The UN May Have Silenced the Afghan Public

By Hakim and Kathy Kelly, Voices for Creative Nonviolence

02 May 12

The Institute for Public Accuracy has released recent comments from the authors of the article below following President Obama's surprise visit to Afghanistan. -- CW/RSN

oday, Afghanistan and the U.S. initialed and locked the text of the strategic partnership agreement," said Karzai's spokesman, Aimal Faizi. "This means the text is closed…”

Why ‘lock’ or ‘close’ the future of Afghanistan to 30 million ordinary Afghan citizens?

While the world may accept that the U.S. and Afghan governments have some ’state’ or ‘noble’ considerations for not revealing the contents of the U.S. Afghan Strategic Partnership Agreement, how about the democratic consideration of involving Afghans in their own future?

Even the Afghan Parliament was in the dark and uninvolved until they were recently given a peek when Afghanistan’s National Security Advisor, Rangin Dadfar Spanta, read ‘portions’ of the Agreement to assembled parliamentarians on 23rd April, saying that the U.S. will defend Afghanistan from any outside interference via "diplomatic means, political means, economic means and even military means.”

The U.S. has said it expects to keep about 20,000 troops in the country after 2014.

What IS the Afghan public opinion regarding the U.S. Afghan Strategic Partnership Agreement?

Does anyone know?

In an article dated 11th July 2011, Iman Hassan of ‘The News’ wrote:

“… the Afghan public has outrightly rejected the US plans as the results of a survey conducted by UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) suggest. UNAMA with its 23 offices in Afghanistan conducted the survey across the country some two months back and hasn’t published it. Although, the survey’s findings are widely known. If published the stark survey results will undermine the US’ future strategic plans.”

Out of curiosity, the Afghan Peace Volunteers pursued the question of whether the UN had actually conducted such a survey.

We sent emails to friends with the Fellowship of Reconciliation U.S.A who have correspondence and contact with the UN. Below was the reply that was forwarded to us.

14th April 2012

Dear XXX,

I sent an email inquiry to the UN Coordinator in Afghanistan to ask about the survey.

As I suspected, I did not receive any response. It seems they are not willing to talk about it.

But I will keep watching for any future publications.

Best,

XXX

We also asked a staff member at McClatchy Newspapers in Kabul if he could ask some questions at the UN office in Kabul. We have not heard any news from the McClatchy staff.

So, we still don’t know if there was ever such a survey conducted by the UN office in Kabul.

We feel that even if there was no such survey, then a survey should be conducted under the auspices of the UN, and its results made known before the signing of the agreement, to rebuild trust in the UN, U.S. and Afghan governments’ democratic processes.

The contents of the U.S. Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement should be ‘unlocked’ to the American and Afghan public, and the survey conducted among Afghans in every province, particularly in the provinces where the joint military operations of the Strategic Partnership Agreement will continue to be launched beyond 2014.

Has the UN silenced the Afghan public?

But perhaps, participation in today’s democracy is designed to be ‘locked’ away.

We, the Afghan Peace Volunteers, respectfully ask for the key.

29th April 2012