INSIDE AFGHANISTAN

October 2001
		Afghanistan after the Taliban: Two experts responded to your questions.

Forum introduction Would a Western-style democracy be best for Afghanistan? How do we prevent a repetition of the power vacuum after the Soviets left? Would a new Afghan government commit to freedom of religion? What is happening to commerce in Afghanistan? What do we know about the Northern Alliance? How can we endure the voices of women will be heard? Is there a feasible solution for a multi-ethnic Afghan state?     Online Special: The Response Online Special: Afghanistan Sept. 28, 2001: Two experts discuss the battle between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance. Sept. 20, 2001: A look at Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network.

Martha Yanamura of Claremont, California asks: What do we know of the Northern Alliance? Would they treat the people of Afghanistan any better than the Taliban if they come to power? Patricia Gossman responds: The Northern Alliance, more accurately known as the United Front, comprises a number of factions who fought in the war against the Soviet Union. In some sense they represent the major ethnic minorities inside the country: the Uzbeks, Tajiks, and Hazaras. (the Taliban are almost entirely Pashtuns). When the communist government collapsed in 1992, the Northern Alliance factions were unable to agree on power-sharing and launched a civil war in Kabul against each other. At least 50,000 civilians were killed as the factions indiscriminately bombed different parts of Kabul. All of the factions engaged in summary executions; many conducted mass rape campaigns. The rest of the country was divided up among different warlords. It was virtual anarchy. That history is one reason the U.S. is unwilling to bomb Taliban strongholds north of Kabul; there is a very real fear that if the UF sweeps into Kabul without any transitional government in place, the city will again become a battlefield.   Thomas Gouttierre responds: The Northern Alliance has a checkered history. It has had a period in which it was control of Kabul and parts of the country before being supplanted by the Taliban. And during that period it had what I would call mixed reviews in terms of tolerance and human rights. There was a lot of ineptitude, corruption, inefficiency. It was not what we would want to see come back to take control of government in Kabul. But there are many good people also in the Northern Alliance. Some of the commanders are outstanding people in their own right, and they certainly should have a role in the grand national assembly so that they can represent their people as they would likely to do in any proportional way that would be established. So one of the conditions, I think, of the U.S. helping them and also seeking help from them in this campaign against terrorism should be that it is not our intent to restore [them] to power. The Northern Alliance would never be able to unite the nation, but it could be a very, very formidable representative force for parts of the nation. And I think that's what it should be – that's what we should understand. We should be encouraging them to think in terms of their own vision of the future.