NO RELATION BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND ME CONFLICT: SOLANA
By Ahmad Rafat*
MADRID (IPS) Javier
Solana doesn't stop. In one week he has been in Ghent, to participate to the
European Summit, later in Skopje to check how the process of constitutional
reform goes, later in Rome to meet the former Afghan King and then in Ramallah
and Jerusalem to discuss with Arafat and Sharon the Middle East crisis.
While in
Rome, the responsible for the foreign policy and security affairs of Europe met
with Mohammad Zaher Shah and before meeting President Carlo Azeglio
Ciampi, he talked to Tiempo. Here is some excerpt of the lengthy
interview:
Tiempo - During more
than one hour meeting with the former Afghan King, Mohammad Zaher Shah, of what
have you talked about?
Javier Solana
- The meeting with the King has been very interesting. I found him very open and
committed. I informed him about the last European Council of Ghent that made
some important decisions about Afghanistan and the whole region. Then I listened
to his opinions and those of his advisers on how they intend to contribute to a
post-Taleban solution in Afghanistan.
The formations of a government and proper structures, after the fall of
the Taleban, are a very difficult task. Afghanistan has suffered from many years
of war and therefore it won't be easy to form a broad-based government able to
reconstruct the country. The European Union will continue working with the
United Nations to help the Afghans to carry out this task. I believe that the
General Secretary of United Nations and his personal Envoy, the former Algerian
minister Lakhdar Brahimi, have a great responsibility.
However
decisions on the future government of Afghanistan must not and should not be
elaborated by other countries, and no neighbouring country, should interfere in
Afghan's problems. The King, and his team, have established contacts with the
Northern Alliance, sent a delegation to Islamabad and continue working for a
political solution. The historical institutional mechanisms of Afghanistan, the
Loya Jirga, or the Assembly of the elders of the tribes, can also play an
important role.
Tiempo -
The men of Zaher Shah are concern about the different militias and for that,
have requested the United Nations to send a peace force to guarantee the future
government the possibility of working without intimidations from the armed
groups. The United Nations seems not very enthusiastic about that. What about
the European Union?
J S - I also
believe in the necessity of deploying some kind of military force, at least in
Kabol. This force must have the complete support of the United Nations. It is
also necessary to think about the countries willing to send their troops to
Afghanistan. I believe that mainly Islamic nations should form the bulk of these
forces. Anyway the command of this mission must be given to an Islamic
government. Europe, Russia or the United States for obvious reasons would have
to abstain from participating in this mission.
Tiempo - The
West and mainly Europe, seems that it bets in the person of Mohammad Zaher Shah.
Can an 87 year-old man restore peace and the stability in a country destroyed by
23 years of civil wars?
J S - The
European Union doesn't bet on anybody. It doesn't have candidate, but we try to
help in the best possible way. We don't only try with the King, but we have also
spoken with the forces of Northern Alliance. I spoke with Ahmad Shah Mas'ood,
some days before his murder.
I have spoken with Iran or with the Russian. That is to say with
everybody who can play a role in this process. If we want to end this unabated
war, a task that I repeat, it will be difficult, it is necessary to consent
great efforts today and also tomorrow. Europe that is not playing an important
role now, has to to play an outstanding role in the post war period.
Tiempo - The
United States and Pakistan have mentioned to the presence of "moderate
Taleban" in the next Afghan government. You don't seem very convinced of
this...
J S. Let
us don't enter in a debate of what the "moderate Taleban" means. I
don't believe that Taleban is compatible with moderation. However, if such a
thing like "moderate Taleban" existed at all, they will be welcome,
and they will also have to be part of the Afghanistan's reconstruction. But from
what we know of the Taleban, they don’t show to be suitable to construct
anything.
Tiempo -There
is any connection between current Afghan crisis and what is happening in Israel
and in the Palestinian territories?
J S - I don't
believe that exists any relationship between the two crises. The crisis in
Afghanistan has to do with a government that has given, and continue to provide
protection to an international terrorist group. But the crisis in the Middle
East is something older.
Ten years
ago, when still nobody knew Ben Laden, we already had the first conference in
Madrid, where we started to speak about the peace process . In the Middle East,
the main problem is the application of the United Nations Security Council's
resolutions. Establishing some relationship between the two problems, means
falling in the trap of Osama Ben Laden.
Tiempo -
But people in the streets, they acclaim Ben Laden as their hero.
J S -
Without a doubt, the Middle East conflict can be related with the frustrations
of the Arab world, but this cannot be the cause of the international terrorism.
The declarations of Ben Laden are tied to the presence of foreign troops in
Saudi Arabia. The Middle East crisis absolutely cannot constitute a
justification for the international terrorism. That there is frustration in the
Arab world, that there is poverty, that there are problems that are not
resolved, I recognise it, but none of these things justifies terrorism. And none
of these problems can be solved with the terrorism.
Tiempo -
You continue travelling to Arab countries but the conflict doesn't seem to be
solved, rather it worsens...
J S- I
know well that my presence won't change the things, but I believe that we have
the obligation of be present, to continue helping with perseverance, and with
the physical presence. In this respect, the presence in the region of the Miguel
Angel Moratinos, the European Union Special Envoy, is very important. I try to
be present every month, not only in the Palestine administered territories and
in Israel, but also in Jordan, Egypt and other countries of the region.
We have to create, day by day, the return to the political dialogue, to
the negotiations. It is not easy, but we have had some moments where it seemed
that peace was very close. But these attempt were destroyed by the activities of
radical terrorists. We have to start a process that gives us the possibility of
stopping those who don't want peace. They are in both camps, but it is necessary
to don't give them the opportunity of slaughtering people and murder the peace
process.
Tiempo - You
recently visited Iran to convince them of joining the international front of
fight against the terrorism. An exercise in futility?
J S -
Not at all. We didn't fail. Iran has given its support to the operations against
terrorism. What the Iranians say is that besides the military operations, there
exists other ways to fight terrorism. I also believe that the long battle
against terrorism won't have as centre of gravity military actions, but the
exchange of information. To deprive the terrorist organisations from the
economic resources they still receive, is much more important that the air
attacks.
Isolate the terrorists is lot more effective than bombing their camps. To
create an atmosphere of collaboration between countries is fundamental in the
fight against terrorism. Iran is ready to such collaboration.
I already had contacts with the Iranian President Mohammad Khatami
and told him that it is not necessary for them to participate in the military
operations, neither any Arab countries participate to these operations, but they
can contribute to the main battle against the international terrorism
Concerning the fight against terrorism, and not only that of Ben Laden, I
consider very important the last decisions of the European Council and the
resolution of the UN's Security Council. These two documents open the road for
the international co-operation against terrorism, including the possibility of
impeding money laundering and the sale of weapons to terrorist organisations
Tiempo - Iran,
Syria, Pakistan and other allied countries of West are in the United States
black list of terrorist states, backing terrorist organisations such as HAMAS or
the Hezbollah...
J S - It is true that
there is here a contradiction that must be solved. At this time we have to
concentrate on the fight against Ben Laden and his A-Qa'eda.
Tiempo - In the
last weeks, practically after September 11, many European citizens feel less
free after the new security measures adopted in the several countries of the
European Union...
J S - I don't believe
that the battle against the terrorism supposes loss of freedoms. If our models
of freedoms and our model of life would are to be limited, the terrorists would
have won. We have to be able to maintain our way of life and to defend our
values.
Tiempo -
Concerning values, someone (Italian Prime Minister- IPS), here in Europe, spoke
of superiority of the Western civilisation over the oriental or the Islamic
one...
J S - I don't
believe that there is a conflict of values or civilisations. Civilisation is not
measured in minutes or hours but in centuries, and one cannot say that there are
superior or inferior civilisations. On the other hand, it is obvious that it is
better to live in a democracy that in a Taleban like regime and that the quality
of the values represented by democracy is better than those represented by the
Taleban. But again, this doesn't have anything to do with the civilisations.
Tiempo
- Does the European Union maintain contacts in these days with United States?
J S
- I speak every day on the telephone with Colin Powel, responsible for the
American diplomacy.
Tiempo - Do you
miss the days of the crisis in Kosovo, when you were General Secretary of the
NATO?
J S -
The Atlantic Alliance is limited, while the European Union has wider objectives.
Here, not only I'm in charge of military and defence matters, but also of
political and economic problems as well. It is a more complex structure that
still lacks a tradition. It is a new role and it is necessary to create an
appropriate structure for it.
Tiempo
- How much is your command? Have you to consult with all the 15 member countries
before each decision?
J S - I have an
open command. The objective is clear, and to arrive to this objective I
negotiate it in the best possible way. Once it is defined what the European
Union wants, then I can act with maxim freedom. ENDS SOLANA AFQANESTAN TIEMPO
261001
*Mr. Rafat is the
Rome Bureau Chief of the leading Spanish magazine Tiempo.
The above interview
will be published Monday 29 October.
Highlights are from IPS