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Abdul Zuhoor Qayomi-KABUL: Reacting to the United States’ decision to provide used weapons to Pakistan, the Obama administration drew ire of Afghans as the Meshrano Jirga on Sunday termed the US “a foe in friend’s guise”.
Provoked by the recent report of the Congressional Research Center that the United States of America has decided to provide used weapons, including 14 combat aircrafts, 59 military trainer jets and 374 armored personnel carriers to Pakistan, the senators said that Afghans were expecting these weapons. According to the report, the weapons supplied to Pakistan were earlier used by the US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Expressing serious concerns over insecurity and sincerity of the US, the senators said the international partners of the Afghan government should have made Afghanistan the first choice rather than Pakistan. They said that the used military hardware could have helped the Afghan security forces a lot in improving security.
Urging the government to prevent militants from posing threats in northern and eastern provinces of the country, the senators said that Washington has deceived Kabul while favoring Islamabad in deals.
They said that supply of the used weapons to Pakistan indicated that the US was a “murderer of Afghans”.
Afzal Shamil, a senator, said that it was believed that the US would hand over the weapons to Kabul as a key alley in the ongoing war against terrorism.
“It seems that the United States of America is the real murderer of Afghans as it preferred to support enemies of Afghans. Grandiose promises were made to Afghans, but support was provided to others,” he said.
Shamil went on saying that at a time when insurgents have launched large-scale attacks in different parts of the country, it was not suitable for the US to support Islamabad and leave Kabul in lurch.
“The US support for Pakistan means stabbing Afghans in the back,” said Nisar Haris, a senator from Kabul.
Criticizing the government, he said the authorities should react seriously as Kabul has signed Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with Washington but it is Islamabad that “enjoys the fruit”.
Another senator Haseebullah Kalimzai said the government should broke its silence and ask the Obama administration that why the use weapons were not provided to Afghans.
Lailuma Ahmadi, a senator from Panjshir, said that Afghans are questioning importance of the BSA as the law and order situation is deteriorating and the US forces are not playing supportive role.
The United States is targeting only those suspected insurgents that are threatening the US interests. The US forces are not taking action against Daesh, though the security agreement signed with Washington says that Kabul would be supported in the war on terror and against external threats, she added.
“American forces are living in highly fortified bases and under bunkers, but handed over the weapons to Pakistan which is against the national interests of Afghanistan,” she reacted to the US decision.
Abdullah Qarluq, a senator from Kunduz, said that around 10,000 people left their homes in Kunduz province as Afghan security forces resorted to air strikes against the insurgents.
He said that result of the operations is still unclear.
Chairman of the Meshrano Jirga, Fazal Hadi Muslimyar, also expressed concern over insecurity and said the security officials should ramp up security to improve law and order situation.
He commended the security forces for retaking the Nawa district of Ghazni from the Taliban, but was also saddened by the news of fall of the Jawand district of Badghis province to the insurgents. The chairman asked the security officials to retake the district from militants.
