AFGHANISTAN AFFAIRS

-COALITION CONTRIBUTORS TO THE US ATTACK ON AFGHANISTAN-

l America’s war on terrorism due to the attack of World Trade Center on Sept.11 marked the pledges by other countries in assisting the US.

l Coalition contributor→ 7 parts * source: Associated Press, taken from The Japan Times, Nov 8.2001

AFRICA

Liberia

AMERICAS

Canada & Mexico

CENTRAL ASIA

Tajikistan & Uzbekistan

PACIFIC

Australia & New Zealand

MIDDLE EAST

Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

ASIA PACIFIC

Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Pakistan

EUROPE

Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey

l Contributions include→

(a) Airspace

(b) Military equipment

(d) Military installations

(e) Troops

l Japan→troops, South Korea→ troops; non combative military-medics, Germany→3,900 troops, armored vehicles equipped to detect nuclear, biological and chemical weapons etc. Major contributors →Britain, Canada and France.

l Ironically, Pakistan has become a key ally in Washington’s war on terrorism and resulting war on ruling Taliban militia by letting US forces to use Pakistani bases for search and rescue missions into Afghanistan.

l Contributors are with different motives→ political, economic gains on ones national interests or joined under America’s great influence and pressure.

l Pakistan acted in the way that outputted the neighboring India. Trying to gain influence and US support over the region (Pakistan is geographically nearer to Afghanistan compared to India). With the bad economy situation in domestic Pakistani, promises were made by US to grant Pakistan in return of Pakistan’s cooperation. That includes→

(a) Economic aid: Pakistan will be exempted from paying the foreign debt circulated around 30-35 billion US Dollar; Japan→7.5　billion US Dollar.

(b) World didn’t approve the nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan and India, but with this cooperation, US will have to give its consent regarding the nuclear power.

(c) Benefit to General Pervez Musharraf himself: Took power in Pakistan by military coup. The chance of world recognition of his status as the highest rank in Pakistan.

l The impoverished former Soviet Republics, which border Afghanistan to the South; Tajikistan; has its 3 air bases (Kulob, Qurghonteppa in the south and Khujand in the north) to be used as bases for Special Forces and infantry to house troops and launch raids into Afghanistan by accommodating US helicopters, gun ships and ground troops. In return to this, US guaranteed “tens of millions of dollars” in aid. *Sources: The Japan Times, November 5.2001

l China and Russia also have interest in this turmoil to ensure ones influence of power in the region. Each and every country that contribute to this US-led war on terrorism has either motives on interest of their selves or the country or they are too afraid to be excluded from the circle of the world power. Of course there are also countries that are genuinely serious on reducing and hampering the terrorist acts.

PERSONAL OPINION

l It is usually said that the root cause of this terrorist act is the absence of democracy in Arab countries, but personally I think democracy is not the issue here. The question is does the terrorism come from democracy absence in some areas of the Middle East, or from (US/Israel) biased, unjust and terrorist policies in that region?

l Consider the policies taken by America on Middle East region, one cannot deny that the terror thrives on the anger, humiliation and deep sense of injustice that America’s own policies arouse, especially in that most emblematic of arenas, Palestine.

l We can’t have one explanation without the other. Sure the breakout of democracy in Arab world would and should end the Islamist terror, both on domestic variety and international arenas, but without the radical change of US policy, this democracy would not, of itself diminish Palestine’s role as a crucible of regional and international conflict, anti Americanism and ultimately violence of another kind.

l Beyond the US declaration about a Palestinian state, the resolution must include a Western admission of moral responsibility, vis0a-vis Arabs and Muslims, similar to the (German) admission of responsibility for the Nazi massacre of the Jews.