Speeches
Transcript of Ambassador William Wood's Interview with TOLO TV
October 22, 2007
TOLO: Thank you, sir, for giving us the time and opportunity to have an interview with you.
Ambassador Wood: It’s a pleasure to be here. Next week I’ll be in Afghanistan for six months and I wanted to celebrate my six month anniversary by appearing here on TOLO TV with you. It’s a pleasure to be here.
TOLO: For the beginning, will you please put some light on yourself, reveal yourself, tell the TV.
Ambassador Wood: Well, I’m a professional diplomat. I’ve worked with the State Department for 30 years under Republican and Democratic administrations. I’ve served in Latin America and Europe and with the United Nations. I’m a specialist in development, political/military affairs, political affairs. And I have some experience running a large and important embassy. And of course our embassy in Kabul is one of our largest and it’s one of our most important.
The Secretary of State called me up last fall and asked me to take this job and I didn’t hesitate a moment. I told her in our first conversation right then that I would be delighted to go to Afghanistan. And so far, I’m very happy with that decision and very honored by the trust that the Secretary of State and the President of the United States have put in me.
TOLO: Thank you, Your Excellency.
Would you please talk a little bit about the United States commitment to Afghanistan?
Ambassador Wood: As you know the United States has had a commitment to Afghanistan for many years, for decades. We have had very ambitious development programs and a very cooperative relationship with many of the governments of Afghanistan over the decades.
In 2001, of course, that cooperation took a special form, as the events of September 11 spoke to us about the need to assist the people of Afghanistan regain control of their own territory, so that it could not again be used as a launching pad for international terrorism against any nation. Since that time, we have had one of the most ambitious programs of economic development, humanitarian support, political support, and of course military support that we’ve ever had anywhere in the world. And we think it is yielding results. There is still much to be done, but much has been accomplished.
TOLO: Since 2001 you mentioned the United States cooperated with Afghanistan in different dimensions. But the question is here, in 2001, the problems and the issues that the people of Afghanistan were bothered by were [inaudible]. Since then, the Taliban were defeated from 29 approximately provinces of Afghanistan. They were completely destroyed. But the question is here, what happened since 2001 until now? The Taliban regrouped, they are fighting now, and they claim more portions in different areas of Afghanistan, not just in southern parts.
Ambassador Wood: I think you ask a very good question. But I also think it’s important to remember where the Taliban came from. The Taliban came from 25 years of weakness of institutions and internal fighting and external oppression inside of Afghanistan. So that defeating the Taliban was not sufficient. We also had to defeat the conditions that allowed the Taliban to come to power. That is what we’re trying to help you do.
The period since 2001 has been very exciting. There was the Emergency Jirga, the provisional government, the writing of the Constitution, the Constitutional Jirga, the elections, the installation of the new government, the installation of the new parliament. All of these are exciting events but they aren’t governance.
Right now the government of President Karzai is working hard to provide to the people of Afghanistan the services and the support and the protection that all of these new institutions and new changes make possible. It’s not glorious. It’s not glamorous. It’s hard work. It is particularly hard work in a country that is trying so hard to recover from those difficult years between 1973 and 2001.
Like any government, it sometimes wants to achieve more than it can achieve. And like any people, the Afghan people want to achieve more than sometimes can be achieved at any given moment. But the military situation is going well. The economy is growing at 13 percent, which makes it the fastest growing economy in South Asia. More than 80 percent of the people have access to medical care. There are six million children in school. The Ring Road has been largely completed, so that producers can bring their products to market, so that families can visit families. The Peace Jirga with Pakistan was an enormous success, and demonstrated not simply the capability of the Afghan people to organize an important international conference, but also demonstrated the desire and the will of the Afghan people, who were so brilliantly represented, to work with other nations, not just the United States, to achieve closer relations.
We have enormous accomplishments here. Big problems, but also enormous accomplishments. The United States is proud to have assisted Afghanistan in achieving those accomplishments.
TOLO: Thank you.
You mentioned about the roots of the problems that the people of Afghanistan had during the 30 past years. Do you think the things that you mentioned like constructing schools, the Ring Road, medical processes for the people of Afghanistan, or the Constitutional Jirga, presidential elections, these are things that the international community has been very busy with them. But there are two remaining important issues, the Taliban and the security, besides the narcotics in Afghanistan. Don’t you think that during the 30 years the people of Afghanistan had suffered, the problem of less security and the problem of having a lot of difficulties with the different regions, especially with the Taliban. Don’t you think that the progresses and developments which have been made, is it efficient, is it perfect for the people of Afghanistan when there is not enough security in many parts of Afghanistan?
Ambassador Wood: I think that Afghanistan is facing perhaps four challenges, and the Taliban is certainly one of them. As I say, I believe that the military situation is much better. But the Taliban, because it has been losing on the battlefield, has been shifting tactics. And now, instead of a traditional insurgency, it is focusing more and more on terrorism. We see it in Kabul and we see it around the country. There are more land mines, there are more bombs, there are more kidnappings, there are more suicide attacks. There are more attacks on school children, there are more attacks on teachers, there are more attacks on hospitals.
Unfortunately the tactics of terrorism are effective tactics. They make people afraid. So even though people are more secure today than they used to be, they may feel more afraid. They’re safer, but they don’t feel safer. They are more secure but they don’t feel more secure. That’s a problem.
I think that the solution is for us all to cooperate together to confront the Taliban and their terroristic tactics. They are aiming at civilians. By far the overwhelming majority of those who are hurt by these attacks are civilians. The Taliban has shown itself during its rule here, and now as it attempts to recover power, to be willing to sacrifice civilians to its so-called principals, and to its war aims, its political aims and its corrupt profit gain. That’s one problem. I think that we’re doing well. And I think that every day the Afghan Army is stronger. I think every day the Afghan Police are stronger. I think every day the Karzai administration is more effective against these threats.
But I think there is still a long way to go. You can count on the United States to help you all the way to the end of that road.
A second threat, drugs. Drugs are obviously a threat to the countries that consume drugs, but they are also a threat to all of the goals that Afghans have for Afghanistan. Good governance, rule of law, freedom from corruption, security, safety on the highways. We have to confront the drug threat because it corrupts everything else that goes on, in addition to creating the personal tragedy of drug addiction and illness among the people.
A third threat is the newness of the institutions. Afghanistan had very strong traditional institutions. The monarchy, tribal leadership, elders, the shuras, the mosques. And the 30 years of fighting weakened all the traditional institutions. Now with the help of the United States and others, the old institutions are being strengthened, and new institutions are being added. The constitution, the presidency, the parliament, those kinds of things. The governors. But the new institutions are still new, and the old institutions are still weakened from 30 years of struggle. You have to have a way for the new institutions and the old institutions to shake hands, to cooperate, and to grow together with the support of the people to provide better support for the people.
Lastly, of course, is the problem of corruption. In the government and outside the government. And I think corruption more than anything comes from hopelessness. Tomorrow won’t be better, and therefore I’m going to take everything I can take today.
Well, I can say tomorrow will be better. And if people have faith in Afghanistan, work for Afghanistan and make the hard decisions that Afghanistan needs, we can all be sure that tomorrow will be better. And the day after that will be better still, and the day after that will be even better still.
TOLO: I’m going to ask you about the Taliban that you mentioned. Nowadays there have been two different decisions made by the Afghan government and the United States about the Taliban. You mentioned about defeating the Taliban, about destroying the Taliban. One of the main problems for the people of Afghanistan is the Taliban nowadays. But the contrast between the decisions of the United States and the Afghan government is clear nowadays. The Afghan government, the Karzai government, has offered negotiations with the Taliban while there is a price put on the head of the Taliban leaders by the United States, after the announcement of negotiations with the Taliban.
Doesn’t those show the miscoordination between the United States and the Afghan government on this issue?
Ambassador Wood: I think it’s very important to be precise about this. The United States is not opposing the invitation of the government of Afghanistan, to talk to elements of the Taliban who are willing to come in and respect the constitution and respect the authority of the democratically elected government. As you know, the United States has consistently supported the PTS program led by Senator Mojadedi, which also was a program of reconciliation with those members of the Taliban who wanted to leave the conflict and return to a decent life. So there is not any disagreement between the United States and the government of Afghanistan.
We do believe this is an issue that has to be carried out with precision and with seriousness. The Taliban has already both accepted and rejected the possibility of talks. The Taliban doesn’t know what to do. The Taliban is confused. We think that the government of Afghanistan is right to offer the possibility of talks to those members of the Taliban who wish to leave the movement and return to decent life, peaceful life, safe life, honest life, in Afghanistan. We also, of course, agree with the President that this can have no affect on military operations, that this cannot include people who were associated with al-Qaida. Because al-Qaida is a global terrorist movement, it is a global threat, and it therefore needs to be confronted by all nations, all legitimate honest nations, globally.
But no, there is no disagreement between the United States and the government of Afghanistan. Our disagreement is with the Taliban. The Taliban has shown no signs of being willing to cease its operations. It has shown no signs of being willing to respect the Constitution. It has shown no signs of being willing to stop its terrorism. It has shown no signs of being willing to respond to the generous offer of President Karzai.
TOLO: That’s all right, but what is the reason? What is the big reason? What are the reasons behind this issue? Because the Taliban were named a terroristic group in the Constitution and in the [inaudible], there is no need of dealing with terroristic groups. They have been lackluster, they have to be destroyed, and it has been said by NATO, the United States and the Afghan government. But what may confuse the Afghan government, all the international community, to be convinced on negotiations with the Taliban? Are they being strong nowadays? Will they crush the Afghan government? Or what?
Ambassador Wood: I don’t believe I ever said negotiations with the Taliban. I think I said negotiations with elements of the Taliban. Of course the Taliban as an organization has shown no interest in negotiations whatsoever. But there are people in the Taliban, there are people who have already benefited from the PTS program. And I think that President Karzai’s invitation is to those elements in the Taliban who would like to leave the Taliban and come in and resume a normal, decent life in friendship and honor and faith today in Afghanistan.
TOLO: What do you think, the United States, the international community, their belief that the Taliban leader is Mullah Omar, right?
Ambassador Wood: Among others.
TOLO: Do you remember the speech of President Karzai who said that if I find the address of Mullah Mohammed Omar, I’ll talk to him? I would directly request them to negotiate with me and stop the fighting.
Ambassador Wood: I do remember the speech and I also remember the clarification of Press Spokesman Hamidzada afterwards, that what the President was saying was that these are men without addresses. They have no address. They have no homes. They have no locations. They are out of reach. They are out of the life of the people of Afghanistan. I’ve talked to President Karzai about this. I know what he meant by his statement. We support what he meant by his statement. I do not believe that his statements were calling for talks with Mullah Omar.
TOLO: You mentioned about the Americans and the other issues. If you say the people of Afghanistan, one of the main reasons that the corruption is uprising the government sectors, one of the reasons behind that is the narcotics in Afghanistan. What are the ways to tackle, to face, to fight the narcotics? And you say that the people of Afghanistan are hopeless about tomorrow, some of the government sectors, and they say that we take today, there is no hope for tomorrow.
How you can say that they can be hopeful for tomorrow if we compare this year’s incidents and accidents with last year? Last year during the perfect year, there was not more than 100 suicide attacks. But this year, during the past six months there have been more than 130 or maybe 120 suicide attacks.
More than 500 police soldiers have been killed, and during the past five years about 5,000 have been killed. What can make the people of Afghanistan to be hopeful for tomorrow? The people of Afghanistan right now are just begging for the security.
Ambassador Wood: I think that the people of Afghanistan have good reason for hope. As I said, the economy is the fastest growing in South Asia. Gross domestic product per capita has already doubled. Six million children are in school, and I assume that the parents of those six million children know their children are in school, and are happy that their children are in school. More than 80 percent of the population has medical care, has access to medical care. And I assume that both the sick and the families of the sick know that this is an improvement.
The Army is getting better every day with the help of the international community. We are committed to staying here until it is fully capable. And it is getting more capable every day. The police have had some problems, but the police have also suffered enormous casualties for the people of Afghanistan, and I think their sacrifice should be acknowledged and the police should be supported.
No, the job is not over. Yes, there are still enormous challenges ahead. And yes, the Taliban in its desperation is targeting individuals to create a sense of fear. The only response to that has to be unity among us, the targets, unity among us, the victims, that we will not be frightened. We will stand straight and tall. Let Afghanistan be unconquerable. It has never yielded to fear before. I think the unity of the good people is stronger than the unity of the bad people. I think that the strength of the good people is stronger than the strength of the bad people. I think that’s the reason for hope. I think that most Afghans feel the same way. They know things are better.
There are traffic jams on the streets of Kabul today. There didn’t use to be traffic jams on the streets of Kabul. That’s because people have places to go and things to do and activities to carry out, and businesses to run and jobs to work at and because they have cars. This is all good news, and this is the kind of good news that makes everybody’s life better every day.
TOLO: Also you mentioned before about the Peace Jirga between Pakistan and Afghanistan. How do you see, how do you evaluate the reasons after the Peace Jirga, especially on the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan? What do you see the role of Pakistan, which is one of the allies of the United States on counter-terrorism, in the region, in the Middle East?
Ambassador Wood: We are very enthusiastic about the Peace Jirga. As you know, the United States supported the Peace Jirga from the very beginning. The idea began in a meeting between President Musharraf and President Karzai in the office of President Bush. We have supported it every step of the way, so we were very gratified that this idea produced such wonderful results. And we were very proud of both the Afghan and the Pakistani delegates who made the Peace Jirga such an enormous success.
There have been complicated relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. We hope that the Peace Jirga is an important step toward improving those relations. We know that Pakistan has been taking more action along the border to secure its border, a very difficult task, and the Pakistanis have suffered losses in doing that. I think that we should recognize that.
We just held here in Kabul a meeting of the Joint Coordinating and Monitoring Board, which is the joint UN-Afghan meeting of donors. We all emphasized the importance of regional economic integration, so that with better trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan, both Afghanistan and Pakistan can produce more and earn more and can live better lives.
Again, the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are relations between brothers. Sometimes relations between brothers can be a little bit complicated. But they’re getting better every day, and certainly the United States is working to help make them better every day.
TOLO: You mentioned about securing the borders. Violence after the Peace Jirga has been worse. People can see more violence, more uprise of violence on both sides of the borders. Pakistan’s borders are, a lot of attacks that happen on both side of the borders. But the people of Afghanistan were expecting the Peace Jirga at least if it is not able to stop the violence, to weaken the violence. But it uprised. What do you say about that?
Ambassador Wood: I don’t think the people of Afghanistan were expecting the Peace Jirga to reduce the violence. I believe that they expected the Peace Jirga to strengthen the will on both sides of the border to fight those for whom violence was not only a tool but also a goal. Those who oppose strong institutions in both countries. Those who oppose friendly relations between both countries.
I think the Peace Jirga achieved that. And I think that one of the results of the Peace Jirga has been stronger Pakistani action on their side of the border, continued strong action by Afghanistan on Afghanistan’s side of the border, better communication and better coordination between the two countries, and greater cooperation going into the future.
Unfortunately, there are bad people in the world. There are people who wish to pursue their goals through violence. There are people who believe that strong, decent, democratic, responsive institutions are bad things, because they oppose the kind of violence and corruption and drug trafficking that these people support.
We have a common enemy. Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United States are the enemies of the people who oppose decent government and decent life. I think that the Peace Jirga and other developments lately have strengthened our agreement to confront that common enemy together, and that may be why there is more activity, but I think it is good activity.
TOLO: Also about narcotics. Nowadays the United States suggested for destroying the poppy fields to spray them. They have sent the scientists to convince the government of Afghanistan in order to spray the poppy fields. It is the best way to fight the poppy fields. But it was refused by the Afghan government. Why it was refused? And what will be the reasons of that issue in the future?
Ambassador Wood: I think there are a couple of things here. First, the word spraying is used to cover two different things -- spraying from airplanes and spraying on the ground. My understanding is that the Afghan government is not yet ready to accept spraying from the air. I think there may be different voices talking about spraying on the ground. It’s a different technique.
But I think the issue is not spraying from the air or from the ground or something else. I think the issue is drugs, and the poison that they represent not only for the consumers but for the society that produces them. It threatens rule of law, it threatens democracy. It assists the violent elements, the terrorist elements of the Taliban, and of warlords and of others.
The U.S. position is that we are not advocating any particular kind of eradication. But whatever kind of eradication there is, it must be effective eradication. It must be forceful eradication. It must do the job. We don’t care what method is used if it is an effective method.
Last year as you know narcotics production again increased by about 34 percent. Since 2001, narcotics production has tripled in Afghanistan, in spite of the fact that the United States, for instance, has spent more than half a billion dollars to provide alternative economic opportunities to those who are growing drugs in Helmand and other places.
It is clear that it is not enough simply to offer people alternatives so that they will voluntarily give up growing drugs. There also has to be, in addition to the pull, a little bit of push. And that comes from eradication and from law enforcement. We want to do this the best, most effective, the easiest way possible. But so far, and I think that no one will disagree, what has been done has not worked.
TOLO: Thank you. Please, I want your short speech on the media law which has been passed by the upper house and lower house of Afghanistan and the freedom of speech. Very short on that.
Ambassador Wood: The United States is very strongly behind freedom of press, freedom of speech, freedom of reporters to investigate and to report on what they discover. We are very enthusiastic about the new media law, which we believe strengthens the ability of all media to act independently, to report the stories as they see them, to investigate the stories that they want to investigate. We think that an independent press is an important guarantee for a democracy. We think that a responsible press is also necessary. It is up to the press to do its best to report the truth. It is up to the government to give the press the freedom to search for the truth. We ask no more of either the government or the press, than that the government allow the press to search for the truth and to report the truth, and that the press dedicate itself to the truth.
TOLO: I appreciate Your Excellency, sir. Thank you once again for answering the questions.
Ambassador Wood: Thank you very much.
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