In Kabul, the corrupt legacy of yesterday’s men

Hamida Ghafour

• Last Updated: November 09. 2009 7:44PM UAE / November 9. 2009 3:44PM GMT

Legitimacy is the new buzzword in Kabul. The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai – who desperately needs some after the farce of his re-election – has promised to address corruption as he comes under unprecedented pressure to get rid of the shady characters around his unpopular administration.

Chief among them are his younger brother, Ahmad Wali Karzai, accused of being linked to the drugs trade and on the CIA’s payroll; his vice president, Mohammed Qasim Fahim; and the notorious Abdul Rashid Dostum, accused of war crimes against Taliban soldiers in the north.

After 9/11 the last two were given millions of dollars and weapons by the Pentagon to fight the Taliban. To the objection of Afghans who have experienced their brutality first-hand, they were brought right into the government.

For years the Americans and the Europeans turned a blind eye to unsavoury characters because as long as they were anti-Taliban they were considered America’s men. They became extremely powerful as a result, to the point that Mr Karzai felt they were crucial to the country’s stability.

Now that it is clear that they have cost the central government much needed credibility among the Afghan population and provided the Taliban with great propaganda material, they are no longer considered useful.

In other words, they are pawns in America’s short-term Afghan policy. It just lurches from one crisis to another without any clear goals. These men may be on their way out but I have no doubt there are others waiting in the wings to take their place – so long as they can offer the Americans what they think they need.

* * * * *

When it emerged on Friday that a gunman had gone on a rampage at an army base in Texas, I am sure many people, myself included, hoped that the murderer was not a Muslim. It seemed highly unlikely: how many Muslims serve in the US army?

My heart sank when Major Nidal Malik Hasan was identified as an Arab-American who shouted “Allahu Akbar” when he opened fire in Fort Hood, Texas, killing 13 and wounding dozens more. But why has he been described as a devout Muslim and an American patriot?

Hasan was born in America to Palestinian parents. He apparently prayed regularly and on his days off wore “traditional Muslim attire”, whatever that means. The truly devout don’t murder people and patriot is a term for those who have decided to serve their country for the greater good.

Hasan was obviously a troubled soul who was not fit for service. The details of his life and why he committed such a crime are emerging. He did not want to be deployed to Afghanistan. Foremost in the minds of investigators is whether he acted alone or was part of a jihadist cell.

Describing him as a devout, formerly patriotic American, as some of his relatives have done, is counter-productive: it serves only to cast suspicion on law-abiding Muslims who are already on the back foot about their identity all over western Europe and North America.

You can just hear the Islamophobes now: “They can wave as many American flags as they like or wear hijabs in the colours of the British flag but there will always be doubt about where their loyalty really lies. If an American-born citizen serving in the army can commit such a crime then who can know what really lurks in the souls of Muslims everywhere?”

And that sort of mindless fearmongering helps no one.

* * * * *

Osama bin Laden’s first wife Najwa and their son Omar have written a book about their lives with the fugitive al Qa’eda leader. Growing up Bin Laden is an account of how the Syrian-born Najwa met and fell in love with her shy Saudi cousin, who courted her by offering juicy grapes. Omar is his fourth son, and has since denounced his father.

We learn that when bin Laden became a fugitive in Sudan, and later Afghanistan, he subjected his family to hardships such as making them sleep in the desert for days. He tested deadly chemicals on puppies. The children were not allowed to have toys and any products from America were banned – including air-conditioners, fridges and soft drinks.

What a pity bin Laden’s distaste for all things modern didn’t apply on 9/11: the attackers could have charged into New York on horseback wielding swords, and saved everyone a lot of grief.

hghafour@thenational.ae