The situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan

History of the Situation

Involvement of the US and Soviet Union After 1945, both the US and the Soviet Union were trying to gain influence over Afghanistan. The Soviet Union eventually gained control and invaded Afghanistan. The US, however, had influence over Pakistan during the cold war era. However, in 1988 there was an agreement for both the US and Soviet Union to withdraw from Afghanistan. The US also left Pakistan in the 1990's, as Pakistan refused to give up their nuclear power.

Pakistan Pakistan has had a rough political history since the 1980's, with a coup d'etat in Furthermore, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in 2007 lead to further unrest. There is conflict in Pakistan between their government and the Taliban as well. They have been accused of aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan, however, they have denied this.

Afghanistan After the Soviet Union left Afghanistan, the Taliban began to gain support. In 1996, the Taliban took over Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. They then spread the regime throughout Afghanistan, and eventually were in control over most of the country. They had a strict Islamic regime, in which women had very limited rights, and there were several violations of human rights. The US, in 2001, then declared that if the Taliban did not voluntarily leave Afghanistan that they would use force to free Afghanistan from them – this is the war on terror.

Current Situation

Drugs Drugs are a big problem in Afghanistan – opiates from poppies are widely traded. They constitute a large part of the economy in Afghanistan. During the Taliban regime however, the production of opiate was significantly reduced because of the strict regime. It has encouraged corruption, and is hindering development in Afghanistan. However, many farmers continue to grow the crop as it is valuable, and allows them to earn much more than just growing food.

Current Conflict The border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Durand Line, is not recognised by Afghanistan. Furtherore, tribes that live around the Durand Line are ethnically similar, and thus disregard the border as well. In 2009 the US sent in even more troops to help Afghanistan. There are skirmishes on the border constantly. Osama bin Laden has been reported to be hiding in Afghanistan, however, his whereabouts is still unknown.

UN Action The United Nations has the United Nations Security Council Al-Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee to help prevent the growth of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. However, there have been many problems implementing the sanctions. The security council also did not authorise the US's invasion in Afghanistan.

Solutions

Solidifying the Durand Line The Durand Line must be more controlled, and set so that both Afghanistan and Pakistan agree on the location of the border. It must be clearly marked, so that there are no further disputes about the location of the border. Futhermore, if the border is more controlled, this can help prevent the movement of members of the Taliban. Furthermore, control of the border can prevent narcotics and arms trade between the countries.

Stopping the Drug Trade This is essential in promoting development in Afghanistan. Poppy farms must be stopped, as not only has this increased drug smuggling between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but there are many corrupt officials who allow such farms to remain active. Thus, there must be investigations into corruption, as well as simply stopping the farms. The farms exist because in some cases, the farmers must do this to ensure that they can be protected from the Taliban, as well as the value of the crops. Thus, measures must be taken to ensure that farmers will cease growing crops, and that they can be guaranteed security.

Stopping the Taliban The Taliban have caused conflict not only within Afghanistan, but between Pakistan and Afghanistan as well. The members must be clearly identified – one problem with stopping them so far has been their many aliases. The movement of Taliban members must be stopped, so that they can be isolated. Furthermore, there must be a system for trying known members, as currently there is no full system in place to try found members of the Taliban. Funds and assets must be frozen to prevent the group from obtaining further funding.