Hamid Karzai Loya Jirga 2011 speech - Pashto

[Admin Khan]

Loya Jirga 2011 - Day 1 - President Hamid Karzai's Speech - YouTube

Scroll to the 32minute mark.

[BarakzaiAbdali]

Loya Jirga 2011 - Day 1 - President Hamid Karzai's Speech - YouTube

Scroll to the 32minute mark.

I cannot view it from the hospital... what does he say? Is is the typical Hameeed talk (i.e. pertending to be independent and brave when we know he doesnt call the shots?)

[Admin Khan]

He pretty much claims Afghans are lions, and how this strategic pact is of our strategic interest. He also goes on to state that there will be conditions of this pact, and it will benefit us because as lions, they know we don't take nonsense from others. He also goes on and says we know the US has their own interest in this as well, however, this will somehow benefit us as well since our armed forces, etc will be trained. The audience was surprisingly clapping, hmm. He was hinting at the following:
Without this strategic pact, foreign nations such as Pakistan and Iran will continue to meddle in our affairs.With this pact, we will how some leverage.

[randolph85]

i have never heard of a lion asking someone else to protect them from other lions.

[Admin Khan]

i have never heard of a lion asking someone else to protect them from other lions.

I really want to know what's in this 'pact'. Any intelligence Randolph, that you might want to share?

[randolph85]

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[emkhan]

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That skull is full F.R.A.U.D

[thetruth]

this was the most ridiculous speech I ever heard. He can sign a tissue paper pact with US.

There are regional nations who will not yield to the objective and their interests. He underestimates too much, and it has only continued to cost him. Regional countries will only be more emboldened.

All he has done is unite Afghans further against him.

In Pakistan you have Zardari conspiring with the US to "remove" Kayani, and then allowing the US in return to have a unilateral operation in Waziristan.

Then, next door you have another Karzai insulting the Loya Jirga.

[BarakzaiAbdali]

I really want to know what's in this 'pact'. Any intelligence Randolph, that you might want to share?

Basically, Admin Khan its no different than the Al Sauds or the Kiyanis or the other countless client leaders of the US... dependency and lack of internal innovation. Pakistan next door to Pakistan. Mr. Karzai said it best himself in Istanbul: "Pakistan is our twin brother." An ominous choice of words that he is bringing to fruition.

[thetruth]

Barakzai,

It is more complex than it appears. As much as Pakistan has been a slave to the US, there is one sticking point of contention. Kayani will not do an operation in Waziristan obviously for his own interests. This is why Karzai and the US is continuously lashing out for an operation, and believing that that is the way forward to success - to reverse a Afghanistan defeat.

What Zardari and some others in Pakistan who are more pro-US wanted to do was have a full scale occupation and war in Waziristan. The objective of this would be to have Afghans, specifically Pashtuns, attacked from both sides. Kayani is aware that this will result in a sever backlash which would have been worse than the current state.

He would do this in return for the US "removing" Kayani from power. It is anyones guess what removing is.

All this is related. The threats that Obama and Clinton made of a unilateral operation which came with the "mass" buildup of troops.

Karzai is a man that only fights for his own personal wealth, and nothing else.

Obviously, Pakistan has their own interest, and the US wants them to act against their own interests. Under Musharraf that is what was happening.

[thetruth]

So the hypothetical order of events would have gone like this

1) remove Kayani and Shuja
2) have way way more compliant officials in charge
3) have an all out war and occupation of Waziristan and other parts
4) US would act in conjunction
5) US would "win" the war.
6) US gets to occupy Afghanistan and have permanent bases Hamid Karzai is requesting here in this video. There can really be no bases in "Chaosistan" as McChrystal has pointed out.

Mind you, this is escaping the fact that unrest exists in all parts of Afghanistan, but this is how they think it would have unraveled.

[thetruth]

On the contrary, Karzai has done the opposition the biggest favor by openly declaring his war on Afghanistan.

[JAMALUDEEN]

Afghan President Hamed Karzai has said Afghanistan and its future stability could benefit greatly from a strategic agreement with the USA if they respect the independence of Afghanistan and accept preconditions for the presence of US forces. He said Afghanistan had to be seen as a lion in its relations with the USA, which is a larger and much more powerful country, and had to be the master of its own land. In his speech at the inauguration ceremony of the four-day-long traditional Loya Jerga, or grand assembly, in Kabul, Karzai urged participants to discuss and recommend to the government guidelines on how to negotiate the strategic partnership with the USA and other countries and how to move forward with the peace and reconciliation process with the Taleban. The following is the text of Karzai's speech, aired live on state-owned National Afghanistan TV on 16 November; subheadings inserted editorially:

[Karzai in Pashto] In the name of all, the most merciful and the most compassionate; praise be to Allah and Allah's Prophet. Greetings to the esteemed members of Afghanistan's Traditional Loya Jerga and May Allah bless you. It is a matter of pride and happiness that I find myself among elders, religious scholars, my brothers, sisters, representatives of all the people of Afghanistan and members of the upper and lower houses of parliament on this important occasion. I would like to also thank our elder and leader Ustad Hazart Sahib [Sebghatollah Mojadeddi] and the commission for forming this jerga at short notice. Let me also thank Modaber Sahib [name untraced] head of affairs [of the president's office] and their friends for making such a good hall in seven or eight months with very little expenses. I am happy that we have the potential and capacity.

Remembering Rabbani and other martyrs

Dear participants and members of the Jerga, today we are gathering here while we feel the absence of those close to us, elders, religious scholars, sons, daughters. Once again, we would like to recall the memories of the martyrs of Afghanistan. In particular we feel the absence of our great jihadi leader, the former president and the chief of the peace council, the martyred Ustad, Ustad Borhanoddin Rabbani who received the title of "the martyr of peace in Afghanistan". That is very true. I witnessed his efforts and struggle to bring peace and he was martyred for this wish. He is not among us today and his seat is empty. However, we are happy that his son is here among us. Salahuddin Khan Rabbani is a talented, educated, experienced and intelligent young man. I would like to ask him to follow the path of his martyred father. I hope he fills the empty place of his martyred father with the help of all of you. For the clean blood of the martyrs, May Allah makes the wishes of ! our people come true; the wishes include peace, stability and development in our country.

Reasons for Jerga

[Karzai continues in Dari] Dear members of the Jerga, as we all know the history of Jergas goes back hundreds of years and we have inherited Jergas from one generation to another generation until now. Several books were written with regard to the importance of Jergas and histories of Jergas in Afghanistan. When I was young, I read a book about Jergas in Afghanistan and found it very interesting. The book was written by Mohammad Alam Khan Faizad, who at that time was representing parliament from Takhar Province. He was from Chah Ab District of Takhar and was MP during the kingdom of Ala Hazrat [Mohammad Zahir Shah]. The book is entitled "Jerga Ha". It is an interesting book and I read it. Those who are interested can read it.

Today's Jerga, the Jerga of our elders and people's representatives, our brothers and sisters is about two issues. Both of the issues are vital and important for the future of our nation and country. The first one is about Afghanistan after 2014 when Afghanistan will take over the entire responsibility for the security of its nation by its youth and security bodies of the country. The process started seven months ago when Afghan security bodies took over security responsibilities for several provinces of the country and its second phase [security transition] will start in other provinces and districts of Afghanistan in the near future. In three years, after 2014, Afghanistan should find the way forward, the way forward towards peace, security and development. Therefore, we are in contact with different countries, including the USA, which is considered the biggest country. We are in the process of discussing a strategic agreement between Afghanistan and America in which we! have our demands and America also has its demands. We are also discussing strategic cooperation with Britain, France, the EU and Australia. Fortunately, they have come up with the requests for having strategic partnerships.

As you may remember, one or one and a half months ago, during my visit to India, we signed a strategic partnership agreement with India. The second issue is about the peace process in Afghanistan. In particular, changes in the process following the martyrdom of our dear Ustad [Borhanoddin Rabbani] which offended our people and resulted in a suspension of the peace talks. At the same time, we should not ignore the fact that we need peace and security to have a good life for our people. We speak about this issue. The world media as well as the domestic media came with different interpretations about the reasons for calling this Jerga which are totally incorrect. The current consultative Jerga of the people of Afghanistan is mainly about the future relations and strategic relations of our country with the big countries, in particular America and our peace process. Therefore, there is no any other issue and I hope apart from the mentioned two issues no any other issue is disc! ussed in this Jerga; in order to make an analysis among ourselves about where we have come from and where we have reached and what is the way forward. We have to further elaborate from where we have come, what challenges we have passed, where we stand and what is the way forward and what is our final destination. We have come to take a look back at our past, see the current situation and think about our future, consulate with each other and decide.

Achievements made

His Excellency Hazrat Sahib [Sebghatollah Mojadeddi], dear members of the Jerga, elders, brothers and sisters, our past 10-year journey was a fruitful and blessed journey. Afghanistan was an isolated, poor and backward country but now millions of Afghan sons and daughters go to school, thousands of students go to university. Thousands of Afghan students study outside the country. There have been a lot of improvements in education and health affairs, not tenfold but hundredfold better than before. There has been an increase in our national wealth, our money. During my short trip from the palace to here by helicopter, I noticed that the view of Kabul has greatly changed. Similar changes can be seen in other cities of Afghanistan. There have been good improvements to roads, water and electricity. The savings of Afghanistan were 180m dollars in 2002 and it has increased to six billion dollars in the current year. Our saving is six thousand million dollars and this includes ca! sh and gold and most of which is in dollars and euro. Relations between Afghanistan and other countries have greatly improved. There was no embassy of foreign countries in Afghanistan. During the Taleban time there were only three embassies of foreign countries in Afghanistan. Today, more than 60 countries have embassies and their representatives and other agencies in Afghanistan. The flag of Afghanistan is hoisted all over the world, all over the world [Applause]. Countries of the world visit Afghanistan every day and expand their political relations with Afghanistan. There is no conference, political gathering in the world in which Afghanistan has no presence. Afghanistan is present in all the international conferences whether it is in the heart of the Indian Ocean, Afghanistan, America, Europe or Asia. More importantly, for the people of Afghanistan is the fact that Afghanistan has once again become the homeland for each Afghan. Each Afghan with any thought and any inter! est is respected and has a place in this country. They are sitting in the parliament. The mojahedin are sitting in the parliament and beside them our brothers and sisters from Khalq and Parcham [former communist parties] are also sitting beside them. We did not tell them not to come. Our dear religious scholars are sitting beside our intellectual people wearing suits and ties. Both our sisters and brothers are sitting. There is no one in Afghanistan to tell others that he or she is valued more and others [Applauses]. Selfishness and monocracy has ended in this country. We all with total unity feel we are the owner of this land. This is our biggest achievement. Despite the fact that you bombarded us with criticisms, we still called the Taleban our brothers and asked them to come and join us. Some of them came and live in peace in Kabul, Mazar, Kandahar and other places. The government protects their houses. In interviews on TVs, they [referring to former Taleban] criticize us, condemn us. It shows freedom of speech in our country. You might hav! e heard Mullah Zaif [former Taleban ambassador to Pakistan] who criticizes us on TVs. He is sitting in Kabul peacefully and makes his trips freely and meets any foreigners that wish to visit him. We are powerful and we have the magnetism. The government opponents inside the country are very welcome and they have the freedom to express their views and carry out their political activities. I spoke only about a few limited achievements in our country, we have several achievements.

What we still have to achieve

However, our dear brothers and sisters, we also have problems. We have very serious problems. We are not out of the darkness yet. We are not out of danger yet. We are not on the right track yet and on the paved road yet. We are still walking in a field of thorn and rocks. We have not yet reached our most important wish which is security. We have reached stability but we have not reached complete security, security for each citizen of this country. The war against terrorism has not succeeded the way the people of Afghanistan wished. The international community could not succeed in what they came for and they could not fulfil the demands of Afghans. To some extent they could help the people of Afghanistan but not in all the aspects. They [international community] played an important role in our success and achievements and we thank them, where are they sitting? [Karzai asking himself and then pointing his figure to a group of foreign officials sitting in an upper corner of ! the hall]. We thank the international community for their efforts and their important role in our success. We thank all of them from America, to Europe, Japan, Asia, our neighbours, the Islamic world and our friend Arab countries. We thank all of them for their donation from one penny to billions of dollars. Each of them has helped this country to the possible extent [applause]. They have played a significant role in some of our achievements.

But we did not get to favourable security for the people of Afghanistan so that our alleys, bazaars, children and houses would be safe. The war on terror has not succeeded the way it should have. Afghanistan has made a great sacrifice and is making it currently. Afghanistan believes that the war on terror is not in the houses and villages of the people of Afghanistan. It is in the nests of terrorism which need to be reformed. Administrative corruption has created an uproar in our country. The people are still harassed by the government. The Afghan nation has got rid of the general harassment where they could not sleep safely at home at night and everyone could knock on their door, bother them, usurp their property, abduct their sons and harass their daughters, but the houses of the people of Afghanistan are still unsafe. Both the Afghan government forces and the foreigners can knock on the door of the people any time and harass their children. These are our problems. Ther! efore, with the problems we have, and the achievements we have made, how can we manage and determine our future by our own hands. What are the elements and requirements which can take Afghanistan to its favourable destination? There are two important elements here. One is our own national and domestic element and the second one is the foreign and external element.

Relations with USA, neighbours

In terms of the foreign elements, dear brothers and sisters, Afghanistan has never acted as transparently and clearly in its relations with our friends in the region, our neighbours and the outside world as it has in the past 10 years. Iran and the USA are each others' opponents, unfortunately. I am sorry about it. But Afghanistan has maintained its relations with America that is present on our land with its soldiers and has told it clearly that Iran is our brother; we have the same religion and language and it is our neighbour. We will maintain our relations with Iran independently and in favour of Afghanistan and our brothers and sisters in Iran by any means; and we done so by any means so far. Both of them [Iran and the USA] showed rationality, but Iran showed more rationality and realized that we have some needs and we came to an understanding. We have maintained the best relationship independently with Pakistan and we made great efforts to improve our relations and s! olve the tensions and misunderstandings between us so we would get to peace. And the only way [for peace] is that one [through Pakistan]. We established relations with China and Russia. We established great relations with India. We established our relations with our brothers Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. These were actions taken by the Afghans themselves. We established the best relationship with Turkey, Afghanistan's dear and old friend. We established good relations with Saudi Arabia and the guardian of the two mosques [King of Saudi], who is a well wisher of Afghanistan and has always advised us as a father. We also established relations with the Islamic countries and the Arab world. Afghanistan has acted independently in this regard. It is natural that our relations were established and improved with the west and the countries which have come through America and other western countries. Inside our country, national unity in Afghanistan is the most important e! lement for stability and achieving our goals.

Afghanistan wants guarantees over pact with USA

But for a moment, let us return to the question of why we fell on the ground and were devastated. Why did our people flee their country? Why was peace not ensured? Why was security not ensured? Why was our country trampled by anybody from outside Afghanistan? The jihad of the people of Afghanistan was the rightful jihad of our people. From America to west, the Islamic countries and our neighbours came in support of our mojahedin and Iran and Pakistan in particular, provided us with homes and houses which we will never forget. They shared their food and water with us which we will never forget. We are thankful and do not forget anyone's favours. Our history is witness that we are a zealous nation and respond favours with favours. They have favoured us. But the benefit of the jihad of Afghanistan reached the whole world and unlike the world, we, the people of Afghanistan, were made helpless and desperate. Why, because the USA's great opponent, which was the Soviet Union, wa! s defeated and gone. It remained alone in the world. It [the USA] is riding its horse and there is no one to confront it. Our neighbours and Muslim brothers in the Central Asia were freed. Germany is a dear friend to Afghanistan and we are happy that luckily the German tribe united again and became one nation again after their merger. It was because of the jihad in Afghanistan. Pakistan became the owner of nuclear bomb and development. The USA and its intelligence came and armed Pakistan as much as they could. They gave Pakistan all kind of equipment and reinforced the country by providing it with industry and capacity. All the places were built, but Afghanistan was trampled. On the day we came to Kabul as the mojahedin, America, the west and other countries closed their embassies here and left. Their interest was no more here, but the ones, which had negative interests here, continued their stay and destroyed us. We did not think strategically either. Our house was destroy! ed, our people were martyred and we were made helpless. Then the Taleban came and made it worse. Our marginalization was worsened. Our education was closed and our history was attacked. After 11 September 2001, the west came back to Afghanistan, because their interests were endangered. They say this time that they had made a mistake and will not repeat it again. Alright, let us see whether they will repeat it or not. They say that they will not repeat the mistake they had made. They say that they have come here and assisted us. They have assisted us and we are thankful for that. They say that they will not go back, because if they leave, the same calamity will return on us. Okay, we are also convinced about that. Therefore, if you do not go back and want to stay here, what is going to be deal between us? This is the main point. Will Afghanistan move towards more stability, reconstruction, better welfare and absolute national jurisdiction or will it be a bare subsistence after a deal is made between you and us or the west and Afghanistan and th! e USA and its allies and Afghanistan? We are not convinced with a bare subsistence. Like other nations of the world, we have the right to have an honoured and respectable life with national jurisdiction and welfare. I briefly reviewed the reasons why we were destroyed.

[Karzai continues in Pashto] Now, let us see what we have ahead of us. We repeated the lessons of the past and reviewed them in our mind. We explained the current situation. We explained both the achievements and successes.

[Karzai in Dari] Brothers and sisters, if you do not understand some part of my speech either in Dari or Pashto, raise your hand so I will repeat it for you. Did you understand? Where did we get?

Security transition and future stability

[Karzai in Pashto] Where did we get to? Despite the successes and problems we have today, the transition of responsibility to the Afghan forces will be completed in 2014 and the foreign forces will leave; and it is good for them to go, because it is in our favour. Soldiers of the foreigners will go from Afghanistan. The military forces of America, Germany, the UK, and France, the UAE and the remaining 45 or 48 countries will go from Afghanistan in 2014 which means three years later. We will remain here in our own country. A determining issue is before us here now. The question is will Afghanistan be stable after they leave. Will Afghanistan still receive assistance from them? Will Afghanistan still receive help from them; or will they forget us once again after they leave and will Afghanistan remain deserted for foreign interference in some other form this time and will we be trampled? Do you pay attention to what I am saying? It is a very important point. What are we goi! ng to do after 2014? Can we protect the country on our own? Yes, we can do that with no doubt. Can we defend our country on our own? We can do that with no doubt. How can we do that? We can do it with national unity. After 2014, we are responsible for providing our future generations with good lives. We should ensure peace. What are the tools we can use to do so? We will do it with our own hands. Do we need assistance from others? Yes, absolutely. But the question is what should be the conditions for this assistance so that we will not be trampled again. I will tell you clearly. While we are thankful of the assistance of the neighbours, their improper interference destroyed us and destroyed them. What should we do to get rid of this interference and get free and build our country with our own hands?

In my mind and thoughts, what I consider the national interests of Afghanistan are the following. What I consider as the stability of Afghanistan in the future and consider as the success of our children and stability and security of the country are dependent on the following issues which I am going to tell you about. They are for our future to be safe after 2014. First of all, Afghanistan should make efforts to increase its capacities by any means. It should educate thousands of its youth. We have started the process. It should train engineers, doctors, teachers, diplomats, soldiers, policemen, nurses, computer operators, gardeners, agriculturalists, and specialists in other areas of life. It should pay substantial attention to high education. The cornerstone and the base for Afghanistan is to build the country with its own hands and its own citizens and youth and educate them in a way that our future will be safe. Besides, we should have such relations with the world wh! ich will guarantee our general stability not just individual and domestic stability. The relations should guarantee our general stability in the region and the world, because this stability has been faced with dangers once.

For this purpose, we are prepared and happy to sign strategic agreements with the UK, France, the EU and NATO and with the USA. However, the deal with the USA is different, because it is a bit stronger than the others. We will try to protect ourselves from it. The difference is that if the USA remains in Afghanistan and signs a strategic relationship with us, despite our extensive benefits in it, we need to organize it a little bit since it is powerful. The USA will stay here powerfully. In order to make it clear to you, they will use our military facilities. They do not stay here just like that or for our sake. They have their own interests. Brothers and sisters, no one will stay here just for our sake. Now that they want to have relations with us and stay here is not just because of us. They have their own interests in it and it is a logical matter. Every human being and community has its benefits. They have their interests and we have ours. It is our effort to seek our! benefits in their benefits. When there is a difference between our interests and theirs, we should be able to tell them: that is enough; we cannot come along any further. Anyhow, the USA wants facilities from us to live in. And this is an important matter. It has impacts on us, the neighbours and the region. But we can use the facilities, in which America stays, greatly in the favour of Afghanistan. Here, Afghanistan's benefit is very important. I will come to what the benefits are later. Therefore, if we consider these facilities to be in our favour and we do consider it favourable, we also have some conditions for them. Our conditions are that America and NATO should end house searches in Afghanistan. We do not accept it. We do not accept night operations on our houses. We do not accept it at all. We do not want parallel administrations of the foreigners beside our administration. Afghanistan should deal with its own government.

Afghanistan is "lion" in dealings with USA

[Karzai continues in Dari] We do not want all the activities created by the parallel administrations in Afghanistan. We want our national jurisdiction to be specified by any means and we want it from today onward. The relation between us and America should be the relation between two absolutely independent countries. Yes, America is wealthy and powerful and its population is more than ours and its area is bigger than ours, but we are the lion. No matter how old, weak and haggard a lion is, it is still a lion. All the animals escape and run from even an ill lion in the jungle. We are the lion. America should deal with us in the name of the lions and we do not accept anything else. Therefore, we are prepared for a strategic agreement between the Lion and the USA. Lions do not like it when strangers enter their house. Lions do not like it when others take away their children at night. The lions do not let them do so. The lion does not want parallel administrations to be arou! nd him. A lion is a king and the king rules his own land, but he does not have anything to do with the jungle of the rest of the people. In our land, it should be specified that Afghanistan is a lion. In that case, we are ready to sign a strategic treaty with America and provide it with military facilities as it wants, but Afghanistan, its vision and interest must be clear and specified. What are they? I told you about the domestic part that they should not interfere in our affairs inside our houses. We should deal with our religion, tradition, customs, weddings, happiness and grievances, and all other relations ourselves. It is none of their business. They should do their own work wherever they are.

And another important base of the interests of Afghanistan, which is external, is that it should have good relations with its neighbours. While we sign an agreement with the USA and have friendship with it, we have friendship with China and will continue it; we are friends with Russia and will continue our friendship while Iran and Pakistan are our neighbours and close friends and we will continue with them by any means. And we assure the neighbouring countries that we will not allow anyone to take action against them from the Afghan land. These are the conditions of Afghanistan. I am not sure if I can make it clear enough, but I have more clarification if you want, but with these conditions, Afghanistan is prepared to sign a strategic agreement with the USA, because it is in favour of us. They will provide us with money, train our soldiers and police and ensure general stability of the lion house. The lion is not so free to run here and there every day. They should do th! at. The lion is not free. They should protect the four sides [borders]. They should not touch the house of the lion, but they should protect or guard the surroundings of the jungle. They will train our police and their assistance will be in favour of Afghanistan. No matter if it [the strategic agreement] is with the west, with the USA or other countries. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, we are prepared for the strategic deal with the USA with clear and bright minds and clear and bright demands today while considering the national interests of Afghanistan which I explained in few words. We are also prepared for a strategic deal with other countries and we consider it to be in favour of Afghanistan.

Despite all the resentments we have in our hearts, we should not let our resentment today endanger the interests of our tomorrow. The life of today's children should be better than our life, because ours was calamitous. Was it not so? It was a calamitous life. Our children should live a better life. Our children should live a peaceful life. Our children should serve this land in their own country, environment, house, school with their education and their own hands. For the future we have in our mind, we need relations with the world and such relations are legitimate. Our relations with Iran and other neighbours should be the best of such relations and our relations with the west and America should be the best of such relations. We have maintained the relations with the help of God so far. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, my vision about strategic treaties with the world was what I explained. We want them, but based on our conditions: our national jurisdiction, end of! going to our houses, end of detaining people in Afghanistan. They are not authorized to detain the Afghan people. Who are they? And they do not have the right to have prisons in Afghanistan. It is our land and our minister of interior and minister of justice know how to deal with prisons. They want military facilities and we will provide them with this. It is beneficial for us, because money and service will come and our soldiers will be trained. We are prepared for it [strategic relations] with these clarities.

Peace process

[Karzai continues in Pashto] Now, we come to the peace process. The esteemed teacher was martyred. He was martyred on the path of peace. The one, who came for us in the name of peace, was a suicide attacker. The Ustad [Borhanoddin Rabbani] went and met with the suicide attacker hoping for peace. Think about it. The Ustad met with the suicide attacker hoping for peace. The cruel attacker martyred the old man of the country, religious scholar and mojahed who was there to make peace with him, but the man came and exploded. It greatly damaged us. He killed one of our great personalities and damaged the confidence and hope we had for the peace process. However, our hope and the need of the nation for peace are still in place. They are not lost. The Afghans want peace with no doubt. They want it all around Afghanistan. The question of how to move on with peace and with who; either with the Taleban or our brother and neighbouring country, Pakistan; is something which you, the re! presentatives of the people of Afghanistan, can recommend and advise about. In fact, it is your authority. You should advise and recommend to the Afghan government and its leaders that the peace process should be moved on in this manner in your opinion. Reconsider the process and think how we should continue. We will take action in accordance with your recommendations and demands in this regard. And until you give your recommendations in this regard after three, four days, the hope and efforts of Afghanistan will continue.

We are negotiating with our neighbours and the international community and will continue the efforts. However, Turkey has assisted us a lot in this regard. And we should thank them. Saudi Arabia and the guardian of the two mosques have helped us a lot in this regard and we need to thank him. We want their involvement and support in our peace process. The foreign assistance provided for Afghanistan is best to be done through these two countries and the USA and other countries which are making peace efforts with us. I hope they will assist us transparently and clearly so that the people of Afghanistan will see their assistance. However, the base of these efforts is our own national effort and our national efforts are in process with our neighbours with the cooperation of our friends. Elders, esteemed scholars, dignitaries, tribal elders, brothers, sisters and youths, I think I have talked enough. I clearly shared my understanding of the national interests with you as much a! s I could. Now, it is you and your opinion for Afghanistan in the light of the national interests so that we will take the necessary actions with the world in the light of your recommendations to achieve the mentioned results. Some of our MPs in the National Assembly have complained that they should confirm whatever we do. It is natural that after the lawful processes are complete, the National Assembly will either accept or reject the activities and it is their authority in the constitution. However, we and you, the Afghan nation, are sitting here today for consultation to get your recommendations and determine our policy and talk with the world in accordance with what you decide is the national interests. I once again repeat that we are prepared for strategic partnerships and strategic cooperation with the USA and the rest of the world if our national jurisdiction is respected and if the independence of our country is protected. If these two demands are accepted, we are r! eady for it and we consider it in favour of Afghanistan and the future stability, welfare and prosperity of Afghanistan. I thank you all. May God reward you! If I have forgotten to mention anything, because there are several things in one's heart to share, I will sit with you once your meetings are over and talk to you about other matters. There are many things to talk about. What should the future army of Afghanistan be like? This is an issue. How should the future administration of Afghanistan be? This is also an issue. What kind of an army will we have? Will we have a strong army with aircraft, air forces, etc? What kind of an army will we have. These are all the issues which we work on in the government on a daily basis. On the last day [of the jerga], we will consult you on these issues and I will take action in accordance with your recommendations. I am grateful.

[Karzai continues in Dari] You are most welcome. I wish you success. Your consultation is the consultation of the Afghan nation. You can represent the people of Afghanistan in such issues better than we can. We will take your recommendations and act as you have ordered. You are very welcome. God bless.

Source: National Afghanistan TV, Kabul, in Dari and Pashto 0612 gmt 16 Nov 11

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[JAMALUDEEN]

The chairman of the traditional Loya Jerga and an ex-president of Afghanistan, Sebghatollah Mojaddedi, has blamed Pakistan for the current violence and conflict in Afghanistan. He also said that Afghanistan needs to sign a long-term strategic agreement with the USA and other major powers because of Pakistan's support for violence and terror in Afghanistan. The following are excerpts of the remarks made by Mojaddedi, aired live by state-owned National Afghanistan TV on 16 November:

[Sebghatollah Mojaddedi speaking in Dari] Dear audiences, brothers and sisters, H. E. the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Islamic scholars, esteemed cabinet members, H. E. the Supreme Court justice, the commanders of the sacred Islamic jihad, respectful guests, esteemed members of the Traditional Loya Jerga, members of diplomatic core, Assalamo Alaikum Wa Rahmatollah-e Wa Barakatoho [hello peace be upon you].

The strategic agreement with the USA government is the need the current situation of Afghanistan requires. Foreign interference, particularly by some of our neighbours, has forced us to sign the strategic agreement with the government of the United States.

Before discussing this issue, I request all the esteemed members of the traditional Loya Jerga that we should make our hearts and our intentions clean and have in our minds that the reason for our gathering today is aimed at winning the happiness of almighty Allah. We are here to present our opinions in order to serve our country. We should provide consultations in the interest of this country and this innocent nation. I personally request all of you to first of all clean your hearts and later on go ahead with this jerga and gathering and pray to Allah that Allah may brings results to this jerga in the benefit and prosperity of the people of Afghanistan, as well as in the interest of Islamic countries and the entire world. [Reading some Arabic words]. I do not think God will accept what we are doing unless we clean our hearts. I know that there are youths, elders, tribal elders, scholars etc. present in this gathering. Everyone is supposed to clean their hearts and pray t! o god to protect this war-ravaged country and protect us from going in the wrong direction.

Now I would like to tell you whether the strategic agreement should or should not be signed with the United States of America. I would also like to tell you that this is an undeniable necessity. The current situation of our Afghanistan and interference of some foreign countries, particularly some of our neighbours, forced us to see that the Afghan nation should have material power along with them. [People clapping]. We have no weapons. But the enemy which is equipped with modern weapons kills and eliminates us on a daily basis. How long should this situation continue? Several times in my speeches, I have told the foreign troops, the Americans and others that if you cannot bring security to our country, give us weapons and we will bring security to Afghanistan on our own. During the Soviet Union invasion, no one supported us. However, we had weapons; therefore, we managed to defeat a superpower like the former Soviet Union. The situation is the same today as well. Today, w! hen we are in trouble, the foreign interference continues in our domestic affairs. Everyone knows that our children, women, men and elders die due to foreign interference. Everyone knows that all the terrorists come from outside, from abroad and from Pakistani soil. All of us know this. [People clapping]. I had told the world, even Pakistan itself 10 or 12 years ago that this policy of yours is wrong. I had told them that this [policy] would badly affect not only Afghanistan but Pakistan and the entire world as well. Nancy Pelosi, the head of the US Congress, paid a visit to Afghanistan three years back. I told her that I had some predications and all of them have come true. Now I have a prediction that if you do not control the Pakistani ISI, terrorism will threaten the entire world in a few months or a year. [People clapping] Only two months had passed when Pakistan itself became the victim of terrorism. Today Pakistan's situation is worse than ours. We are not complainin! g about the people and the government of Pakistan. We are complaining about the Pakistani ISI which is inside the government of Pakistan and has shaken the whole world. Signing strategic agreements is not something new. Many countries have signed similar agreements, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, etc. There are around thirty or forty countries which have signed strategic agreements with the USA. The same as H. E. the president said, we will sign this agreement only after having consultations with you. Another issue is regarding the inmates and some others which will be given in a briefing to you by Mr Spanta. This is a consultative jerga. The government does not want to sign the strategic agreement without your consultation. This is your right to be involved in making the destiny of your country and to vote for your own fate. I would like to tell you that I really became surprised that our Pakistani brothers, meaning the ISI, have an obvious hostility with us and are killing our children, youths and elders. If they think that they will m! ake our nation their slave or make the Afghan government their puppet government, this is completely impossible. [People clapping].

We are very concerned that a number of unfair people have called us bad names regarding the strategic treaty with the USA and they have said that we were traitors. These people were children when we fought deviation and infidelity. Thanks to God, we have passed our tests. More than 180 of my family members were martyred in this way. Which family has sustained such a loss? During the British [occupiers], my father and ancestors, Hazrat Fazl Mohammad, Amanollah Khan entitled him leader of Shaiekhol Mashaiekh, after Afghanistan gained its independence, and entitled his brother Nurol Mashaiekh, in fact we rose against the British emperor. Our family was leading the mojahedin. This miserable man declared jihad against the Soviet Union. The Afghan nation said yes [to my call] and we brought the Soviet Union to its knees in cooperation with friends and the world that helped us and we devoted ourselves to this. Some 2 or 2.5m [Afghan] people were martyred and some 1 to 1.5m peopl! e were disabled who lost their legs and hands. They ignored all this and called us traitors? It is a great matter of concern. It is oppression, indeed.

Consultation and to give consultation is an Islamic principle. There were no councils in the world, God descends his verses in the name of council to Muslims and Islam and ordains His prophet that [reciting a verse of the Holy Koran]

[Passage omitted: Mojadedi further analyzes establishment of councils in view of Islam, focusing on history of jergas and councils in Afghanistan.]

In our Afghanistan, there is a traditional council that we have inherited from our ancestors. It was a council that solved problems of Afghanistan in a very important situation. Afghans were brave. Our ancestors were brave and courageous and defended their rights, rights of Islam and their brothers and sisters. Thus, we are descendants of them. It is in fact improper to accuse us of being traitors. God may guide you. [reciting a verse of the Holy Koran].

Dear brothers and sisters!

I am welcoming you that you joined the traditional and respected jerga. I hope you give good consultations that guide the government and us as to what decisions we accept and how to go ahead with negotiations [talks about strategic pact]. I am sure that the government will not do something unless you give consultation. You can give your consultations freely. I hope to take action in which Afghanistan sees blessings. We hope you will brothers and sisters. I am calling on all of you to pray to God to help us succeed. Of course, there are many things left that have not been improved yet. To say it honestly, many things have been done in Afghanistan, the work done is not tangible because it [Afghanistan] was ruined completely and started from zero. Look at this hall. It is a good hall that they built in some months. The commission organizing the jerga, we made all of our efforts, and the administrative office of the commission organizing the jerga worked hard. They are laudab! le. We demand the president to provide them with good appreciation letters as they organized and built such a hall. God may help us succeed. God may forgive us. God guide the enemies of Afghanistan and if He does not guide them, He may punish them. [Mojadeddi praying along with audience]

Source: National Afghanistan TV, Kabul, in Dari and Pashto 0700 gmt 16 Nov 11

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[thetruth]

His speech is not even worth reading. If he has not understood the simple fact that he will not have any role in Afghanistan. This grandstanding was meant to send the Afghans a message, not Pakistan who he continues to refer to in order to deny the legitimacy of Afghan opposition.

Hehas checkmated himself. May these words be a constant reminder to him of how isolated he is becoming. What more lengths can he surpass, and how dare he insult Islam by invoking the name of Allah(swt) who specifically forbids foreign occupation of Muslim land?

He supports occupation because that is the only way he can be in power, not in Afghanistan, but in Kabul, in power where he continues to siphon money and fill his pockets up.

There are great speeches and there are those more comical. Here, he thinks he has dealt a blow to the region. He alludes only to Pakistan, thinking that he has friends in China, Russia, and Iran who also oppose the US occupation of Afghanistan. This Pakistan story has got quite old.

Through Pakistan under Musharaf he was ferreted into Afghansitan abroad US aircraft directly from Islamabad. The only valid opposition to Pakistan is their continued support for the US which Imran Khan is ending.

Some of you in the West may feel content that you may be able to supplant Afghan aspirations for freedom and self determination.

But, you are then continuing to foolishly misread the situation, and are then blind to the last 10 years.

This does not change anything at all except it has made Karzai's intention to declare his war on Afghanistan very clear.

These fools who are participating in this jirga will be forgotten by Karzai after they serve their public choreographed purpose.

If this man has no control over Afghanistan, what makes him think any Afghan will take this threat seriously? What makes him think that the region will what? come to terms with this?

He needs to come to terms. US was defeated in Vietnam, inked the same deal 2 years (exactly) before their immediate withdrawal. Same happened even with Najib, and looked what happened there?

The only reason this is annoying is that he has insulted Islam and Afghan national tradition. There is no concern about the outcome because this "empire" is already finished. Nothing will change the reality that is transpiring. No continuous vows of "staying the course," and certainly no pacts.