Afghan Press Author: Ima Kabiri

The Doha Debates are a unique venture in the Islamic world, providing a battlefield for conflicting opinions and arguments about the major political topics of the world while they have become the Middle East’s forum of choice for many prominent statesmen.

While governments around the world tighten restrictions on press freedom, the Doha Debates openly dissect the vital issues of the Middle East in front of its people and on global TV.

The Debates enter into their fifth series in September 2008 and are chaired by the award winning, former BBC correspondent and interviewer Tim Sebastian Televised eight times a year by BBC World News.

The latest Doha Debate voters at the Doha Debates overwhelmingly concluded that Senator John McCain is not the best candidate for protecting Middle Eastern interests by 87% to 13%.

A lively audience at Qatar Foundation’s Doha Debates yesterday conclusively warned America that a victory by John McCain in the US Presidential election would damage relations with the Middle East.

First to speak for the motion was Danielle Pletka who gave an impassioned defence of McCain’s intentions in Iran, Iraq and the rest of the region. Danielle Pletka, Vice President for Foreign and Defence Policy Studies at the American Institute for Public Policy Research, supported the motion, suggesting that Senator McCain was the only Presidential candidate who would not “walk away” from Iraq, leaving the region to return to sectarian violence.

She said Obama was constantly changing his opinions and had even offered to negotiate “unconditionally” with Iran.

She added that Barack Obama did not have the necessary experience to be a successful leader and said that his “inconsistency” on such important issues as the Israel-Palestine conflict was a worrying indication of possible indecision in future.

“The rest of the world will benefit from a strong US,” she argued, claiming that “if our country were to turn inward then I think the region would be worried about losing the protection the US offers.”
“And it is irresponsible to leave Iraq as Obama proposes to do; if we leave the country in the state it is now, then the door is open for Iran to take over and that is not a good thing for the region either,” she added.

Michael Signer, former foreign policy adviser to Democratic Senator John Edwards’ presidential campaign during 2007- 2008 was the next to speak, and he put forward a number of arguments for why Obama’s policies would benefit the US and the Middle East.

“Obama has the capacity to be genuinely transformative and to be a leader who will listen as opposed to lecture and will think before he acts,” he argued.

He also said:”McCain’s foreign policies could be judged by the current administration’s track record, which shows a “rash and intemperate” sentiment.” He also attacked the motion and the dangers a McCain victory would present.

Describing Barak Obama, the Democrat nominee, as “thoughtful and deliberate”, he said such qualities were of paramount importance during the present troubled times.

“It is time we had a president who thinks before he acts rather than acts before he thinks.” He said Senator Obama was an African-American who spent his formative years in Indonesia, a Muslim nation, and would be a president “who wants to understand and listen, rather than just talk.”

Dr. Saad al-Ajmi, former Kuwaiti Minister for Information and Culture, said he supported the motion largely because he feared that Senator Obama would pull US troops out of Iraq prematurely “before they had cleared up the mess they created.”

Al-Ajmi said that he had no interest in US domestic politics but was concerned with which candidate best dealt with the priorities of people from the Arab region.

“The most important issue is the Israel-Palestine conflict, and McCain has said he will follow the two-state solution which is the proposal supported by Arab leaders,” he said, adding that “if the US pulls out of Iraq, the country will descend into chaos.”

“And although we do not want war with Iran, we do not want appeasement either, and so I think McCain is the best man from the Arab point of view,” he added.

In an opening statement that drew loud applause from the packed 350-member audience, Hafez Al Mirazi, a former Al Jazeera presenter and currently vice chairman of Al Hayat Television in Egypt, warned Sarah Palin, McCain’s running mate, was from the same warmongering mould as Dick Cheney, Bush’s vice-president, “who happens to be a quail hunter.”

“Can you imagine what would happen if Palin, a moose hunter, reached the White House? It would be the same thing.

“What did Palin do when she visited Kuwait on her only trip to the Middle East? She practiced shooting,” Mr. al-Mirazi said in reference to a visit by Palin to US troops stationed there.

“A McCain-Palin victory would do to this fragile relationship what Lehman Brothers did to the markets.”

Al-Mirazi then spoke against the motion and argued that “anybody would be better in the White House than John McCain”.

“George W Bush has made both the US and the Arab world worse off than eight years ago, and his hawkish Republican mate, John McCain, will end up making him look like Mahatma Gandhi if he gets elected,” he said.

“Obama described McCain’s disagreements with Bush as ‘Robin disagreeing with Batman’, arguing that this is a worrying sign of how close the two are in terms of policy.”

He suggested McCain was eager to “fight and engage in wars” against Iran, Syria “and anyone who would oppose America.”

The debate was a lively one, with all the panellists contributing interesting insight into the problems the next US administration will face in the region, but at times it felt like a foregone conclusion with so much anti-Republican sentiment on display from the audience.

Most of the questions from the audience were directed to the McCain side, clearly indicating their preference for Barack Obama.

As it was feared so the in-camera joint session went off at half cock when the shortsighted politicians scupper it under the garbage of political clichés and blame game, stigmatising the former governments for flawed policies instead coining new schemes, strategies and ideas to find a safe exit in this turbulent hour of multifarious challenges.

The policymakers were busy in mulling about the ways to fight terror, the opposition party PML-N in hues and cries against the contentious policy of the government whereas the militants gave vent to their fierce resentment to the continued operations in Swat by beheading two soldiers. The operation left 25 militants dead the same day. Thus the whole fiasco exposed the intellectual bankruptcy of the policymakers. The opposition turned down the policy of the new government for having a hallmark of Musharraf because it revealed nothing but just three points—dialogue process, developmental projects in terror stricken regions of FATA and the ultimate ratio—military operations. The opposition demanded of the government that Bush’s poodle Mr. Musharraf must be brought before the session so that he can satisfy us that why did he put the sovereignty of Pakistan at stack by allying US in its war on terror. Nevertheless the present government could not show its courage in this line because it has come into existence as a result of the clandestine deal with him.

Mr. Musharraf went so far that he approved amnesty and rolled back the defalcation cases worth Rs. 35 billion against political parties through national reconciliation ordinance (NRO).

The briefing by the military to the joint session to the two houses—Parliament and Senate and the response it receives by opposition also proved nothing but a hare-brained formula because the politicians were given a huge doze of military tactics used in operations against the militants. Professionally by military point of view, it was well done but at least they must have kept in mind that its audience is a crowd of politicians and not the professional soldiers. Similarly the opposition adopted the path of criticism for criticism and oscillated in giving a solid model for its solution. They rightly pointed out that there was no concept of suicide bombings before Musharraf’s wrong and inapt decision but the opposition must have brought its own agenda to the forefront.

Our criticism must not be taken as an attack on the image of Pak army for it is the army, which sacrifices its soldiers, defending the frontiers and ensures our security against any foreign aggression but on the other it is the nation, which produce soldiers for it. Then they must be used against a foreign aggressor instead its own masses.

A candid US citizen Cindy Sheehan, a peace activist who lost his son in 2006 as a result of US yawned story of terror was put behind the bars for wearing a T-shirt captioned with 2245 dead resented at the US wrong policy.

So for me he is far better and humanist than these living statues in Pakistan, who, are calling it again and again their own war and playing with the blood and corpses of its own civilians as well as soldiers.

Now the opposition leader in national assembly Chaudry Nisar Ali Khan before lashing others must know that their leader Mr. Tiger Nawaz had also given way to American pressure. For this land till now has not given birth to such a legend character that can defy US dictations.

Amid this snarl in senate and parliament the ‘Asia Times Online’ divulged this news that when Nawaz Sharif was in power he had also dealt with the US.

The story goes back to the mid-1990s, when the government of Nawaz Sharif, permitted a special US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) unit to base at Tarbella, tasked with nabbing Osama bin Laden but it left the place with the military coup in 1999 toppling Nawaz government. Now once again the news is under emanation that Islamabad has given a green signal for the establishment of US bases in the same vicinity.

In this regard earlier the US joint chiefs chairman Admiral Mike Mullen has confirmed ‘Asia Times Online’s report that American bases would be built in Tarbella but only meant for training Pakistani troops and taking part in joint operations in the tribal areas.

Mullen in an interview to the ‘Los Angels Times’ unearthed that primary stumbling block had been that Pakistan had not been able to build a training site near Peshawar quickly enough after the surge of terror. The two parties (Pakistan and US) had therefore agreed to use an alternative base at Tarbella.

According to the documents confirmed by ‘Asia Times Online’, Tarbella, which is also an abode for the brigade headquarters of Pakistan’s Special Operations Task Force, recently received 300 American officials with the official designation of “Training Advisory Group”.

Thus the US under the garb of training Pakistani troops has bought a huge plot of land, several square kilometers where 20 large containers have arrived which were handled by the Americans and did not allow any Pakistani officials to inspect them. Given the size of the containers, it is believed they contain special arms and ammunition and even tanks and armoured vehicles – which certainly have nothing to do with any training programme. Though he has assured that it is just for training purposes but it would mean only what the Americans said it would mean. The remark of a Deputy Prime Minster of Turkey to a former Ambassador of India to Turkey would not be inapt when he said “Mr Ambassador, you cannot trust Americans on even what they have given you in writing.” Although Turkey is a country, which is a NATO ally of the US unlike Pakistan that is a non-NATO ally, does not trust Americans.

Yet his remark was in relation with US-India civil nuclear deal but here Taliban who are already sniffing at them like hounds will take this opportunity as pa asmaan me ghukhtay Khudai pa zmaka rakrday which means I was searching after you in sky but found you here. If there is a mess or loss of US soldiers, it will exploit it towards its own end. Even in this connection it will use the prowess—the allegations of Al-Qaida and Taliban and it can go to the extant of linking Pakistani troops with the alleged networks of the US own-reared Taliban, which it already has been using against the elements hindering its way. Thus Pakistan allowed US camel to be entered into its tent fully but it will be hard enough for it to expel US camel. And it would not be an exaggeration to say that will be the first step to turn Pakistan into a battleground for US.

But ironically Zardari after his visit to the United Nations has already admitted in the press that a series of US Predator drone attacks on the Taliban in Pakistani territory had been approved by Islamabad. Though Pakistan initially expressed fury at the incursions into its territory but the avarice for US $ 100 billion sunk its logical and acclaimed stand.

Therefore these days Pakistan seems fully stuck in the US grille at least for coming 2 decades. Because on one hand the US would-be president has declared Pakistan a battleground for America and on the other Pakistan has no gumption to grudge and decry the war on terror as not its own but the war of US interests.

Good leaders make good nations. The nations who are numbed to realize and face the challenges lost their self-ego and identity in world community.

It is a sense of patriotism, which is endowed always by the leaders to their nations.

Pakistan, is but one of those ill-fated countries that has been facing a crisis of potential leadership.

According to the author of “ Verdict on India” after Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan will face a crisis of political leadership and the 61-year history of Pakistan flew out at us his prognostic-forebode.

Jinnah was a man of principles and his determination won him the title of obdurate in west as well as among his Hindu rivals. But this could not deter him of his doctrines.

During his lifetime no politician could dare to make recommendation for special privileges and this principle made him unpopular among his party members and many of them turned as his political adversaries.

Because of that prejudice his address to the nation on 14th August was distorted while Fatima Jinnah’s address to the nation on the first death anniversary of her brother, was censored by Z.A Bukhari, the then D.G of Radio Pakistan, for that was replete with bitter facts.

It was his assassination, a deliberate conspiracy or oblivion that he was laying stranded-dead in a clumsy ambulance at Karachi.

The author of “ The Politics of Jinnah” says that the fair- weather friends, who begged for political privileges, always, surrounded him as children beg for candies of their parents.

M. Ali Jinnah was agog to see Pakistan, growing as a democratic and secular state while on the other hand from the very out set his political adversaries tried to undermine the democratic roots of the country.

Among his political posteriors most of the rulers called themselves ‘state’ and tried to exploit Islamic concept of totalitarianism for their private interests.

Ayub khan, the first Martial law administrator, started his constitution with the word “I” instead of the masses of Pakistan. Another dictator Zia-ul-Haq went ahead of him and not only sown the seed of sectarianism but also attempted to Islamise PTV dramas.

It was not because that he was a lover of Islam but to achieve his ends.

He exploited PTV in demonizing Z.A Bhuttu.

Contrary to them Jinnah wanted to keep Pakistan on the track of Attaturk’s model as his book “The Grey Wolf” had a warm place in Jinnah’s hands.

Thinking about the present herd of politicians one can, no doubt, trace out that they are the remnants of those toadies, who are expert in none but mere flattery.

In chitchat with him at Sarhad Chamber of Commerce Peshawar the former US ambassador to Pakistan, Ryon C-Crooker, stunned me with his remark that your national product must be flattery as he was surrounded by a flock of the opportunists.

Today the country has been facing multifarious challenges as terrorism, violation of Pakistan’s frontier by it’s so-called non-Nato allied friend US, inflation because of the devaluation of currency, stagflation because of power shortage, strained relations with its neighboring countries and above all the huge glut of dismayed and jobless people which is floundering in blind alleys fumbling for jobs.

Where is that leadership who can salvage the drowning ship of Pakistan in this turbulent hour?

None but time and again they beguiled the masses into plumping for them and as its repercussion the masses received nothing but only Talibanisation.

What ever act of terrorism is done in the country is all deliberate and planned with the people who are sitting in the echelons of the authority.

The entire nation was sanguine about the new government that it would array all the affairs in the best of the public interests but their hopes shattered when it started driving the old wagon of Musharraf’s shabby policies.

No doubt the present coalition government added feather to their democratic movement by writing the political obituary of Pervaiz Musharraf.

But the political tug-of-war between the major two parties over the issues of presidency and restoration of sacked judges will push their achievement into futility.

A country where more than 30 ethnic groups live, speaking over forty languages and dialects, extricating immigrants, require a lot of potentials, diligence and moreover devotion on the part of leadership.

It is time for them to show discretion, to halt elitism, revamp the sagging politics with a vital essence of egalitarianism, reunite the dejected nation and save it from going into the quagmire of fanaticism.

Picture & Article by: Ima Kabiri

H.E. Mithat Rende Turkey Ambassador in Doha

Since 19190s it has been seen recently that Turks are learning lessons from the past mistakes. Turkey has experienced from a trade row between Russia and Ukraine many times. It is still unclear how many crises Turkey has to face to understand that its purchase strategy leaks and lacks relevant unforeseen plans for urgent situations.

Time has come to increase the ratio of LNG in Turkey’s natural gas purchase. True, LNG is more expensive than the gas that comes through pipelines. Recently the Turkish media were fully broadcasting news stories about how the government has been looking to buy LNG. It is logical to expect that last-minute buyers are always needed to pay more than purchases made under normal circumstances. Plus, the cost of having more LNG is certainly affordable in view of the fact that it will show Turkey is dependence on Iranian and Russian gas.

Qatar gas as it’s been said will not be available until 2010. Turkey, however, has started to negotiate to buy gas for later on. Actually, the real problem lies under the fact that whichever of the energy ministry’s strategy just relies on the diversification of the natural gas supplies through the realization of more pipeline projects. But there is no sign yet that shows Nabucco project targeting to bring gas from Central Asia to Europe through Turkey. On the other hand, the last crisis has shown that the purchase of Azerbaijan gas is not enough to alleviate for hundred years.

Construction as important as Gas

There was a little faith that a high-level visit to Qatar in Feb. 2008 might serve for an exercise in opening the doors. And at least it could provide a good chance to devise a more meaningful energy strategy for the future. This small country in the Gulf had held the world’s third largest proven natural gas reserves. It is also the world’s biggest exporter of LNG.

The visit of President Abdullah Gul to Qatar in the first week of Feb. 2008 was very successful as Turkey managed to draw the attention of the Turkish media and journalists this time to Doha. Now Turkish people know more about Qatar and Qatar’s market. In the field of energy Turkey has a great potential to engage in meaningful cooperation.

Essential to say also, the visit’s importance is never-ending to the energy issues. With the price scramble in the energy resources, Qatar has huge revenues and it plans $130 billion worth of infrastructure for the next five years.

Doha has been named the “city of cranes” for the existing of construction projects. Many of these cranes belong to the Turkish construction companies. The amount of projects the Turkish companies have undertaken exceeded $5 billion, which ranks Qatar second after Russia, in terms of the enormity of projects undertaken by Turkish companies.

Turkey’s Ambassador in Doha, H.E Mithat Rende, sees good prospects for Turkish companies in Qatar and believes the recent visit of President Abdullah Gul was “very successful”.

During the visit of President Gul, Turkish Embassy organized the first Turkish-Qatari Business forum, had opened by the Prime Minister of Qatar and the President of Turkey, where 150 Turkish businessmen and their Qatari counterparts came together and exchanged ideas.

Turkish businessmen as he stresses, are interested in investing in Qatar’s infrastructure market. Amongst the businessmen who were on this trip, there were the chairmen and the chief executives of Turkish companies who are already active in Qatari infrastructure market.

There were also many other businessmen who were interested in entering Qatari market as well. Also senior officials’ reprehensive for leading companies like Baytour, Tekfen, Yuksel, Tubin, Insaat, Gama, TAV, Nurol, MNG, Calik were attending this forum, as well as many new contractors who were interested in entering Qatar’s infrastructure market. Like investors who were interested in building medium size factories in Qatar in paint, cables and furniture industry.

Also Gül did not only try to increase the share of Turkish firms for future projects, he also looked for more investment from Qatar, which is running a $50 billion fund in 32 countries.

An interesting aspect of the presence of the Turkish companies relates to their indirect contribution to the Qatari economy. Rende explains: “Foreign construction firms have been doing business at high costs. Turkish firms provide competitive prices. Hence, foreign companies were forced to take their costs down.”

Rende believes that Turkish companies had gained a huge reputation in Qatar’s infrastructure development sector, for first, they are world class companies. Secondly, they have vast experience of over 27 to 30 years abroad and in the region as they have been in Saudi Arabia, Libya, Oman etc. Third, they tend to work with lower profit margins: the profit margin of a Turkish company is much lower than any other European or American company.

Another important reason he sees is that they have their own skilled labor, from masons to architects and engineers. Also, even before 15 days the construction starts, a contractor can usually have all building materials, goods etc … they reach the construction site even by trucks through the roads. Turkey is geographically nearer to the region, I believe that factor will bring the two countries still closer.”

Speaking of the reputation of Turkish companies in Qatar, experts say: “They are known for the quality of their labor management.”

Qatar is at the forefront of infrastructure opportunity creation, and Turkish companies play a big role in Qatar, with trade expected to reach between $1.2 and $1.5 billion last year.

Qatar’s museum alone was a $650 million project and was contracted to Turkish Cukurova Group’s construction company, Baytur. Tepe Akfen TAV was also involved in the second phase of building Qatar’s airport.

Qatar has an enormous financial surplus and is looking for investors in infrastructure projects. That’s where Turkish businesses and corporations can play a big role, as they are very developed in infrastructure

The ambassador says Turkey is keen to build cultural relations with Qatar too. So, it is not only a matter of contractors; the focus is also on building cultural relations.

Stressing out Ankara also would like to organize a Turkish products exhibition, as Turkey produces many products and in fact maybe not many people in Qatar know that Turkey’s total exports last year reached $104 billion.

Evidence that shows how Turkey is keen to establish economical relations with Qatar, is holding various business forums for the Turkish investors. The last business forum for a Turkish Business Delegation was just held before the opening of Projects Qatar 2008.

Talking about the facts and figures, Omur Atligan, ‘Deputy Commercial Counselor for Turkey Embassy in Doha’ says: “I am so fortunate today to witness how Turkish firms presence growing in Qatar. We try to help the Turkish investors who really offer incredible proposals to Qatar industry market.” Almost 50 Turkish companies in construction and building materials, has been participating in Projects Qatar 2008.

The last note on Qatar is the second week of April 2008 when Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Qatar with a large delegation of corporate representatives to strengthen business relationships, and the two countries are currently negotiating a free trade agreement. Projects contracted to Turkish companies in Qatar have been mushrooming with the construction projects.

We all know that modern state comprises of a set of security, political, cultural and economic bodies. Thus the state is more of service institution serving the people in the fields described above, and citizens, according to the law, have to take some responsibilities to it. However, Afghani state is incapable of providing minimum security. Today, armed opposition groups have given up on guerilla and limited operations used to being carried out in far located provinces and marginal regions, and target the central core of power. Carrying out attacks on military step in Hasht Sawr, raiding the prison and etc. are not just some terrorist, limited attacks; rather they reveal Karzai’s lack of authority (something that never existed from the very beginning). Given that most of terrorists who participate in such raids have been previously freed from governmental prisons, one might come to conclude that the current state is not associated with legitimate concerns and presentiments of the citizens, but with hidden, back-stage mafia groups.

Arming and urging Taliban forces to attack Hazara people, which constitutes a common ground between Taliban, state and the Islamic Party, is indicative of the state falling into the hands of tribal mafia, and reveals how the state has been diverted from its genuine origin, playing right into the hands of armed tribal mafia. Do not complain so much that poverty, corruption and discrimination is associated with current state. Be aware: there is no state at all. Rather, a mafia body works here on behalf of Taliban and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

When the conspiracy to bring down Abdul Rashid Dostum led to no result, Hekmatyar’s joining the Karzai party (or the reverse, if more appropriate to say) was delayed; however, according to which practical end, current mafia-state came to hate and bring down the very person exalted by it previously? Which practical end justifies appointing the very perpetrator who killed innocent people in Sheberghan roads to be advisor to president? And is it indeed expedient that since 6 months ago, state, Hekmatyar and Taliban try to urge, equip and arm nomads (Kuchis) of west and east to go to the lands of Hazara people, set houses on fire and destroy farmlands? Do you still believe that there is a state, and there exist a responsive system?

Economic failures, plundering public properties, lack of intellectual views within the government and provoking less important language issues, are cliché and speaking of them is just repeating the repeated and somehow troublesome. We are of no state.