Japan shows the way to help Afghanistan

For a country like Afghanistan which has just come out of an absurd war that continued for more than two decades and whose population has experienced more daily pain and suffering at the hands of their national rulers than at the hand of foreign powers, foreign aid of various kinds is considered a crucial factor for restoring life to normal and re-establishing peace, security and stability.

Without financial, moral and technical aid from across the border, the prospects of failure in despair and frustration leading to chaos and infighting among the Afghan factions, will become a concrete possibility.

Silence and inaction

What is really amazing, in this regard, is the silence and inaction of Arab and Muslim organisations that have advocated aid for Afghanistan as their cherished goal. Many of these organisations have until recently used TV stations, mosques and local forums and have exploited the teachings of Islam to invite their countrymen, under the slogan of "a Muslim is the brother of every Muslim", to raise funds for the victimised Afghan people.

However, since the collapse of the Taliban regime they hardly make their voices heard as though the suffering of the Muslim Afghans has come to an end.

This sudden silence, in spite of the Afghan people's dire need for humanitarian aid and assistance, cannot have an interpretation except that such enthusiastic fund raising campaigns were not really aimed at supporting the Muslim Afghans as much as they were targeted at backing a certain Afghan political regime whose plans and schemes were approved by the organisers of such campaigns.

Consequently, when this regime fell, efforts to extend assistance disappeared as though, without such a regime, the Afghan Muslims became infidels.

While these were the conditions of such Arab and Muslim organisations, the first thing thought of by the countries and organisations that have no bond of religion with the Afghans, was to devise a plan to extend emergency aid subject to very strict criteria to prevent it deviating into non-urgent areas or being spent on issues other than development and improving living conditions.

It may be said that the above talk about the said Arab and Islamic organisations applies in an opposite direction to the foreign donor countries. In other words, these countries were reluctant to provide aid during the Taliban rule for valid political reasons. However, they are now more enthusiastic to give aid once there is a different regime in Kabul.

Such a saying is true but it does not take into account the fact that foreign and international aid was always available if it was not for the ridiculous actions and policies of the Taliban regime that made it become a rebellious system of government opposed to all rules of international relations.

In addition, the Taliban regime has turned the Afghan territories into a playing field for all extremists and wanted people in their native countries with charges of violence and terrorism.

While some of these countries show hesitation until now in fulfilling their pledges or pay grudgingly without caring much for the risks of such delay to the fragile peace in Afghanistan, some others have carried out their duty and continue to date. The latter are led by the United States, European Union, Japan, Saudi Arabia and India.

Most enthusiastic

It can be said that the Japanese are the most enthusiastic of all to fulfill their obligations and pledges to Afghanistan whether in terms of aid figures or the kinds of assistance provided. The picture becomes clearer when we learn that during the Tokyo meeting (the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan) Japan promised to provide $500 million over two and a half years of which up to one half would be paid in the first year.

However, having felt the extent of the critical situation in Afghanistan, Japan recently decided to extend $136 million in additional aid, bringing the total assistance provided to $375 million since the September 2001 terrorist attacks.

The additional Japanese assistance package was provided at the recommendation of Ms. Sadako Ogata, the Special Representative of Japan's prime minister. It aimed at building a brighter future for the Afghans through enhancing domestic security, furthering peace process, and strengthening the foundations of the national economy.

It included supplying Japanese made materials and equipment for sectors such as public health, education, transportation, agriculture, water and media. From a Japanese perspective, the media is not less important than other sectors since it plays a crucial role in promoting peace and national reconciliation and spreads enlightening education.

Indirect aid

The above is not the whole story but is only part of it. Japan has also provided indirect aid to the Afghans. Perhaps the most significant was the $510 million given through the World Bank and Unesco. This kind of aid included providing Japanese experts to work in Kabul in education and health and enrolling Afghan trainees in Japanese educational, medical, media and diplomatic institutes.

Meanwhile, the repeated bombing incidents in Kabul, the assassination of the Deputy Head of the Transitional Government, and the attempt on the life of Prime Minister Hamid Karzai made the Japanese feel the need to contribute to the creation of well-trained Afghan security personnel to deal with criminals, highwaymen and drug lords in addition to the problem of eradicating the landmines that were planted haphazardly during wartime.

Japan is now conducting studies, in collaboration with the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the UN International Drug Control Programme, on the best means of training and developing the police force, combating the cultivation of drugs, preventing contact with landmines (until they are completely eradicated), and providing the requirements for the handicapped victims of landmines.

From all the material so far published about the Japanese aid and areas of spending, it seems that Tokyo is concerned in particular with humanitarian aspects and the reconstruction of basic infrastructure with special focus on roads. To the Japanese, the road links are vital since they play a crucial role in keeping the Afghans together and in the rehabilitation of displaced persons.

It should be noted in this connection that Japan Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, U.S. President George W. Bush and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal issued a joint statement last September about their governments' commitment to rebuilding the Afghan road network.

Tokyo immediately hastened to contribute $50 million for the rehabilitation of the vital road linking Kabul with Kandahar and $15 million for improving the road between Kandahar and Pakistan. Such projects will not only help invigorate the Afghan economy and regional cooperation but will also assist the repatriation of refugees from Pakistan.

Having done all this during the last few months, Japan is expected to do a lot more in the months to come.

It intends to continue its efforts, in collaboration with the specialised