KABUL – The Afghans spent the last few days of Ramadan in a state of great fear, especially in Kabul, where the high concern over threats to security has led to parts of the cities being sealed off. The government never informs the people which parts of the city are in a high state of terrorist alert, but it's clear from the presence of tanks and armoured vehicles in neighbourhoods that are home to important foreign offices such as the United Nations and embassies. Such areas are totally closed to the public. People were murmuring that the Taliban believe martyrdom during Ramadan counts as double, especially in the last few days of the holy fasting month, which ended on Monday. On Tuesday the first day of Eid el-Fitr, the feast following Ramadan, the security threat was raised so high that all foreigners decided to stay at their houses or on their bases. This is how life generally seems in Afghanistan: full of alarms, disappointments and uncertainties. However, despite all their fears and limited movement in Kabul, people are happy with this fragile security, when they compare the present to the time of the rule of the Taliban. Their constitution gives any citizen the right to dress and live as he or she likes and no one may harass or question them in the street or in their own homes. Putting aside the question of corruption, which is one of the major issues in Afghanistan, every ordinary Afghan can run in principle for office. The central government is weak, security is fragile but thanks to the international donors, people's earning have increased and more opportunities have opened for them. Two days before the feast, Mullah Mohamed Omar, the spiritual leader of Taliban issued a message of greeting, indicating that the situation in Afghanistan should be resolved in a “legitimate way”. In this message, Mullah Omar expressed the Taliban's readiness to have direct dialogue with the Kabul government, although many offers made to the Taliban leaders to hold peace talk have been previously turned down, because, according to the Taliban, the Kabul government was not legitimate. They had also demanded that all foreign troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan before any talks took place with the government. Such negotiations and the Taliban's preferred conditions might not be exactly what the Afghan government and the international community, which has spent enormous amount of money for peace and stability in here, would like to hear. But at least it is a good indication and has been responded to by President Hamed Karzai, who, in his greeting messages issued on Tuesday, also addressed the Taliban, asking the rebels to give up their arms and fighting and join the peace process. Because of the national holiday for the feast, we do not yet know the opinion of politicians and the Afghan elite on the Mullah Omar's message and President Karzi's response. But what I have heard from ordinary Afghans was a sharp rejoinder to Mullah Omar's advances. People believe that nothing can ever be offered by the Taliban other than with the agreement of Pakistan's security service ISI. Latif, a young Afghan man, patiently told me that peace talks with the Taliban cannot go anywhere unless Pakistan is interested. He pointed out that any Taliban members, who engaged without Pakistan's permission in negotiations with the Afghan government, disappeared, were killed or detained by ISI, “such as Mullah Bardar.” In the Afghans' opinion even Mullah Mohamed Omar is no longer with influence, having vanished from public eyes since the occupation back in 2001. We have hardly found a sentence or any news about him in the media since then. “Pakistan wants to get engaged in the peace talk. Mullah Omar is just a name,” Haydar, another Afghan, told me in Kabul. It is hard to judge at this stage what Pakistan or the Taliban have in their mind by offering negotiations with the current government of Afghanistan. Given that two days before Eid el-Fitr 16 would-be suicide bombers were arrested in Kabul and other cities in Afghanistan, why should the Taliban be interested Talibs in peace negotiations while sending a suicidal army? Further, the second largest conference on Afghanistan to be held after the first held in 2001, which also took place in Bonn, with the participation of many countries, is underway. The conference scheduled for December has not yet invited the Taliban leaders to participate. World powers need to reshape their strategy on Afghanistan when, within two years, America will be withdrawing its main forces. What will happen to this nation three years further on, when the security is in the hands of local people if the conditions remain as they are today or even worsen? What is the best solution for Afghanistan to enable it to walk out of this deadlock? Negotiation with Pakistan or with the Taliban? Entekhabifard is an Iranian journalist, who regularly contributes to The Egyptian Gazette and its weekly edition, the Mail.
