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Afghan plan to 'reintegrate' the Taliban

By Lindsey Hilsum

Updated on 20 July 2010

As international leaders arrive in Kabul for a key conference on Afghanistan's future, Channel 4 News obtains details of the Afghan government's plan to reintegrate the Taliban. International Editor Lindsey Hilsum says fighters could be retrained in forestry and literacy skills.

Afghanistan: on the eve of the Kabul Conference, the Afghan government plans to reintegrate the Taliban (Credit: Getty)

I say it's a government document, because the front page says "Islamic Republic of Afghanistan National Security Council", but the 80 pages of management consultant-speak about 'stakeholders', 'change management', 'broad strategic vision' and 'a menu of conflict recovery options' suggest that the men from the Afghan ministry were not the ones to write the draft.

The flowery paragraphs about "We Afghans desire... a consolidated and sustainable peace", and statements that it's all 'Afghan owned and led' do not convince. 

The document says that international donors will spend $772m over five years to retrain former Taliban fighters in forestry, literacy, technical and vocational skills and keep them busy on agricultural conservation and public works.

Sounds great, but where are all these Afghan trainers going to come from? They haven't got enough schools and teachers, let alone finding extra ones. Britain will contribute £5m, but a shortage of money isn't the problem round here these days – in fact many say too much money washing around is fuelling corruption and violence. 

Channel 4 News Political Editor Gary Gibbon writes: "When the US announces that it is drawing down from the surge, expected Summer 2011, the UK is worried that there will be pressure on other partners in the conflict to “run for the doors” … to satisfy internal demands in their countries, even if that doesn’t suit their immediate role.

"David Cameron, I hear, wants to make sure that the US announcements, when they come, are nuanced to avoid clamours for instant matching proportional drawdowns by others. That is high on his “issues to raise” list."
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Kate Clark of the Afghan Analysts Network points out that the plan "envisages a hugely complex, wide-ranging set of initiatives, an awful lot of money and a great deal of co-ordination. All of this happening in a war zone and by a state which has huge problems with officials pocketing money and what even ISAF officials have called the economic mafia which controls parts of the state. 

"Will a government which can’t even manage to pay all its teachers across the country properly be able to set up and run all this?"

The plan is based on the idea that the Taliban are fighting for money not ideology, and if you can offer them a better life, they'll swap sides.

That would be true in some cases, but the real problem is that many have legitimate grievances against the government. The plan mentions grievances, but it can't deal with the main one: many, if not most, Afghans think this government is deeply corrupt, and that programmes like this are designed to line their pockets.

"It is just a way to trick foreigners into giving their money," said a former mujahadeen fighter from Paktia I met in Kabul today. "It's just to get projects for the mafia."

Channel 4 News Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jonathan Rugman writes: "In a previous blog entitled “Talking to the Taliban”, I argued that a major policy rift between London and Washington was developing over Britain’s belief in talking to its enemies in Afghanistan, albeit indirectly.

"Well, The Guardian website is tonight claiming that this rift is on the way to being healed. The paper’s Washington correspondent quotes a US official as claiming there is a “change of mindset” in America over the issue; and that with “no military solution” in sight, talking to the Taliban through third parties is becoming a more attractive option to the United States.

"If this is a real change, that’s a considerable victory for the British position, ahead of David Cameron’s first visit to the White House as Prime Minister. However, nobody should be any illusion that “talking to the Taliban” will be straightforward."
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And how on earth are they going to make this work while the war's still going on? They have at least acknowledged that it might be a bit difficult.
 
"The programme will be particularly challenging because it will be initiated in the absence of a national peace agreement," says the document.

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