Progress in Afghanistan

Progress in Afghanistan - Editorial: Afghan Progress - 2004-04-30. What you read here is the official view of the U.S. government. Arman FM, the first private commercial radio station in Afghanistan, is celebrating its first anniversary. This station is located in Kabul and its programs are a mix of music, discussions, interviews, news, and sports reports. Recently, it has started broadcasting a program titled 'Youth and Their Problems.' Arman FM is just a sign of Afghanistan's emergence after decades of Soviet occupation, civil war, and the misrule of the extremist Islamic Taliban regime. Afghans are also preparing to participate in parliamentary elections scheduled for September. By the end of April, nearly one million nine hundred thousand Afghans have registered to vote, over half a million of whom are women. Hamid Karzai, the current President of Afghanistan, states that establishing a strong political party structure that represents the people and is rooted in Afghanistan's political culture will take time. Progress will not be easy. Mr. Karzai says that terrorism—Al-Qaeda and those outside Afghanistan who do not want Afghanistan to grow in the way it has—will certainly try to disrupt the election process in the peace process. However, President Bush says that with the fall of the Taliban regime and Al-Qaeda terrorists who no longer have a base or headquarters in Afghanistan, the country is making good progress. I admire President Karzai and take pride in him. He has taken a step forward and led the country. The Afghan army is active. There are still tasks that need to be done there. In most countries where oppression and tyranny prevailed, work needs to be done. Transitioning from a dictatorship to a free government is difficult. Moving from a society where one could be executed for deviating from the line to a society where people accept risks for peace and freedom is not easy. And this is the work you are doing in Afghanistan. Afghans will soon have the opportunity to elect a new government. A country that was once under the control of extremists is trying to move towards democracy.