WAR ON TERROR

EXCLUSIVE ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW (FILE) WITH SPANTA: VIDEO BY NATHAN MARTIN. COPYRIGHT.

Interview with ex-Afghan foreign minister; Karzai denies Pak-US war comments, says he was misquoted

The Afghan President Hamid Karzai is no stranger to controversies. He recently found himself in hot water after he reportedly told a TV channel that in event of a war between the US and Pakistan, he would back Pakistan.

Karzai later back tracked noting that his comments were taken out of context. Karzai has often berated Pakistan for interfering in his country’s affairs. This is not the first time Karzai has come under fire, and probably won’t be the last.

In the past, Karzai has fired broadsides at the US only to make U-turns later. According to some newspaper reports, Karzai is on a chemically-induced emotional roller-coaster.

Coming on the heels of a tense relations between the US and Pakistan, things have come to a complete pass following the killing of Osama Bin Laden. The US, however, has ruled out the possibility of a war with its ally.

Karzai must not forget the monumental contribution of the Americans as the Afghan people owe their freedom to the Americans who freed them from the clutches of Taleban. The US was also involved in the rebuilding of Afghanistan that involves sectors such as health, infrastructure and energy, among others.  

Moreover, the American security blanket around Karzai has kept the president away from harm’s way. I am not trying to lionize the Americans but giving credit where it is due.

On the other side of the spectrum, Karzai also owes India in a great measure. His fledgling government is being trained in New Delhi, and Karzai himself studied political science in India. In addition, India has offered $2 billion developmental assistance, and built a new parliament building.

Karzai often expressed his gratitude to New Delhi but when it came to Pakistan he changed colors. India has been a victim of the cross-border terrorism, and has often accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks on its soil.

Interview with Former Afghan foreign minister Dr. Rangin Spanta

I firmly believe that Afghanistan has some great leaders, and one of them is Dr. Rangin Spanta, who served as the foreign minister in the Karzai-led government. Spanta also served as a senior adviser to Karzai. He also taught at the RWTH Aachen University, Germany.

Given his wealth of political knowledge and international exposure, Dr. Spanta is a perfect fit for the presidency. In an interview with Dr. Spanta during his visit to the Gulf, I found him very articulate, and there is a sense of candidness about him. He spoke about a variety of issues, including rebuilding of Afghanistan, US monetary assistance, war on terror and Afghanistan’s economy.

Dr. Spanta was quick to acknowledge the US contribution to his country. He went on to add: “The Americans freed us from the reign of terror and this is the reason why a majority of Afghans support the presence of American troops and other foreign forces in Afghanistan. America played a dominant role against terror and it would have not been possible to combat terrorism without its cooperation.”

Taking the point further, he added: “The Americans have been playing a significant role as more than 50 per cent of the monetary aid comes from the US. They also have contributed towards rebuilding various sectors, including infrastructure, energy and health, among others.”

Dr. Spanta also lauded the role of Nato troops and added that Afghanistan needed their presence till its security apparatus was back on its feet.