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Ambassadors Roundtable Series- Afghanistan Event Summary As part of the Ambassador Roundtable Series on International Collaboration to Combat Terrorism and Insurgencies, The Homeland Security Policy Institute and the International Center for Terrorism Studies co-hosted Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad, from Afghanistan, on February 20, 2008.
Because Afghanistan’s future has both regional and international dimensions, international partners should take a regional approach to stability in Afghanistan. Ambassador Jawad suggested, as an example, that Pakistan could integrate its Federally Administered Tribal Areas into its federal system, bringing governance and stability to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region that would positively affect governance and stability in Afghanistan. Looking inwards, the Ambassador also In response to HSPI Director Frank Cilluffo’s question, “What are the top priorities for the Afghan government?,” Ambassador Jawad listed two: primarily to continue building the Afghan National Army and Afghan National police to better serve the security needs of Afghan citizens, and secondarily to persuade the funding channels in the United States policy process to decouple the funding of Afghanistan and Iraq. Furthermore, if Afghanistan and the international community are able to synergize efforts towards stabilization, the results will have positive implications for global security for years to come. The Ambassador Roundtable Series is designed to provide Ambassadors to the United States and their key diplomatic staff with a forum to discuss current and future counterterrorism and counterinsurgency efforts on a regional or country-specific basis. In an effort to draw upon various insights and experiences, the Ambassadors Roundtable Series builds upon and institutionalizes efforts over the past two years to engage in a dialogue with members of the international community, policy makers, and practitioners. For further inquries, please email hspi1@gwumc.edu with the subject Ambassadors Roundtable Series Inquiries |
In his remarks, Ambassador Jawad noted that rather than being at a “tipping point,” Afghanistan is at a “turning point.” The greatest challenge to Afghanistan is building the capacity of the Afghan government to provide security and other services to its people. International initiatives should have an “Afghan face,” observed the Ambassador, rather than be driven by various political agendas of foreign nations. Additionally, more funds are necessary to build the capacity of the government, fight corruption, and create programs that keep knowledge about the rule of law within the country.
highlighted the successful reconciliation program to bring former Taliban militants back into Afghan society in order to build security. The program has over 6000 participants, but is drastically under-funded. |