Editorial: Cracking down on Afghan Militants

Editorial: Cracking down on Afghan Militants - 2004-07-24. What you read is the official view of the U.S. government. The people of Afghanistan are preparing to participate in the presidential elections in October. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for April 2005. A major effort is underway to register voters. Richard Boucher, spokesman for the U.S. State Department, says that after 23 years of war and all the problems arising from the Taliban regime, the people of Afghanistan are ready to take their future into their own hands and adds: "So far, more than 7 million Afghan citizens have registered to vote, and 40 percent of them are women. This is a significant and unprecedented achievement, and it continues." However, security is a major issue. One of the steps the Afghan government is taking is to crack down on militants whose presence may intimidate voters. In a decree issued by the government, it is stated that Afghans who refuse to disarm will be considered traitors and rebels and will face severe penalties under the laws of the country. Many members of militia groups have been integrated into the new army. However, according to newspaper reports, only 10,000 out of about 60,000 militants have surrendered their weapons. Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, recently dismissed three militia leaders – Ata Mohammad Noor, Hazrat Ali, and Khan Mohammad Khan – from their positions as military commanders. Javed Lodin, the government spokesman, says this action is part of a series of measures that will continue. He told Reuters that if there are concerns in some areas that people face a security threat, it is the government's duty to ensure security and make it possible to hold free and fair elections. Three years ago, the Taliban sheltered Osama bin Laden and the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. Today, the Taliban are scattered, and al-Qaeda is in hiding. President George W. Bush says that the freedom of Afghanistan is the first victory in the war on terrorism.