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Afghanistan still on critical list, says Amnesty International

KABUL: A top rights group said on Thursday the world must not renege on promises to Afghanistan, saying the country was “still on the critical list” almost two years after a US-led intervention.

A report from the London-based Amnesty International said efforts to restore security and the rule of law in Afghanistan were being seriously undermined by the failure of the international community to provided urgently needed assistance. “As the international community focuses on the reconstruction of Iraq, it must not rescind on promises made to the Afghans,” the report said. “Afghanistan is still on the critical list.”

It said the judicial system was barely functioning and the unwillingness of the international community to provide effective security outside of Kabul had allowed individuals in many areas to stay above the law through threats and intimidation.

“Afghanistan requires comprehensive long-term support and assistance to ensure that it develops a judicial system that is based upon respect for the rule of law,” it said.

The report came out after the bloodiest 24-hour period in more than a year in Afghanistan, in which at least 61 people were killed in a series of attacks and clashes across the country.

The bloodshed underlines the fragility of Afghanistan, despite the presence of a 12,500-strong US led coalition force that is pursuing remnants of the former Taliban regime and their Al Qaeda allies and 5,000 NATO-led peacekeepers in Kabul.

On Wednesday, the top UN official for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, pressed the UN Security Council to expand peacekeeping forces beyond the capital, saying the support given to the country was only a fraction of that given to places like Kosovo. UN and aid workers say better security is essential to speeding up post-war reconstruction and creating suitable conditions for elections due to be held next June.

NATO has said it is willing to discuss expanding peacekeeping operations beyond Kabul, but needs some time to settle into the role as head of the force.

Diplomats say the war in Iraq and other troubled regions like Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ivory Coast have sapped international resources and cut into the number of soldiers available for deployment in Afghanistan.

Although, the US backed government in Kabul has received pledges of more than $4.5 billion from international donors, it complains that this is only a fraction of what it needs.

The Bush administration last month said it was preparing a $1 billion aid package to accelerate reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, to be used for schools, roads and other projects. —Reuters

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