September 11 and Democracy in Afghanistan

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September11 is an important event in the world especially for Afghanistan. If September 11 wouldn’t happened today Afghanistan was in control of wildest and brutal regime of Taliban. Almost 90% percent of the country was under their control. Today many Afghan says God bless Osama Bin Landin who attacked the twin tower and drove the world to look at our country which was in burning and also they say God bless America that saved our live and brought democracy, freedom and security. I am not talking about how the NATO troops and international forces fulfilled their tasks and how much they are successful. I am talking about the importance of September 11 for Afghanistan and its people. Many Afghans says it is not important for us how many people have been killed in September 11 in twin tower in New York and Pentagon outside Washington but it is important that US saved our live and released our country.

I met Bashardoost a member of Afghanistan parliament in his office in the camp in front of the Parliament building. Earlier he had his camp at the Shahr-e Naw park. Since 2003, Bashardoost is a critical figure, he talks loudly about corruption, and human right abuses.

Bashardoost believes that while the Mujahiden was in power, they committed much crime. In that time the USA and international community had forgotten Afghanistan. There were no human rights, nor women rights, nor freedom of speech. When the Taliban captured almost 90% of the country and Afghanistan became a home for terrorists still no one was caring about this country, until Al Qaeda attacked the Twin Towers. This was an alarm for the international community.

Afghanistan welcomed the US and international forces in order to build a free and prosperous society, but unfortunately after six years we do not have the results that we hoped for.

Right now the Taliban insurgents are controlling the districts of Helmand and Kandahar provinces. Bashardoost believes that this is a failure for the international community, and especially for the US and its strategy in Afghanistan. “September 11 is still and important date for Afghanis”, he says, “September 11 was a success for Afghanistan but US and the international community failed in their goals.”

Bashardoost believes that Human rights were abused by the warlords who came in power, just as the ministers and high ranking authorities now. I asked him about the process of democracy and human rights in Afghanistan. After September 11 Afghan was promised human rights, freedom and democracy. If so, how is the condition right now?

I asked Bashardoost what he thinks about Conspiracy theories over what happened on 9/11. He says, “I am not specialist but I know that these were the hands of terrorists, and not the CIA.”

Bashadoost says that September 11 was an important event in his live. It was then when he became popular and elected as legislator.

The current situation is not comparable with the last four years. Especially since the Mujahiden were empowered and entered to government. He believes it was a catastrophe when Mujahiden warlords, previous communist criminals and Taliban leader entered the government.

For the people the Karzai government has lost its honor and future promises. Bashadoost says that today many warlords are running private jails. Some times these warlords kidnap women and girls.

And why the Mujahiden who destroyed the country and committed lots of crimes are back into power now? Who supports and supported them, and why are they still powerful? Bashardoost blames the United States of America that the US doesn’t want Afghanistan to become peaceful.