URU, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Bilag 111: Brev af 20. januar 2018 fra Dr. Ashot G. Sarkisian om støtte til alternative tilgange til opnåelse af fred og stabilitet i Afghanistan

Udenrigsudvalget 2017-18
URU Alm.del Bilag 111
Offentligt

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF HUMANITARIAN

COOPERATION WITH THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF

AFGHANISTAN

Enduring Freedom - Resolute Support - Enduring Peace

President of the Islamic Republic

of Afghanistan Dr. Ashraf GHANI

November 21, 2017

War in Afghanistan is the largest in the modern history and the longest international conflict in

the American history involving unprecedented human victims (millions of refugees, killed and

injured Afghans, deaths of thousands of soldiers of International Security Assistance Force) and

tremendous financial expenses

–

the whole war cost almost $1 trillion. In the coming years,

additional gigantic resources will be required to maintain the American forces in Afghanistan,

provide healthcare, rehabilitation, pensions and disability allowances to the veterans.

As reported by Mr. John F. Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction,

US appropriations for the reconstruction of Afghanistan exceed the funds committed to the

Marshall Plan, the US aid program that delivered billions of dollars between 1948 and 1952 to

help 16 European countries recover in the aftermath of World War II. However, all

reconstruction effort turned out to be inefficient, as the assumed programs were limited to donor

support only, and did not involve recreation of the country’s political and economic

independence and sustainable social and cultural development.

In the Human Development Index, Afghanistan takes the 171st place out of 188 states.

According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Afghanistan is the worst place to be born on

Earth. According to WHO, over 60% of Afghanistan population suffer from mental disorders.

16 years after the launch of Operation Enduring Freedom, it is now absolutely evident that the

goals of the mission have not been achieved

–

today, Afghanistan is missing its own

development strategy; the attempt to create a stable state government system failed; Afghan law-

enforcement agencies are not able to ensure security in the country; corruption undermines the

legitimacy of the Afghan Government; a large share of the population is involved in production

and distribution of narcotic substances

– Afghanistan produces 90% of the world’s opium,

gradually turning into the biggest drug consumer. A part of the Afghan population has been

killed in combat actions, and the other part fall victim to drugs.

After 13 years, on December 28, 2014, President Barack Obama announced the end of Operation

Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

On January 1, 2015, NATO announced its new mission in the country, called Resolute Support.

Nevertheless, regardless of the effort and actions of numerous governments, the situation keeps

deteriorating, turning Afghanistan into the “chaos zone” and a source of increased terrorist

Supreme Leader of the Taliban

Mawlawi Haibatullah AKHUNDZADA

URU, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Bilag 111: Brev af 20. januar 2018 fra Dr. Ashot G. Sarkisian om støtte til alternative tilgange til opnåelse af fred og stabilitet i Afghanistan

danger and drug threat for the entire world. Additionally, the destructed healthcare and

uncontrolled refugee flow due to increased civil unrest may lead to distribution of extremely

dangerous infectious diseases.

Therefore, the “Splendid

Little War”

initiated

by President Bush, turned into the longest and

dragged-out positional warfare with no victory for the U.S. and NATO, and all the countries

participating in the Afghan war are already tired.

In this regard, the search for alternative approaches to achieving peace and stability in

Afghanistan is becoming critically important.

The key professional duties of doctors include early recognition of threats to the health and life

of people and timely notice to the governments and all the citizens for them to take all the

required precautions. Thus, on May 21, 2016, at X (XXVI) Pirogov’s Medical Congress in

Moscow, at the higher professional doctors’ forum in Russia, the representatives of the civil

society and of Russia and Central Asia established an independent International Committee of

Humanitarian Cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. This Committee appealed

to the international community

–

doctors, educators, scientists, cultural workers, artists, as well

as social, political and religious organizations of diverse confessions, as well as NATO

representatives with a proposal to hold an International Humanitarian Conference to discuss

humanitarian issues and possibilities to ensure peace in Afghanistan.

August 21, 2017, President Donald Trump presented a new strategy on Afghanistan and South

Asia, which was supported by NATO member countries. Analyzing the new Afghanistan

strategy, we must acknowledge that the major focus is still on the war component

–

increasing

military expenditures and military contingent, extending its authorities, cancelling the time limits

for the operations, but not on the humanitarian issues, which is, in our opinion, a mistake.

The international community keeps investing immense funds for Afghanistan to recover. But

since the NATO major forces were withdrawn, a half of Afghanistan territory have gotten under

intermediate or full control of the Taliban.

Does this mean that a half of the Afghanistan population, many millions of citizens are not

falling under the attention of the international community and are not receiving the international

aid?

Is this one of the reasons why such territories deprived of the international aid are increasing

opium production?

As before, the US-led Western Coalition continues cooperating with the central government in

Kabul only, ignoring meaningful cooperation with the people of Afghanistan, which surely

makes the military mission impossible.

Perhaps, this can be explained by the lack of knowledge of the history of the country, its

religious and cultural traditions, lack of understanding of the current reality of Afghanistan with

its ethnic and tribal fragmentation.

URU, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Bilag 111: Brev af 20. januar 2018 fra Dr. Ashot G. Sarkisian om støtte til alternative tilgange til opnåelse af fred og stabilitet i Afghanistan

But it is abundantly clear that this war cannot be won without understanding and supporting the

cultural, social and economic spheres of Afghanistan, and supporting of United States and

NATO actions by the local population.

During preparation for the International Humanitarian Conference, at numerous meetings,

regional conferences and discussions with representatives of the civil community and religious

organizations of numerous countries, we made a decision to appeal to the leaders of the NATO

member countries with a call to discuss and immediately launch creation of a new coalition

–

International Humanitarian Coalition

“Enduring Peace”

investing funds not in the military

actions, but into restoration of the destroyed country and working out the unified position to

prevent global drug threat.

In case of a positive decision, this would serve the interests of all the parties to the conflict, and

surely be welcomed by the population of Afghanistan and the whole international community.

Other countries interested in ending the war in Afghanistan could also join this new

humanitarian coalition.

My professional activities are closely connected to Afghanistan for the last 30 years

–

both as a

surgeon providing medical assistance to the country’s civil population and as a direct participant

in the establishment of Afghanistan’s state health care system.

I have devoted all my life to a beloved cause. I am a doctor, a surgeon, I have gone through wars.

I know firsthand what wars bring to warring countries and peoples.

Effective 2002, at the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan’s request, we have initiated

activities to restore the

country’s totally ruined health care system.

Critical situation in Afghanistan, my sincere respect for the wise and freedom-loving Afghan

nation, and my professional medical duty force me to directly address Dr. Ashraf Ghani,

President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhunzada,

Supreme Leader of the Taliban:

The future of Afghanistan which must become a common home for all Afghans, depends only on

you and on your actions. You are absolutely right confessing your love for your people and that

you are ready to give your life for peace in Afghanistan, which, of course, corresponds to reality.

You are fully aware that the achievement of peace and stability in Afghanistan is possible only if

an inter-Afghan dialogue on national reconciliation is established between the government of the

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban.

Only combining our efforts to jointly solve national problems, only agreeing with one another

and abandoning the forceful solution of the inter-Afghan conflict - and we are confident that this

will be achieved, since both of you want peace and justice on the Afghan land - you will be able

to achieve the unity of the Afghan people, which will have to be considered by neighboring

countries, as well as world powers.

The people of Afghanistan, tired of the endless war, having discarded ethnic and tribal

differences, will support your joint actions and the beginning of active negotiation process.

URU, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Bilag 111: Brev af 20. januar 2018 fra Dr. Ashot G. Sarkisian om støtte til alternative tilgange til opnåelse af fred og stabilitet i Afghanistan

Generations of people were born during the war and do not know what peace is. Today it is time

for everyone to realize that there is no military solution to the Afghan problem, and we need to

end this senseless and hopeless war in Afghanistan

–

it is quite obvious that one half of the

people will not be able to defeat the other half.

All parties to the conflict must demonstrate the wisdom and prudence peculiar for the Afghan

people, and those will be an indisputable proof of love and devotion to their Homeland.

Otherwise, this fratricidal war will last forever, exhausting and destroying the people and the

country.

Tragically, in the near future, if adequate and balanced actions are not taken, Afghanistan can

become the biggest flashpoint on the planet. Coping with this threat and helping millions of

people can only be achieved by uniting efforts of the entire world community.

The time has come for a serious and comprehensive discussion of Afghanistan problems

involving the broad international community.

International Committee of Humanitarian Cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

appeals to Dr. Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and Mawlawi

Haibatullah Akhundzada, Supreme Leader of the Taliban, the leader of the NATO member

countries, the leaders of states interested in the end of the war in Afghanistan, to support our

immediate formation of the international humanitarian Coalition "Enduring

Peace"

and invites

you to take part in the preparation and conduct of International Humanitarian Conference on

Afghanistan.

Formation of the international humanitarian Coalition "Enduring

Peace"

and the joint conduct of

International Humanitarian Conference with the broad participation of representatives of the

opposing sides in Afghanistan and representatives of the world community - the United States

and NATO member countries, Pakistan, India, Russia, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,

Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, - can help processes of inter-Afghan dialogue, will

allow to determine urgent measures to address the primary humanitarian problems in the divided

Afghanistan and to develop a realistic strategy to end the war in Afghanistan.

The joint voice of the broad international community - doctors, educators, scientists, people of

culture, art, military, as well as public, political and religious organizations, with the support

from the leaders of the world most powerful states and international organizations will be heard,

will help the governments participating in the war to find a way out of the critical situation, will

allow to initiate a long and difficult path to the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Only the people of Afghanistan must determine and decide their own destiny on the basis of the

broad nation-wide dialogue on peace. We have taken the most direct and active part in such

processes

–

in developing and implementing the policy of National Reconciliation in

Afghanistan (1987-1992).

President Donald Trump in his Appeal on August 21, 2017, rightfully stated: "Ultimately, it is up

to the people of Afghanistan to take ownership of their future, to govern their society, and to

achieve an everlasting peace. We are a partner and a friend, but we will not dictate to the Afghan

URU, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Bilag 111: Brev af 20. januar 2018 fra Dr. Ashot G. Sarkisian om støtte til alternative tilgange til opnåelse af fred og stabilitet i Afghanistan

people how to live, or how to govern their own complex society". We hope that this is a sincere

opinion of President Donald Trump, and he will also understand and support us.

The international community has a sincere desire and readiness to cooperate with representatives

of the authorities and opposition, various ethnic groups inhabiting Afghanistan, to contribute to

the establishment of the long-awaited peace in the war-torn beautiful country - Afghanistan, and

to contribute to the successful resolution of humanitarian problems throughout Afghanistan.

With the support and consent of Dr. Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of

Afghanistan, and Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada, Supreme Leader of the Taliban, the

International Committee of Humanitarian Cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

can become a valuable tool and an active facilitator in the inter-Afghan peace process and the

early achievement of peace and stability in Afghanistan.

For the entire international community, the transformation of Afghanistan into a stable and

peaceful state should become a strategic goal. There is no alternative to a peaceful settlement in

Afghanistan.

We are ready to personally present the main provisions of the International Humanitarian

Conference on Afghanistan to President Ashraf Ghani and Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada

and their representatives at their convenience to familiarize and agree on further possible joint

actions.

All wars must end in peace.

With sincere and deep respect for the people of Afghanistan and with readiness for constructive

cooperation,

Dr. Ashot G. Sarkisian,

Professor of Surgery

Chairman of the International Committee of Humanitarian

Cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,

President of the Russian Medical Association,

Former Member of the Russian Parliament

P.S. The transformation of NATO's military missions - "Enduring Freedom" and "Resolute

Support" into the international humanitarian coalition "Enduring

Peace"

- could demonstrate

the desire and willingness of the Western Coalition countries to contribute to the processes of

national reconciliation and the end of the war in Afghanistan.

12/13 Polikarpova str, Moscow,

Russia, 125284,Tel: +7 903-159-4400,

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E-mail:

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