaeda that was involved. Most of the people involved in the 9/11 events seem to have been Saudis. There’s no action taken against Saudi Arabia by the United States. The Taliban have been made out to be this bogeyman that was responsible for the greatest attack on US soil since Pearl Harbor.”
This blame that has been placed on the Taliban creates an even bigger problem for the United States. They would rather not legitimise a government they have always blamed for 9/11, said Jeenah. All of these factors are being peddled as a reason for the US government to keep these funds away from Afghanistan.
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There are other ways to give the Afghan people their funds without legitimising the Taliban
The Afghan people are in dire need of these funds. These funds are vital in the war against hunger. There are ways of bypassing the Taliban and letting the funds reach the Afghan people, said Jeenah. Although these ways exist and the Taliban seem open to it, it seems as if the US doesn’t want to utilise it.
“The United Nations has the World Food Program. There are numerous NGOs that would be quite willing to play that role. It seems the Taliban would be willing to accept the money does not go through them as long as people’s lives are being saved. As long as that kind of relief goes out to people who are starving to death literally all over the country.”
While there are ways to bypass the Taliban, Jeenah believes the United States have shown they don’t care about human rights. Their only concern is how they are seen in the political world rather than saving the lives of millions of Afghans.
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There should be no concerns about corruption occurring
Many worry that releasing such a large amount at one time could lead to the government being tempted. While those could be reasonable concerns, Jeenah feels the Taliban have always proven to be a truthful and honest government. In fact, he claims the government that operated during the occupation was the most corrupt government to exist in Afghanistan.
“The successive governments in Kabul that have been put in place over the 20 years of US occupation have probably been the most corrupt that Afghanistan has experienced. One thing that is not said in the same kind of level or intensity about the Taliban is that they are corrupt. You can make a whole range of other accusations against them that might be legitimate but the one about corruption might not hold up as strongly.”
In the end Jeenah believes there is no political will from the United States to actually help the Afghan people. They are trying every method and means to keep these funds away from Afghanistan. There are many ways to provide relief to the people of Afghanistan without going through the government. If the United States was serious about helping to save lives, these methods would already be in use.
