TALEBAN WILL NEVER FORM COALITION WITH OPPOSITION: ROHANI WARDAK
By Safa Haeri, IPS Editor
PARIS 25th Feb. (IPS) For the first time since the killing of 11 Iranians, including one journalist, in the general consulate of the Islamic Republic in Mazar e Sharif, a pro-Taleban Afghan Commander says the Iranians may have been killed not at the hands of "rogue sodiers" but by elements of pro-Iranian groups, including those of the Shi'a-based Hezb Vahdat.
In an interview carried out in Paris with Iran Press Service, Mr. Rohani Wardak, the director of the Afghan Centre for Rural Development (ACRD), an Afghan NOG operating in the Wardak Province near the capital Kabul said the situation in Afghanistan is calm "due to heavy snow fall" that has stopped almost all military operations.
However, he cautioned that if in spring, (Ahmad Shah) Mas'oud and Rabbani resort the resistance, fighting will be resumed. "But our information is that Rabbani and Mas'oud forces are at loggerhead, divergences have erupted among them, reducing chances of their resistance", he said.
However, Mr. Wardak ruled out any possibility of the Taleban accepting to form a broad-based coalition government with other organisations, as suggested by UN and firmly supported by neighbouring Islamic Iran.
Bellow comes large excerpts of the interview
IPS - What are the differences you say have erupted between Mas'oud and Rabbani about?
Rohani Wardak - Same old differences over power sharing that led the different factions after the ousting of the Russians to fight each other for four years, ruining what was left from the occupation. As a result, the Taleban came in. Now they control over 95 per cent of the country and are about to pacify the rest and disarm Mas'oud's force, ending almost 2 decades of war and destruction, starting real reconstruction and development of the nation.
IPS - Considering pressures from international quarters as well as from Tehran on the Taleban to form a coalition government with all major opposition groups, do you think there is any possibility for the Taleban to bow to these pressures?
R W - Your question would be valid when the opposition would still exist, when, for instance, the Vahdat (A Shi'a-based organisation firmly supported by the Islamic Republic) that was ruling in the Hezarejat (a Shi'a dominated area) or Dustom forces were active in the North, a time that such possibility would exist and such government could be useful. But to day that they have vanished, most of them except that of Mas'oud's are finished off by the Taleban or because of their own inter-fighting and conflicts, there is no reason for the Taleban to accept to share power with them. Even a coalition with Mas'oud would be against the Taleban's policy and principle.
IPS - Turning to the killing of Iranians in the consulate of the Islamic Republic in Mazar Sharif when the Taleban captured that city, what really happened there and who killed the Iranians?
R W - As you know, a fierce fighting took place in Mazar Sharif. Vahdat controlled the city when the Taleban took it. Many people were killed on both sides and the town was heavily damaged.
During the Russian occupation, Iran had helped the mujahedeens. But after the victory, it changed face, gave support to the Afghan minorities. When the Taleban came to power, they discovered that in the past four years, Iran had consistently interfered in political and military affairs of Afghanistan, helping the Northern Alliance, but mostly the hezarejat Sh'ia people with whom they shared religious backgrounds, going sometimes as intervening directly.
It is against such a background that the consulate incident happened. Furthermore, the Taleban say those who were killed were not diplomats, but military advisers assisting the Hezb Vahdat.
There is also this possibility that those people, whether military or diplomats, have been assassinated by the Rabbani or Mas'oud men with the clear aim of mounting Iran against the Taleban and creating a war between the Taleban and Iran, something in which they partially succeeded, as we saw the Iranian forces coming to the borders, ready for a war.
IPS - Do you think there are chances for normalisation of relations between Iran and Taleban, I mean an Iranian official recognition of the Taleban?
R W - First of all, both sides have been able to control that dangerous situation. Right now, the situation is calm and, meanwhile, some contacts have taken place.
As far as I know from my contacts, the Taleban consider that Iranian diplomacy is not clear, that the Iranians are not made their mind as to fully accept or not the Taleban and when should they talk to them.
IPS - What about Saudi Arabia?
R W - Chances are good for normalisation of relations with Saudi Arabia. Basically, there is no differences of views between the tow sides except for the one Arab who is Ossama Bin Laden, who the Taleban have sheltered in his quality of mujaheed, of Muslim and a refugee to Afghanistan. Now we all hear that he has left the territory under the control of the Taleban. I ignore the reasons why he has left, but whatever the reasons, that had paved the way for the relations between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, as there remains no reason for Saudi Arabia to not restore its ties with the Taleban and exchange ambassadors.
IPS - Do you think that once this Bin Laden problem solved, other nations such as the US, France, Europeans and Muslims, all those that so far have refused to recognise Taleban will do?
R W - Taleban came to power on popular basis. They moved along the will and demand of the Afghan populations. They quickly were supported by the people, thus explaining their relative rapid conquests and victories.
Once the opposition is wiped out, then there would remain no question for the world as who is in control and then it would be up to them to recognise or not the Taleban. Naturally, there are also other considerations…
IPS - Like what?
R W - Like this broad-based government, the women's rights the Western world is concerned about, the question of drugs that is in the Taleban's plans to eradicate it. Once the country is pacified and united, then all these problems will be addressed and there will be no problem for the outside world.
IPS - How much time do you give for the world to recognise the Taleban?
R W - That depends to the war situation. The more quickly the Taleban can end the opposition, the fastest the road would be paved for normalisation of relations.
IPS - As we know, Islamic Republic, and certainly some other countries, continue to help and support the forces of the opposition, don't you think that thanks to this assistance, the opposition can come back, take over the Taleban and reach Kabul again?
R W - In my view, Iran and other nations that helped and are helping the opposition have missed the chances. When Balkh, Bamian and Kabul were in the hands of the Northern Alliance and that the opposition was a force, they nevertheless were not able to keep their positions and were defeated by the Taleban. Today that the Alliance has been almost eliminated, do represent nothing and control but 5 per cent of the country, for Iran and others to continue to support the opposition is like trying to reach an unreachable myth.
In fact, Iran has discredited itself in the eyes of the Afghan people from the moment it turned its back to them and started to help the opposition and in case it continue to back Mas'oud, it will "shoot on its own foot", as we say in Farsi.
IPS - In your view, what would be the Taleban's conditions for normalising with Iran?
R W - Taleban's expectation is to see treated by Iran as friendly Muslim brother neighbour. To stop at once the policy they followed in the past eight years, and convince the Taleban on their good will.
IPS- Iran's condition for direct negotiations with Taleban remains the arrest of those who killed the Iranian so-called diplomats and bring them to justice. Do you think that this is possible?
R W - Very difficult. Specially when that had happened during war conditions. Moreover, as I said before, it is not clear who killed them, as there are suspicions that the killing my not be the work of the Taleban but of Rabbani or Mas'oud to create trouble between Iran and the Taleban.
IPS - Pakistan is probably the country that plays the most important role in Afghanistan. What if there is an agreement between Iran and Pakistan concerning the Taleban. What if Pakistan stops helping the Taleban?
R W - In my view, the Taleban are no more relying on Pakistan's backing. Besides, Pakistan has plenty of crisis and problems on its own hands to make it to be in a position to help the Taleban who, now, are counting not on foreigners but on the arms and the will of the Afghan people.
Taleban being now a reality on the international scene, therefore it is their legitimate and natural right to be recognised by the international community and to be offered the seat of Afghanistan at the United Nations. Of course, the opposition has badly tarnished the image of the Taleban in the outside world, to the detriment of both the Taleban and the West. Once this opposition wiped out, the United States and other countries will have no choice but to recognise the Taleban.
However, the Taleban think that this earth is not hovering around the corns of the United States (a Persian proverb meaning not all things depends on someone). They know well that there are also other nations in this world with which they can establish relations, something that will not be to the benefit of the Americans who played an important, may be the most important role during the war of liberation and before, helped Afghanistan in building development projects. Taking into account this capital of sympathy, it is in the US interest to establish relations with Afghanistan of Taleban.
IPS - But Ms'oud remains very popular in the West.
R W - That's correct, but they must understand that it is imposible for Mas'oud to become the master of Afghanistan and therefore it is futile to invest too much on him.
IPS - Iranian clerical rulers say what the Taleban is doing, the way they treat women, the young, even the men etc. is not Islamic. On the other hand, the Taleban for their part considers the Sh'ia as heretics and non Muslims. What do you think?
R W - Well, this is a religious problem. In our point of view, what the Taleban does, and is criticised by the outside world, has nothing to do with the Taleban but with the faith, with the religion most of the Afghan people believe in. If, in the eyes of the outside world, this is bad, that comes not from the Taleban but from the religion that is of the majority of the Afghans.
The same, the Taleban say Khomeiny regime and Iranian akhounds do not even respect their own religion and what they do is not acceptable by Islam. But as far as the Taleban are concerned, they follow the principles the Sharia and their laws are those of the Holly Abu Hanifeh. ENDS WARDAK 2529901