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Quote by Ahmed Rashid

“The strategy for peace-building in Afghanistan is economic aid, reconstruction, international security forces. On those lines, the U.S. has been extremely slow. And it has even blocked expanding security forces from Kabul to other cities.”

Quote by Ahmed Rashid

Author

Ahmed Rashid is a renowned journalist, born in 1948. His career has been focused on reporting from South Asia and the Middle East, particularly known for his in-depth coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan. more

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“There's a sense of desperation in Afghanistan because of the lack of funding and the fact that the U.S. only has a one-track military strategy. It doesn't have an economic and political game plan.”

Facts Political Games Plans Economic Military Strategy Track Afghanistan Desperation Funding Game Plan Military Strategy Political Games

Author:Ahmed Rashid

“You have a lot of suspicion from the neighbors of Afghanistan about U.S. intentions. Iran is already, to some extent, trying to undermine the U.S. in Afghanistan. Russia is now becoming increasingly nervous about a more permanent U.S. presence in Central Asia. And China is not keen that the U.S. should be so close to its borders over a long period of time. Certainly, if the U.S. is going to be there for a long time, it's going to exacerbate regional tensions.”

Ifs Should Trying Long Becoming Periods Long Time Intention China Neighbor Russia Nervous Permanent Borders Tension Iran Afghanistan Suspicion Asia Long Periods Of Time Central Asia

Author:Ahmed Rashid

“The idea of a permanent U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, as opposed to an economic presence, is going to create a new wave of hostility toward the United States.”

Ideas States United United States Economic Military Wave Permanent Afghanistan Hostility Military Presence

Author:Ahmed Rashid

“Pashtun nationalism is reasserting itself. Its political history spans several hundred years. The Pashtuns are angry at the Americans because, one, they're still being bombed, and two, they perceive that the Americans are backing the Tajik faction, which controls the army and security forces in Kabul.”

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Author:Ahmed Rashid

“The problem right now, which I've been pointing out very bluntly to American officials in Washington, is that the U.S. has no economic presence in Afghanistan. The Afghans can't point and say, "Oh, the Americans built that road. They built that telecommunications facility. They built that electricity powerhouse," because nothing has been built so far.”

Has Beens Problem Economic Right Now Built Officials Afghanistan Electricity Pointing Facility Telecommunications

Author:Ahmed Rashid

“The Pashtuns feel discriminated against by the Americans because they supported the Taliban and the war is still going on in their region with continued U.S. bombing. They are also disgruntled at the overwhelming power of their ethnic rivals the Tajiks, who dominate the security forces in Kabul and control the key levers of political power. Although Karzai is a Pashtun also, many Pashtuns consider him a hostage to the Tajiks and Americans.”

Feels Stills War Political Force Security Keys Regions Overwhelming Rivals Bombing Taliban Political Power Hostage Levers Kabul Disgruntled Security Forces Pashtuns

Author:Ahmed Rashid

“We should remember that the Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. Of course, many of them did support the Taliban. But you cannot equate all Pashtuns with the Taliban.”

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Author:Ahmed Rashid

“The key to breaking the Taliban taboo against women and the cultural brainwashing that the Taliban imposed upon many Afghans is to get women back into the workforce.”

Keys Taboo Taliban Workforce Brainwashing

Author:Ahmed Rashid

“What everyone underestimated was the acute unpopularity of the Taliban, even in the Pashtun areas. People like myself were saying the Taliban would be driven out very swiftly from the north of Afghanistan, but given that their main support base was in the Pashtun belt, there would be greater resistance there. That didn't happen. The Taliban had become deeply unpopular and were actually discarded by the Pashtun population almost as quickly as they were in the north. I don't see the Taliban coming back in any way.”

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Author:Ahmed Rashid

“Some Pakistanis fought for the Taliban. Pakistani extremist groups provided infrastructural support to Al Qaeda. There was a coming and going of Al Qaeda militants and leaders between Afghanistan and Pakistan for several years. All that has really happened is that Al Qaeda has escaped from Afghanistan come into Pakistan, got in touch with their contacts and friends in these extremist groups, which then provided them with safe houses, cars, and not just in the border areas but also in the cities. Rooting out Al Qaeda in Pakistan now is where the main battle is being fought.”

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Author:Ahmed Rashid