Afghanistan summit focuses on rebuilding

As NATO continues to search for a way forward in Afghanistan, reconstruction policy was the focus of a Jan. 25-27 conference in Prague that served to lead in to a broader conference in London Jan. 28.

There were three sessions in Prague, and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Senate and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty took turns playing host. The focus was on Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), the hybrid units of diplomats and soldiers that push for development and training security forces. Czechs lead a team based in Logar Province, southeast of the capital Kabul.   

"Assisting Afghans to realize their developmental and governance goals is a priority shared by all ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] partners, and we are always looking for ways to do it better," said John Vance, press attaché with the U.S. Embassy in Prague, one of the conference sponsors.

Bruce Sherman of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors presented the results of a 2009 survey that found 68 percent of Afghans support the presence of ISAF, but only 31 percent support the presence of U.S. troops, which as of December 2009 accounted for 54 percent of the ISAF.

Idress Zaman, of the Cooperation for Peace and Unity, addressed the apparent irony of the results, calling the word "American" a "catch-all" negative term among some in Afghanistan.

The conference drew about 250 attendees from 46 countries. Among them were Afghan political leaders and military officers from Turkey, Hungary and Germany leading PRTs in Afghanistan.

The tone and subject of debate shifted quickly in London Jan. 28, as focus turned to a proposal by Afghan President Hamid Karzai to negotiate with the Taliban. Attended by leaders from 70 countries, the conference raised $140 million in funds for Afghanistan and included pledges for more. Karzai lobbied for $500 million to buy off Taliban loyalists with grants and jobs programs to convince them to lay down their arms.

"To weaken the Taliban, you divide them, and you offer those people who are prepared to renounce violence a way out," UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said. "And that is something that we will do and something that President Karzai wants to do."

The Taliban seemed less than receptive to the idea in an e-mail sent to Agence France-Presse Jan. 28. "The London Conference is in fact aimed at extending the invasion of Afghanistan by occupying forces. ? It is just a waste of time," the message said.

Karzai traveled Feb. 2 to Saudi Arabia - one of three countries to recognize the pre-2001 Taliban government - to discuss reconciliation efforts with militants.

As NATO-members and their domestic constituencies grow increasingly wary of long-term commitment to Afghanistan, the tone of discussions reflected that reality. Karzai continued to push for a commitment of five years.   

"We will be trying our very best to be ready to defend the major part of our country from two to three years, and, when we reach the five-year end point, that's when we would be leading," he said.   

Benjamin Cunningham can be reached at
bcunningham@praguepost.com