Presidential Candidate Professor Abdul-Sattar SIRAT Expresses his Views on the Political Situation in Afghanistan

Independent presidential candidate Abdol Sattar Sirat speaks on
Afghanistan's National TV about his intentions and his reasons for standing as
a presidential candidate.

Former justice minister, an independent candidate, Abdol Sattar
Sirat began with a few words of prayer in Arabic and then said that
he had decided to put himself forward as a candidate because he
wanted to serve his war-torn country. He said his aim was not to get
the reins of power, but to create an open political environment where
the Afghan nation will have the free to determine its leader.
Abdossattar said that over the past half a century, particularly over
the past three decades, most political decisions relating to the
faith of the Afghan people have been taken without involving Afghans.

In respect of Afghanistan's diplomatic relations with the West,
particularly with the USA, over the history of diplomatic relations,
he said the USA had not recognized Afghanistan's independence for
over 10 years after Afghanistan had become independent. He said the
West and the USA always judged the issues of Afghanistan in the light
of explanations of the Afghan situation provided by people other then
Afghans themselves. He said "Always non-Afghan representatives would
explain our issues in America..."

Abdossattar Sirat said that our relations with the USA would always
be influenced and affected by our neighbours' varying relations with
the USA. For instance he said, "During the Shah's regime, Iran's
relations with the USA were completely different and much better than
Afghanistan's relations with America. After the royal regime in Iran,
our other neighbour and brother country, the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan, replaced Iran in having better relations with America..."

He said that, whenever a situation relating to Afghanistan came up in
the West, particularly in the USA, that situation would first be
introduced and explained by one of our neighbours, not by the Afghans
themselves. The opinions of Afghans would be given second priority.

Abdossattar Sirat said, "Afghanistan became a priority for the West
and the USA on only two occasions. First, when the Russian Red Army
attacked Afghan territory and international communism destroyed the
independence of Afghanistan. Then Afghanistan's situation attracted
the attention of the world and the Afghan situation became an
international issue. Then our situation became the first priority for
America..."

He said that the second time when Afghanistan became a priority for
the world and the USA was the events of 11 September. He said the
latter events took place 10 years after the collapse of communism and
the expulsion of the Red Army from Afghanistan and during that 10
years, all the countries that had assisted Afghanistan in the jihad
turned their backs.

I had told our American friends several times in 1990 to adopt a
specific policy towards Afghanistan to bring about a national
political system in Afghanistan.

He said, "I asked an American friend about it in the early 1990s. I
asked him, do you have a specific policy regarding Afghanistan. He
thought for a while and said, 'If you find out, let me know." He
said, 'The Cold War is over. We have no more interest in
Afghanistan.' This was his answer. I told him, if you don't have any
interest in Afghanistan, your enemies will take an interest in
Afghanistan. And in that case, Afghanistan will be the best place for
your enemies to arrange and organize their anti-American activities."

Abdol Sattar Sirat said that political military decisions, if made in
a hasty way can become mixed up and lead to disaster. He said the
situation after 11 September justifies quick decisions and reactions
by the Americans to chase their enemies, but there were neither
qualified elements and centres nor was the situation favourable to
implementing political policies in Afghanistan in coordination with
military operations.