Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, broadcasting from Prague in Czech Republic reported that on January 20, 2003, Afghanistan's Deputy Defense Minister gave an interview to the Iranian Radio. Kimberly McCloud of Radio Free Europe says that in this interview General Atiqollah Barialay, the Afghan Depiuty Defense Minister, has said that former Mujahedin "were the real inheritors of the Afghan nation because they were the ones who defended the honor, religion, and territorial integrity of Afghanistan."  According to the same report, Barialay has suggested that a "national resistance force of Afghanistan" might be formed by the Defense Ministry. He has not specified what purpose would be served by such a force.

This seems to be the first time a ranking official of the Defense Ministry that is led by Marshal Fahim of the Northern Alliance has spoken about the need for a national resistance force to be formed by Fahim's Ministry of Defense without describing the need for such a force or its tasks.  Furthermore, the same high ranking official has talked about the former Mujahideen and their so called right to own the new Afghanistan and thus to make up the national army for the country. 

One of the issues facing the Afghan nation today is the issue of security which is linked with any and all military activities and personnel, national and international and also the presence of some 8000 US troops in Afghanistan.  For example, the United Nations International Assistance and Security Force in Kabul and to some extent the US forces at least in areas surrounding their camps and bases are responsible for maintaining of peace and security. Beyond these areas, the issue of security becomes the responsibility of the national government which relies on the forces gathered under its Minister of Defense, and whose loyalties are with that Ministry rather than the national leadership. In reality, this huge task of security falls on the shoulders of the warlords who have claimed vast powers for themselves in areas under their control.

The Minister of Defense is member of a team appointed by Karzai, President of the transitional government to form and train a national army of around 70,000 troops.  Of this planned army only some 2000 have been trained so far. They have been trained, not by the Ministry of Defense, but by the US and UN forces in the country. Thus the President is at the mercy presently of the forces under his Minister of Defense, his own American bodyguards and the United Nations forces to use for the purposes of security.  Issues that require of him to enforce his decisions on the strength of military might, remain in abeyance.

On the other hand, security in the country deteriorates as remnants of the so called Mujahideen groupings in conformity with the harsh and unrealistic viewpoints of the extremists are gathering once again under the guise of defending the country against foreign troops and thus reports of almost daily attacks on these troops reach the world on a regular basis.

Under these conditions it is deeply disturbing to note that a Defense Ministry high ranking official talks about a basic role for the Mujahideen in Afghanistan's national army without acknowledging the fact that it were the same Mujahideen who after ascending to power failed in establishing of security in the country and or putting in place of a successful government.  It is to be remembered that it were the leaders of the same so called Mujahideen who, after the downfall of the communist puppet government, inflicted irreparable damage to the country and caused at least 50,000 casualties in Kabul alone in their fight for obtaining of personal power.  It is also to be acknowldeged that there were thousands upon thousands of true Mujahideen who fought for the freedom of their country and for upholding of their faith without any claim for personal power and there were hundreds of thousands of the same Mujahideen who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of their country.  None of these true Mujahideen were involved in self seeking worldly positions for themselves.

It is also disturbing to note that the Afghan Ministry of Defense is talking about a national resistance force under its own authority.  It is not known, whom or what would it resist?

Facts are that it is the historic duty of the transitional government to  coordinate its efforts, streamline the policies of all its ministries under national scheme, prevent independent decisions by its different departments and by making and adhering to a united nation building plan to be followed and respected by all government departments and cabinet ministers.  It is not wise to think of Afghan nation as a commodity that would fall to a group of the so called Mujahideen as their personal inheritance. Afghanistan needs national forces for its national security and not for resisting the wishes of its nation. 01/25/03