Interim Afghan Government Attempts to Bolster Image of Authority (by Camelia Entekhabi-Fard) April 12, 2002 The Afghan interim government, buffeted in recent days by a bombing and an alleged coup attempt, is taking steps to reinforce its image. Ongoing instability in Afghanistan has shaken the international community's faith in the interim government, some Afghan officials believe. As a result, long-promised foreign aid needed to reconstruct the country has yet to be received. Hamid Karzai's trip to Bamiyan on April 11 aimed in part to demonstrate that the interim government can project its authority beyond the capital Kabul. The trip also contained a highly symbolic component, as Karzai announced that at least one of the giant statues of Buddha destroyed by the Taliban in 2000 would be rebuilt. Karzai said the project would take up to five years to complete and would be supervised by Afghan émigré sculptor Amanulah Haiderzad. Karzai also promised local inhabitants up to 1 million jobs in central Afghanistan. He added that internationally funded historical restoration and preservation projects could be a major source of employment. However, during the visit a source close to Karzai told EurasiaNet that the interim government has yet to receive long-promised foreign aid. According to the source, foreign governments seem increasingly skeptical about the interim government's durability and are waiting to evaluate the results of the Loya Jirga - now scheduled for early June - before committing significant amounts of aid. Another factor holding up the distribution of assistance is the evident lack of security in the country. Since being installed in late December, the interim government has struggled to extend its authority beyond Kabul, where an international peacekeeping force helps maintain stability. In Afghanistan's provinces, the interim government's authority tends to be eclipsed by a variety of local warlords, whose loyalty to central authority can be described as fickle. Several April developments have undermined the government's image of authority and emphasized the tenuous security environment in Afghanistan. On April 9, a bombing attempt against interim Defense Minister Mohammed Fahim during a visit to the eastern city of Jalalabad left five dead and over 50 wounded. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The previous day two rockets were fired at a garrison housing international peacekeeping forces. And on April 3, security officials carried out mass arrests of suspected coup conspirators. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Adding to the interim government's woes is a report issued by Human Rights Watch on April 9 that documents many instances of persecution of ethnic Pashtuns in northern Afghanistan. The report says much of the violence against Pashtuns is being carried out by Northern Alliance loyalists, driven in part by a desire to avenge crimes committed by Taliban forces prior to the start of the campaign against terrorism. Human Rights Watch warned that the violence - which included cases of summary executions, abductions and looting - threatened the reconciliation process, and threatened to hamper the ability of the Loya Jirga to establish a durable political framework for the country. The selection process for Loya Jirga delegates was expected to begin April 13.

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Karzai is taking steps to counteract international impressions that his interim government lacks the ability to bring the country together. While in Bamiyan, he held a telephone conversation with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami. During the discussion Karzai issued an invitation to Khatami to pay an official visit to Kabul in the near future.

Hard-line Iranian groups are suspected of providing logistical support for the Afghan conspiracy against the interim government. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Iran has also been accused of harboring significant numbers of fugitive Taliban and al Qaeda fighters. A Khatami visit to Kabul would send an important signal to the international community as a whole on the future direction of the Afghan-Iranian relationship.

In addition, Karzai initiated a campaign to enforce a January ban on poppy production, despite intense popular opposition. Up to several dozen farmers have been killed during violent protests against the eradication of poppy fields, complaining that the government's compensation plan would not come near to matching the potential income from the harvest. The campaign was suspended in Helmand province when land mines killed two government workers.

Editor's Note: Camelia Entekhabi-Fard is a journalist who specializes in Afghan and Iranian affairs. She is currently in Afghanistan reporting for EurasiaNet.