Bonn Conference: An eyewitness account
Posted on 05. Dec, 2011 by S M Hali in Hot Topics
Opinion Maker Report
By S. M. Hali
Bonn 5th Dec: The Bonn Conference on Afghanistan hosted on December 5th raised the aspirations of the 1100 participants towards reaching peaceful settlement of the problems facing Afghanistan and the region, although it was described as a conference for peace rather than a peace conference by Ambassador Michael Steiner, Germany’s special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, yet the exercise did achieve a few steps in this direction.
I was invited to attend the conference by the German Foreign Ministry and departed Islamabad before the Government of Pakistan decided to boycott the event as a protest for the NATO and ISAF forces murdering 24 Pakistani soldiers at a check-post well inside Pakistani territory. Since I had reached Germany, I decided to make the best of the trip to present Pakistan’s viewpoint to the German and International media. We first visited Berlin, where we held discussions with members of the German Parliament, the Bundestag regarding the Bonn Conference. Our media group comprised four Afghans, three Pakistanis and one Iranian and Kazakhstani journalists. Our hosts were keen to know what the real reason for Pakistan’s boycott was. We made it absolutely clear that Pakistan had no hidden agenda and its anger, angst and hurt feelings must be respected. After all, as retaliation to the arson at the British Embassy in Tehran, UK closed down its diplomatic mission, withdrew its diplomats and expelled the Iranian diplomats from London. Simultaneously, European Union expressed its condemnation of the attack on the British Embassy. No loss of life occurred in the Tehran attack; it cannot be condoned but the Occident is unfairly chastising Pakistan for reacting to the perhaps premeditated massacre of its soldiers while itself retaliating to the Tehran event.
The Bonn Conference was preceded by a number of events. One of them was a two day’ seminar organized for the Civil Society of Afghanistan by various German political NGOs. Thirty-four participants of Afghan Civil Society Forum, German politicians, philanthropists and media attended the event at the Beethoven Halle. It was ironic that in the historic city of Bonn, home of Ludwig Van Beethoven, the composer of immortal and serene musical scores, some members of the Afghan Civil Society Forum made venomous attacks on Afghanistan’s neighbour Pakistan for harbouring terrorists, aiding and abetting the Taliban and possessing nuclear weapons, which may be acquired by terrorists to destabilize the world. The other impression was that the Civil Society Forum indulged in praising the Karzai regime and could find no faults with it. Secondly they took pains to highlight the problems plaguing Afghan society, but they spoke in general and vague terms only, failing to identify possible solutions.
On the eve of the conference, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon desired to meet our group of journalists from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan exclusively. We queried the UN Secretary General, if he has asked for an investigation into the attack on the Pakistani military check-post by NATO since it was a violation of the UN mandate. He chose to ignore the question. When asked how the decisions taken at the Bonn Conference be binding on Pakistan in absentia, he stated that Pakistan had already given its consent to abide by them. This was another slap on Pakistan’s face as if Pakistan’s presence at the Bonn Conference was immaterial.
The conference itself commenced with short speeches by the German and Afghan Foreign Ministers and Mr. Karzai and Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor. Each delegates presented a three minute short speeches to express their view point. The Chinese Foreign Minister gave a five-point recommendation for peace, which comprised respect of Afghan sovereignty, capacity building, developing its economy and addressing the concerns of Afghanistan’s neighbours. Iran made it clear that it deemed it undesirable that some foreign powers wanted to extend their military presence beyond 2014.
The German identification with the Afghans is understandable that Germany itself was humiliated by the allies following the First World War, defeated, occupied and divided after the Second World War and so is the case with Afghanistan. Thus the efforts of the Germans to help rebuild Afghanistan are both noble and based on emotive norms. The arrangements made by the German Foreign Ministry to host the 1100 delegates are commendable and deserve kudos while the Goethe Institute that hosted us journalists, was both hospitable and professional. The change of Afghanistan from “Transition” to “Transformation”, the slogan of the Bonn Conference, will take a while but we pray and hope that peace will not elude the region.
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7 Responses to “Bonn Conference: An eyewitness account”
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S M Hali
Fahad
06. Dec, 2011
Any forum on Afghanistan with out Pakistan is LoL.
Pakistan's stand was really appreciable here and showed good unity and will. Supply line should cut for always and make powers understand what they can never.
Fahad
06. Dec, 2011
@Writer,
Will you please conclude the conference? Does it effective and achieved its goals???
Rehmat
06. Dec, 2011
Representatives from several dozen countries attended the conference. However, to a great shock to Israel, Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi attended the conference on Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s invitation. He pledged Iran’s financial support for Afghanistan. But he denounced the proposal that some western troops may remain in Afghanistan after US-NATO withdrawal in 2014. Tehran has already donated $600 million to Afghanistan for various reconstruction projects.
Hamid Karzai demanded a bribe of $10 billion per year for the next ten years to look after western interests in the region.
“The Afghan people do not wish to be a burden for a single day longer than is absolutely necessary,” he said. “But to make our success certain and our progress irreversible, we will need your steadfast support for at least another decade.”
Hillary Clinton in her speech indicated that Karzai’s demand was a “bargain“.
“The United States and our international partners must remain committed to training, advising, an assisting Afghan forces, even as we continue to go after those who are unwilling to end the conflict or who are engaging in acts of terrorism,” she said.
Admiral Sirohey
06. Dec, 2011
Crisp and informative coverage. UN SG did not answer because he has to protect his second term.
What Afghan President or media said about Pakistan should be disregarded with disdain.
For the first time the Rulers of Pakistan have a taken a stand. Hopefully this opportunity of retrieving what Pakistan lost since 1979 is not wasted. Pakistan must insist on what its rights are and protect its interest in its entirity.
IAS
azhar
06. Dec, 2011
The bottom line is the sincerity and resolve of our ruling elite. There is a crop of ex senior bearucracts and politicians who keep on scaring the people from taking a stand against US dictates. They have prevailed earlier, but I hope this time they will not. I wish we had the time to convince a few friends to boycott the conference as well . However, a message has been sent. No decision of the conference is bounding on us. And if we can exercise a little self respect (just a little for a change) we will get much more respect from the world community. Regional countries (including Russia) are fed up of the US intrigue and intransigence, they just need a reason to rally.
Khalif
07. Dec, 2011
Captain S. M. Hali your praise of German state as a diplomatic etiquette is fine anything else is is a vulgarity. It was Merkel who lied to her parliament after slaughtering over 100 Afghans least you forget.
Bear in mind Germany behaves as Isra hell wants in regards to Muslim states.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/709/in2.htm
“—certainly serve to appease the Zionists, who are highly influential in German politics and media,”.
. On the diplomatic front, Germany tends to undermine any European decision not approved in advance by Israel. Germany also tends to unleash a pre-emptive broadside of criticism at the Palestinians, before it allows itself the luxury of slapping Israel on the hand”
“…Afghan Civil Society Forum made venomous attacks on Afghanistan’s neighbour Pakistan….”
At the open debates held in UK parliament by Welsh MP Paul Flynn, /Paul Flynn: We can't win Afghan hearts and minds using bombs and …
http://www.politicshome.com › …
…
( I had arrived a wee bit early. We were all waiting outside when two male started handing out printed pages. Not knowing I took and started to read. They had two points which were elaborated:
The above text in italic ie demonization of Pakistan
And blaming Iran – they went as far as asking to bomb
I do not tolerate fools lightly! I went to them and handed them their propaganda and asked the house mozlems what proof they had regarding their absurd insane accusations.
They could not even speak English!
I met other Afghans few, in shops, restaurants, markets, …… and the venom against Pakistan was very evident plus their approval of American occupation. Even paul Flynn’s experts had a go at Pakistan to which during question time I asked “Why shouldn’t Pakistan have a say in the matter? They are next door, it is in the INTEREST of Pakistan that their neighbor has security & peace.
NO ANSWER. The expert was very uncomfortable that anyone challenged him. NaTo arrogance where they 1000 of miles away have the insane audacity to INTERFERE but Pakistan a next door neighbour should not say anything! Sickening and revolting
You do not need to be a rocket scientist. Just join the dots
Britain has given this house Afghans visas to stay in UK – the whole world knows brits do you think the visas were given for any other reason?
KMR Overseas
08. Dec, 2011
The main questions are:
1) for how long Pakistan plans to block the NATO supply routes?
2) what if NATO attacks the Pakistani troops blocking the supply entry point and slap no fly zone over FATA & Balochistan?
3) Worst case, NATO naval blocade on Pakistan, what Pakistan's reaction would be?