Common Interest

Nations join to support lasting stability in Afghanistan

UNIPATH STAFF

Their hearts are in the fight. With a deep commitment to making life better for Afghans, forces from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain have invested more than manpower to protect their eastern neighbor. They want Afghan children to go to school. They want the sick to be able to see a doctor. They want people to prosper from their work. Most important, they want Afghans to live free of violence wrought by the Taliban.

These countries are just four of almost 50 nations that have joined under the banner of the International Security Assistance Force to protect and improve the lives of Afghans. The job is far from over.

The stability of Afghanistan is vital to people beyond its borders. Some see a moral responsibility to help those who desperately need security, access to medical care and education. Others want to prevent extremists from establishing a base that would allow them to train and prepare for attacks elsewhere.

What can be done to continue helping Afghans stabilize their nation? Jordanian, Emirati, Egyptian and Bahraini forces have shown that a promise to improve the lives of Afghans is proven through actions on the ground. Even small contributions can make a big impact.

Because these nations share a cultural and religious bond with their Afghan brothers and sisters, they were able to build relationships quickly and devise solutions that could be integrated into Afghan society. They’ve built schools and clinics. They’ve created infrastructure such as roads, encouraged economic projects to support local businesses and provided access to clean drinking water. They’ve spread messages to counter extremist propaganda and expose the Taliban’s distorted and self-serving version of Islam.

From grand-in-nature to smaller-scale projects, support for a stabilized Afghanistan has and can continue to ensure success. But more remains to be done. Even as international troops prepare Afghan forces to take control of their nation’s security, new partners have an opportunity to step in and effect positive, lasting change by offering expertise and support. Whatever the source, projects and initiatives that sow the seeds of peace for Afghans are imperative.

Promoting security
An Emirati captain and a small group of Soldiers patrol a village, searching for information about homemade bombs hidden in the area. Initially, people are afraid to talk to him and his colleagues, fearing reprisals from the Taliban. “The Taliban [do] not want us cooperating together because that would lead to security,” one villager said. “And the Taliban do not want security.”

But the people knew that with security, jobs would come, shops would stay open and children could go to school. They made a brave choice — to trust the Emiratis and help them root out the extremists.

This scene and many others like it were recorded in the 2011 documentary Mission: Winds of Goodness. The film shows how Emiratis connected with people by building successful relationships based on shared culture, religion and respect.

For more than a decade, the United Arab Emirates has sent troops to help stabilize Afghanistan. Their mission is threefold: Provide humanitarian aid, support social and economic development, and help provide security. The country has sent both money and volunteers to establish medical centers, a hospital, schools, Zayed University, a library, mosques, roads and more than 160 drinking-water wells. “That way, once the U.A.E. withdraws, there is a lasting impact and benefit for Afghanistan,” explained U.A.E. Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef al-Otaiba.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, president of the U.A.E., says his country’s role in missions abroad helps maintain world peace and security. In the past, he has described these international deployments as an “important arm by which the U.A.E. can apply its humanitarian principles,” according to the Emirates News Agency, WAM.

Key to the Emiratis’ success is their ability to cultivate positive relationships with both civilians and the Afghan armed forces. The importance of military-to-military engagements, such as training and information exchanges, in the development of a strong and effective fighting force cannot be overestimated. Such soft-power initiatives can be even more powerful and relevant than tangible military equipment like tanks and planes.

Although the Emiratis and the Afghans don’t speak the same language, they have found common ground through religion and culture. “Afghans are tribal — close to us,” Brig. Gen. Obaid al-Shamsi told The National. “So it was easy for us to communicate with them.”

One major success has been the Emiratis’ work in detecting improvised explosive devices (IEDs). “Our troops are contributing hugely and are having tangible success by detecting IED[s], then alerting citizens, our soldiers and other armed forces and working on defusing them,” al-Shamsi said.

Emirati Soldiers know that their actions on the ground have led to real improvements in people’s lives. As one said in the film: “We are proud to be in this land helping the Afghan people, helping the Muslim people to get out of the situation they’re in to create a better situation for them, which is peaceful and safe, which raises the standard of living for the Afghan people.”

Support from Bahrain and egypt
Bahrain is another Muslim country working with international forces to bolster security in Afghanistan. Members of the Bahraini special security service have helped train Afghan forces and provided security at military bases, searching people for narcotics and items used to make and detonate bombs. Many Bahraini service members speak multiple languages, including Farsi, Dari and Pashtu. This allows them to work more quickly and directly with the populace.

Since 2003, the Egyptian Army has operated a hospital at Bagram Airfield. The El Salam Egyptian Field Hospital provides Afghans with surgery, as well as outpatient care in dentistry, ophthalmology, gynecology and pediatrics.

The Egyptians hope their efforts will help rebuild communities. “We want to teach the Afghans how to support themselves to live successfully without us,” said Capt. Ahmed Moheb, the chief medical doctor of the hospital. “In the future, I would like for all the Afghan people to be safe and [have] their medical needs met.”

On average, the hospital, which is run by forces from Egypt’s Army and Air Force, treats 7,200 Afghans each month, with tuberculosis and hepatitis B being the most common ailments. “People come from a long distance, so I think they need us here to make sure that they’re getting cured,” Moheb said.

Under Taliban rule, having a nearby doctor was more than a luxury — it was a dream. Afghans desperate for medical care walked for days to reach the nearest hospital or clinic. Sometimes they had no shoes. Often they had little to eat. Women and children died of ailments that could easily have been prevented.

Treatment at El Salam goes beyond the basics. “Before the Afghan people leave, we always give them food for their trip back home,” said Col. Reda al-Shanawany, commander of the hospital. They also distribute hygiene products, clothes and school supplies. “I spend over an hour of walking to get here, so it’s refreshing to know that all my needs will get taken care of,” said Mohamand Khanagha, a patient at the hospital.

Countering propaganda
Jordan’s military response to improving security in Afghanistan has included humanitarian support, counterextremist propaganda campaigns, community engagement teams and training military forces.

“Jordan will continue to help and stand by all brothers, including the Afghan people, to surmount challenges, and will do [the] utmost to protect Jordan’s security and stability from anyone and anywhere,” said former Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi. Jordanian military instructors have trained Afghan security forces in the basics of law enforcement and brought others to the King Abdullah Special Operations Training Center near Amman for more specialized instruction.

The country’s efforts in Logar province are one of many examples that showcase Jordan’s commitment on the ground. Since 2010, Jordanians have provided Afghans with medical care and humanitarian aid. Engagement teams have also helped to broadcast religious radio programs that promote Islam as a peaceful religion. Teams of women Soldiers, known as female engagement teams, provide medical care and education, as well as religious and social support to Afghan women.

“It is a great honor for us to be ambassadors for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, working side by [side] with our U.S. partners and other coalition forces in Afghanistan,” said Jordanian Col. Mukhled al-Samim, commander of Nashmi Task Force, focused on helping the people in Logar. “It gives us great satisfaction to wipe the tears from the children’s faces and replace them with smiles,” he said after they distributed school supplies and clothes to about 400 Afghans in Logar province, along with medical aid.

In Zabul province, Jordanian imams have met with their counterparts, along with local leaders such as Gov. Ashraf Naseri, to help counter extremist propaganda. “The [Taliban] are mostly uneducated adolescents and criminals,” the governor explained. “They are uneducated in true Islam and fight wrongly in its name.”

To defeat extremists trying to recruit adherents, local imams and leaders must reinforce the true messages of Islam. “Islam is a religion of peace, and the mullahs need to spread that message,” Naseri said. “The Taliban argues this is not the way, but we hope through education, the majority of the Taliban will begin to agree with us and turn to peace under true Islam.”

Preparing for the future
International support has prepared Afghan Security Forces to take the lead in securing their nation. Although challenges lie ahead, peace is possible; however, it cannot be achieved without the help of others. More countries must join the effort to stabilize the country. There are many ways to get involved, whether through bilateral training exercises to improve force effectiveness, humanitarian aid projects or infrastructure improvements to expand the Afghan economy. Participation will benefit not only Afghanistan; it may improve regional security by defeating violent extremist organizations that feed on instability.

To watch the documentary Mission: Winds of Goodness go to uaeafghanistan.ae/en

Sources: Egyptian Embassy, International Security Assistance Force–Afghanistan, The Jordan Times, The National, Operation Care Afghanistan, Petra News Agency, Stars and Stripes, UPI