Afghanistan News December 14, 1999

December 14, 1999

U.N. Feeds Thousands in Afghanistan

By KATHY GANNON
Associated Press Writer
Tuesday December 14, 1999

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - A rare moment of cooperation between Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia and the country's opposition allowed the United Nations to feed and clothe as many as 50,000 refugees, a U.N. official said today.

For five days, U.N. trucks traveled along the northern airport road outside Kabul, Afghanistan's war-ravaged capital.

Afghanistan's opposition, which controls about 10 percent of the country, is based north of Kabul. Fighting in the north last summer drove thousands of refugees from their homes, and many are living in desperate conditions in the opposition stronghold Panjshir Valley, where snow blankets the ground and temperatures are below freezing even during the day.

The U.N. convoy crossed the front line slowly. It inched past Taliban soldiers, their guns silent, until it reached the opposition-held area of Gulbahar, 35 miles from Kabul.

There, between 7,000 and 8,000 families received blankets, food supplied by the World Food Program, quilts provided by UNICEF and thousands of warm sweaters, U.N. spokeswoman Stephanie Bunker said. Other aid groups have tried to rebuild war-destroyed houses and have erected some new shelters, she said.

But the refugee situation, both in Taliban and opposition areas, is too difficult for aid groups to handle adequately, Ms. Bunker said.

The U.N. and the International Red Cross estimate that more than two-thirds of Kabul's nearly 1 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid for their survival. The situation has worsened as food prices soared because of a poor harvest, relentless war and a drastic drop in food supplies from neighboring Pakistan.

``The heart of the problem is at the Pakistan border,'' Ms. Bunker said.

Pakistan's new army rulers have tried to stop the vast amount of smuggling between Pakistan and Afghanistan. But closer regulation of traffic through the border has seriously reduced the amount of goods that make the crossing, Pakistani and Afghan officials say.

Pakistan has called on the international community to step up food aid to Afghanistan. But, Ms. Bunker said, ``we just can't feed everybody.''

Dostum, Malik return to fight against Taliban

ISLAMABAD (NNI): Two main Afghan opposition commanders have returned to Afghanistan along with thousands of armed supporters to fight against Taliban, reports said on Monday.

The former chief of Junbash-e-Milli Islami, General Abdul Malik along with some 3000 men has returned to northern Afghan province of Takhar while the former Afghan warlord, General Abdul Rashid Dostum has returned to Balkhab area in Bamiyan province.

General Malik is said to have brought about huge quantity of arms and ammunition as well. The two leaders of the notorious Gilamjam militia returned to Afghanistan following their patch with the Shia groups in northern Afghanistan. Both the leaders are now making hectic efforts to regroup and rally their Uzbek supporters and loyalists. They are also trying to establish their military base and coordinate their efforts with other anti-Taliban groups.

Before their return to Afghanistan, General Malik was residing in the United States and General Dostum in Turkey. The two leaders after their meetings in Iran have agreed to join hands against the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan. The two leaders are preparing to launch a decisive winter offensive against the ruling Taliban.

35pc landmine victims in Afghanistan are children: UN

The News: Jang
By our correspondent
12/14/99

PESHAWAR: A strong call for peace came through during the launch of a programme 'The State of World's Children 2000' on Monday in Jalalabad, capital of the eastern Afghan province of Nangrahar.

A Unicef press release on Monday said over 150 men and boys, with a few international women, listened to an 8-year-old boy Laiq Saeed, who lost one leg and fingers of one hand in a landmine accident three years ago.

He repeatedly said: "We want peace, we want peace, we want peace." Liaq's words were echoed by speakers at the gathering including the UN Regional Coordinating Officer Abu-El Gasim Abu-Diek, who appealed to the government and international communities to bring global conflicts to an end. "Wars have put children and mothers into a deadly destiny of no return," he said.

"The basic needs of food, medicine and clothing have now become scarce for millions of Afghans," he said. Abu-Diek said that 35 per cent of all landmine victims in Afghanistan were children. "Too many women and children are dying of preventable causes. Islam believes that motherhood should be safe, that childhood should be protected, that neo-natal deaths should be stopped. Let us call upon all warring factions everywhere to put an end to war," he said.

Governor Nangarhar province Mullah Abdul Kabir and deputy prime minister of Afghanistan said: "Islam emphasises childcare and also service to others. It specifies the importance of breast-feeding for two years, and child nutrition. Shariah is against those who don't care for their children." He noted that equity for girls and boys is an inherent part of Islam.

"Every single day, 30,500 children die of preventable causes," said Unicef Resident Project Officer in Jalalabad, Anoja Wijeyesekera. She added: "In Afghanistan alone, 85,000 children die of diarrhoea every year. Is this an acceptable situation? We think it is not."

Taleban probe former Communists

BBC News:
Tuesday, 14 December, 1999

By Kate Clark in Kabul The Taleban in Afghanistan have ordered all government ministries and universities to prepare files on staff with alleged links to the former Communist government.

Civil servants said the Taleban have asked for lists of all those who received merit awards under the Communist regime.

Former president Najibullah: The Taleban want Communist supporters They said the Taleban also want the names of anyone who did military service or was educated in a socialist country. At the university of Kabul, dozens of staff are covered by this order.

They include some of the most experienced and best-educated lecturers.

There has been no official word on the purpose of the list, but the fear is that the Taleban wants to dismiss anyone tainted by the communist era.

In 1996, when the Taleban came to power in Kabul, they offered an amnesty to Communist Party members and officials who had served under the old regime.

But a year later, they undertook a massive purge, getting rid of hundreds of civil servants.

Staff at the university feel that anyone who was seriously implicated has already left or been forced out.

They also say they cannot afford to lose more people.

Kabul University used to be a centre of regional excellence, with students coming from the Middle East, India and Pakistan.

But during 20 years of war, most of its educated elite have fled the country and resources have dried up.

One staff member said that anyone who had stayed behind and was willing to work for today's scanty salary couldn't be corrupt.

Other people have noted that the order doesn't cover technical staff.

Former card-carrying members of the Communist Party still hold government jobs as pilots, technicians and engineers, and some ex-Communist military officers are serving in the ranks of the Taleban army.

U.S. Warns Taliban on Bin Laden Plans

By Jonathan Wright
Tuesday December 14, 1999

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has told the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan it will hold them responsible for any attacks on Americans by followers of Saudi-born Islamist Osama bin Laden, officials said on Tuesday.

It delivered the warning on Monday after law enforcement authorities abroad arrested bin Laden followers in connection with a threat to attack Americans around the end of the year, State Department spokesman James Foley said.

A U.S. official, who asked not to be identified, said a Middle Eastern government had arrested about a dozen of bin Laden's followers. He did not say when.

The message to the Taliban was delivered in New York by the U.S. coordinator for counter terrorism, Michael Sheehan, to the Taliban representative there, Abdul Hakeem Mujahid.

``We wanted to make sure they understood that their support in harboring the bin Laden organization was noted here in the United States and any activity ... we would hold them responsible for,'' said White House spokesman Joe Lockhart.

Bin Laden, accused of blowing up the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in August 1998, is living in Afghanistan under Taliban protection.

After the bombings the United States attacked what it said were his bases in Afghanistan with cruise missiles. It has repeatedly demanded the Taliban hand over bin Laden, whom a New York grand jury has indicted for the bombings.

The United Nations imposed sanctions on the Taliban last month because of its refusal to extradite him. These include a ban on flights by the national airline Ariana and a freeze on the foreign assets of the movement.

On Saturday the United States issued a worldwide caution to citizens traveling abroad through the start of the New Year and the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, citing ``credible information that terrorists are planning attacks''.

Foley said: ``Suspects have been arrested in connection with this threat. We believe they are members of Osama bin Laden's terrorist group al-Qaida.''

``Other suspects wanted in connection with planned attacks may belong to bin Laden's network or to other terrorist groups,'' he added.

Foley indicated that the United States made the warning worldwide because it did not know where bin Laden's people were planning to strike.

``We have an obligation to share with the American public information that we have that will bear on their security and you can be certain that if we have that kind of information (on places) that we'll share it,'' he said.

Afghan Taliban to blame for any Bin Laden terrorism:

US WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (AFP) - The United States will hold Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia "responsible" for any future anti-American terrorist attacks organized by alleged terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, the State Department said Tuesday.

Department spokesman James Foley said the message had been transmitted to the Taliban's New York representative, Abdul Hakim Mudjahid, by Michael Sheehan, US special coordinator for fighting anti-American terrorism.

Bin Laden has a base in Afghanistan but the Taliban have refused to extradite him to the United States where he faces charges in connection with the bombing of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania last year in which 220 people died.

Earlier Tuesday a US official announced that a dozen people linked to bin Laden who were planning New Year's attacks against Americans have been arrested in the Middle East in the past two weeks.

The official confirmed that suspects had been arrested and said the detentions were related to a worldwide alert issued this weekend by the State Department warning US citizens about possible terrorist attacks during the holiday season.

Washington warns Taleban over Bin Laden

BBC News
Tuesday, 14 December, 1999

The United States has warned the Taleban authorities in Afghanistan that it will hold them responsible for any attacks on Americans by followers of the Islamic militant, Osama Bin Laden.

The State Department said the warning was delivered to the Taleban's representative in New York Abdul Hakim Mujahid.

Mr Bin Laden has a base in Afghanistan and the Taleban have refused to extradite him to the United States despite the imposition of UN sanctions.

American officials earlier said an un-named Middle Eastern state had arrested about twelve associates of Mr Bin Laden, whom Washington accuses of planning the bombing of its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania last year. On Saturday, the United States warned its citizens around the world to beware of possible attacks by Islamic extremists.

Taliban Dismisses U.S. Warnings

By AMIR SHAH
Associated Press Writer
Tuesday December 14, 1999

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - U.S. warnings that terrorists plan to attack Americans are nothing but propaganda aimed at justifying sanctions against Afghanistan, the ruling Taliban militia said Tuesday.

Last weekend, the U.S. State Department said it had ``credible evidence'' that terrorists may strike at large holiday gatherings. Americans around the world were warned to use caution and keep a low profile.

Arrests of a dozen individuals who allegedly were planning an anti-American terrorist attack to coincide with New Year's celebrations prompted the warning, U.S. officials say. At least some of those detained have links with suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, U.S. officials said late Monday.

Washington believes bin Laden, who has been living in Afghanistan, masterminded last year's bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. His Taliban militia hosts have refused to hand him over to the United States or a third country for trial on charges of terrorism.

In Washington, White House press secretary Joe Lockhart said the head of the counter-terrorism unit at the State Department, Michael Sheehan, met with the Taliban on Monday.

``We just wanted to make sure they understood that their support in harboring the bin Laden organization was noted here in the United States, and that any activity that would move forward, we would hold them responsible for,'' Lockhart said.

But Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil called the U.S. warning ``propaganda.''

``We informed the U.S. then and we say again today that Osama is not doing anything and it is not possible for him to do anything to another country from Afghanistan,'' Muttawakil said in a telephone interview from southern Kandahar, the Taliban's headquarters.

Muttawakil said the warning was a thinly veiled attempt by the United States to justify U.N. sanctions, which were imposed on the Taliban on Nov. 14. The sanctions do not affect food or humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. But they require U.N. member states to freeze the assets of the Taliban and they ban international flights of the national airline, Ariana.

``Our people are hurting because of the sanctions and the United States wants to make an excuse by using Osama,'' he said.

The U.N. imposed the sanctions after the Taliban refused to turn bin Laden over for trial, saying Afghan tradition forbids handing over a guest to his enemy.

The Taliban rule about 90 percent of Afghanistan. They believe in a rigid interpretation of Islam that bans women from working and forces them to wear the all-enveloping burqa.

Taliban Invite Hillary Clinton to See Afghan Women

Tuesday December 14, 1999

KABUL (Reuters) - The ruling Taliban movement Tuesday invited first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to visit Afghanistan and see for herself the condition of women in the war-ravaged country.

``We invite Mrs. Clinton to visit Afghanistan and personally speak to Afghan women about their rights and to acquaint herself with the realities of the Afghan society...,'' the Taliban Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The visit will satisfy Mrs. Clinton that ``women's rights are being respected here more than in the past,'' said the statement in reply to what it called recent criticism of the Taliban's human rights record by President Clinton.

Western governments and human rights groups accuse the Taliban of violating human rights in the portion of Afghanistan it controls -- about 90 percent of the country -- where women are barred from education and are forced to wear the all-enveloping burqa veil.

The Taliban says it upholds the rights of women as enshrined by its Islamic faith.

The Taliban statement Tuesday said there were no abuses of women's rights in areas under its control and that the situation was better than in the United States.

``If we look at the women's rights in Afghanistan in comparison with those in the United States, we would find how women are subjected to insult and trouble under a democratic government ...,'' it said and quoted media reports as saying more than 140,000 American women were now in prisons.

UN Afghanistan press briefing today

ISLAMABAD (NNI): The office of the UN coordinator for Afghanistan will hold a press briefing today (Tuesday) at 11 am.

The venue is House 292, St 55, Sector F-10/4. The subject will be the recent crossline humanitarian assistance delivered to displaced persons in the Panjshir valley of Afghanistan.

Arrests Prompted Terrorist Warning

Tuesday, December 14, 1999

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Arrests of a dozen individuals who allegedly were planning an anti-American terrorist attack to coincide with Year 2000 celebrations prompted last week's State Department warning to Americans abroad, U.S. officials say.

At least some of those detained have links with fugitive Saudi businessman Osama bin Laden, officials familiar with the developments said late Monday.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the arrests were made in a Mideastern country. They declined to identify the country, saying the investigation was continuing.

State Department spokesman James Foley confirmed the arrests and said the detainees are believed to be members of bin Laden's Al Qaeda group. Suggesting that the threat may not be limited to the Middle East, Foley said the network has a global reach, as was demonstrated by the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Africa last year -- attacks believed carried out under bin Laden's auspices.

His group, Foley said, ``is capable and determined to carry out deadly attacks against innocent persons.''

Bin Laden has been indicted by a New York grand jury on charges of conspiracy and murder in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 220 people. He is living in Afghanistan under the protection of the ruling Taliban militia.

His associates have been known to have been active in Turkey recently, other officials said.

The Clinton administration believes bin Laden masterminded last year's bombings. His hosts, Afghanistan's Taliban militia, have refused to hand him over to the United States or a third country for trial on charges of terrorism.

The Taliban's Foreign Minister, Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil, called the U.S. warning ``propaganda.''

``We informed the U.S. then and we say again today that Osama is not doing anything and it is not possible for him to do anything to another country from Afghanistan,'' Muttawakil said in a telephone interview from southern Kandahar, the Taliban's headquarters.

Meanwhile, Mike Sheehan, who heads the State Department counter-terrorism office, met on Monday in New York with the Taliban representative there and warned him the Taliban would be held directly responsible for an any attacks committed by bin Ladder's network, an administration official said.

The State Department on Saturday warned Americans living or traveling abroad to take extra precautions between now and the first week in January.

The warning cited ``credible information'' that terrorists were planning attacks ``specifically targeting American citizens.'' It suggested as likely targets locations where there would be large gatherings and celebrations.

One official with knowledge of the developments said the episode was ``one of the factors that went into the State Department decision to issue the warning over the weekend.''

State Department spokesman James B. Foley said earlier Monday that there was ``specific and credible information'' that terrorist groups have been planning attacks against American citizens overseas.

He said the threats were specifically connected to the New Year celebrations and Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting that began last week.

It was ``our obligation when we become aware of information that may impact on the travel and the safety of Americans to share that with the public,'' Foley said.

Although the alleged plotting took place in the Mideast, ``this is a worldwide threat,'' Foley said.

``We're not being specific about the exact nature of the threat because this is something which is under investigation,'' Foley added.

ABC News reported on Monday that possible targets were sites in Jerusalem or ``Christian sites on New Year's Eve'' such as the Vatican. However, an official familiar with the investigation could not confirm this, saying information on potential targets was ``not all that specific.''

This official said the arrests were ``a local operation'' and that the U.S. government did not participate.

``Associates of bin Laden appear to be involved in planning some sorts of attacks in relation to the end of the year,'' the official said.

``There are law enforcement efforts currently to work in response to the threat, and so it's not possible to be more specific than we have been publicly,'' said Foley.

``The information that we have does indicate that the potential attacks are related to end-of-year celebrations, during the new year, and the Ramadan period. I can't be more specific than that,'' Foley said.

U.S. Sees Link To Bin Laden Group

Tuesday, December 14, 1999

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Clinton administration said Tuesday there is a direct link between the terrorist group led by Saudi exile Osama bin Laden and a dozen or so suspects detained in an unnamed Mideast country on grounds they were planning a Year 2000 attack against Americans.

Bin Laden has been indicted by a New York grand jury on charges of conspiracy and murder in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 220 people. He is living in Afghanistan under the protection of the ruling Taliban militia.

The State Department dispatched its top counter-terrorism official, Michael Sheehan, to New York on Monday to warn the Taliban representative there that Afghan leaders would be held responsible for any attacks committed by bin Laden's network.

Department spokesman James Foley said U.S. officials believe the suspects who have been detained in recent days are members of bin Laden's Al Queta organization.

As the Africa bombings demonstrated, Foley said, the group ``is capable and determined to carry out deadly attacks against innocent persons.''

The arrests prompted a State Department worldwide warning Saturday urging Americans to exercise extreme caution during the final weeks of 1999 and the first days of the new year.

Foley said it would be a mistake to suggest that a terrorist attack against Americans would necessarily take place in the Middle East, noting that bin Laden's group operates globally.

At the Pentagon, spokesman Kenneth Bacon said U.S. military forces will be on guard for possible attacks directed against them and ``will be very well postured in every conceivable way to deal with any threats that occur around the change of the year.

``We have a lot of intelligence focusing on events that could occur around the turn of the year. Commanders are very determined to be aggressive in force protection,'' he said.

Bacon would not comment on whether the military was planning retaliatory action in the event bin Laden's group engages in terrorist acts.

But, he said, ``the government has made it very clear it is serious in its dealings with the Taliban'' -- an apparent reference to the cruise missile strikes launched against facilities believed linked to bin Laden in Afghanistan and Sudan last year.

Explaining Taliban's 'oppression of women'

Frontier Post
Shamila N. Chaudhary
12/13/99

The controversial politics of the Taliban government has received unprecedented attention from the West. With the Taliban's implementation of their interpretation of Islamic Shariah in Afghanistan and the debatable condition of women resulting from that implementation, western perspectives have deemed Afghanistan as a regime which condones oppression of women and Islam as a religion which does the same.

The Taliban and its interpretation of Islam are, however, not the sole perpetrators in the oppression of women. The West's presentation of the problem of Afghanistan's women draws illogical relationships between Islam and gender-based oppression. Gender-based oppression is often labelled as characteristic of Islamic fundamentalism. Fundamentalism or extremism of any kind usually deals with a group who thinks its dogmas and beliefs are right and any other groups are wrong.

Is the Taliban fundamentalist? Does the Taliban willingly seek to oppress women? Consider the following description of fundamentalism: "Because fundamentalists in any religion turn the beliefs of their religion into dogma, and also tend to interpret the scriptures of their religion in a literal way only, thus missing the many subtle levels of meaning as well as analogies with teachings from other world religions, they can end up stressing primarily how they are different from other world religions, and even from different interpretations within their own religion, rather than stressing any commonalities they might share with other world religions. This more limited interpretation of their scripture can then lead to dogmatic views that their interpretation of religion, and reality, is correct and everyone else is wrong" (Groff and Smoker 1996).

Now consider the definition of fundamentalism found on the Taliban's web site. The Taliban believes that all of those elements for which non-Muslims have labelled Muslims as fundamentalist are simply obligations for Muslims: "the most frequent reason for which one is labeled a Fundamentalist is for strictly adhering to Islam. Islam is our fundamental." The Taliban has interpreted the holy scripture of the Quran in various literal ways and has arrived at what it believes are the rules and mandates for a moral Islamic society. Just like any other religious entity, the Taliban seeks to define the boundaries of moral and immoral. The boundaries it has defined, however, have resulted in an extremely controversial discourse on its treatment of women.

The Taliban is now famous for the strict gender rules it imposes on men and women. Their brand of Islam is depicted as the sole influence in women's inferior status in Afghanistan. The Taliban argues that Islam requires women to hide their physical attractiveness because it will cause uncontrollable excitement in men. Furthermore, the following Hadith appears on the Taliban's webpage: "I believe that coming out of her house and roaming about the streets in itself is sufficient to cause trouble, let alone exhibiting her beauty and body." The Taliban argues that this verse clearly states that women are required to stay inside their homes and should not go outside. Thus, the Taliban is merely following the mandates of the Islam it knows. Are these views oppressive or are they aspects of a culture which should not be judged by those who live outside of it?

The answer is complicated. While Islam remains the only monotheistic faith which actually guarantees women inheritance rights and outlines various rights for women in marriage, divorce, and employment outside of the home, many interpretations of it have resulted in severe situations of oppression and violence for women. Religion and indigenous culture, however, are NOT the perpetrators in these acts of violence. Rather, interpretations and harsh practices implemented by those who misinterpret and manipulate religion and culture to their advantages are more causative above anything else. Nevertheless, Islam continues to be wrongly illustrated as the major perpetrator in oppressing women in Muslim countries.

While the oppression of women does exist in Afghanistan, these problems are just as rampant in numerous countries. To say that these problems are indigenous to Muslim cultures, Islamic governments, or authoritarian regimes is simplistic reasoning and presents these cultures, governments, and regimes as less civilised or more traditional than the "modernised" West. The purpose of this essay is not to downplay the oppression of women in Afghanistan. Instead, it is to highlight the culturally biased methods with which situations of women's oppression continue to be presented and analysed to an international audience.

In 1998, the U.S. State Department released a fact sheet on "Women and Girls in Afghanistan," which outlined both the U.S. perspective on and definition of the problems in Afghanistan along with the U.S. responses to the problems. Of the many problems affecting Taliban females, some are: the Taliban prohibits girls from going to school; women and girls are not allowed to appear outside the home unless wearing a burqa and accompanied by a male relative; women's and girls' access to medical service has been cut back drastically. The report neglects to take into consideration the harm in a female being alone in public in Afghanistan.

The public sphere is often not safe for women due to threats of sexual crimes and physical violence as well as common street fighting among the warring political factions. For this reason, women are required to stay inside or walk outside with a male relative. Walking with a male relative intends to provide an additional measure of safety. The report also claims that "the impact of Taliban-imposed restrictions are most acutely felt in the cities where women had enjoyed relatively greater freedoms." Although this statement may have not been intended to be so culturally biased, it is.

Across the globe, women and men in rural areas undertake substantially different duties than those in urban areas. However, saying that women in the cities enjoyed more freedoms than women in rural areas leads to cultural assumptions like, (1) urban women are not "traditional", (2) urban women are not oppressed because they live in urban areas, and (3) women in urban areas are more western than women in rural areas. The actual realities behind these assumptions are not so simple. Women and girls in both urban and rural settings have simultaneously experienced specific freedoms and oppressions based on their socio-cultural, economic, and religious environments. Furthermore, the usage of the word "enjoyed" in the State Department's report implies first, that women in rural areas who are accustomed to wearing burqas are forced to do so and would never engage in this practice if given the option, and second that the option to not wear a burqa is a privilege which women in cities can only experience.

Muslim women may wear head coverings and burqas out of their own spiritual and religions inclinations while many are still required to don similar veils due to social practices. Either way, it is an issue of culture and practice which cannot be judged out of its original context. Women in rural areas have been enduring these forms of oppression all along, then why has the media only recently picked up on these situations? Is such repressive behaviour acceptable or normal for rural communities because they are presumably more traditional than urban ones? Do urban women's freedoms assume precedence over rural women's freedoms? Why all of the recent publicity over women's oppression if these conflicts have been going on for some time? It is likely, according to Ahmed Rashid in "The Taliban: Exporting Extremism," that the U.S. now paints the Taliban as misogynistic because it harbors dissidents, like Osama bin Laden, against the will of the U.S., ultimately positing a threat to its national security interests.

This proves that women's oppression is only visible and wrong when it is needed as a political tool in times of desperation. Another report, "Women's Health and Human Rights in Afghanistan," conducted by the independent organization Physicians for Human Rights USA (PHRUSA), highlights the mental and physical problems Taliban women have experienced in the advent of Taliban rule. Instead of asserting blatant culturally biased and politically motivated statements as the the State Department did in its report, PHRUSA explains the same situation using different language: "During the past 20 years, social and political upheavals have disrupted the way of life in Afghanistan.

The Taliban regime, a radical Islamic movement that took control of Kabul in September 1996, had had extraordinary health consequences for Afghan women" (U.S. State Department, 1998). While the PHRUSA report essentially arrives at the same conclusions as the State Department report, that the Taliban's governance has led to women's decreased access to basic resources, the language it uses paints a less culturally judgmental picture.

PHRUSA does not present women's inferior situation as one described by what the Taliban prevents them from doing. Instead, the report looks at how their social lives have been altered by political change. Ultimately, the Taliban's practices and beliefs are engaged in a larger political battle. Women in Afghanistan are just experiencing many aspects of this battle on a more social level. Because of this type of approach, the PHRUSA report is much less culturally and politically biased than the State Department's report.

The PHRUSA report approaches women's inferior status as one that is a result of war. It recognises the sociopolitical turmoil associated with war and seeks to interprets how it has impacted women emotionally and mentally. "A total of 160 women participated, including 80 women currently living in Kabul and 80 Afghan women who had recently migrated to Pakistan." The main issues targeted were level physical and mental health, access to health care, war-related trauma, human rights abuses, and attitudes towards women's human rights. The median age of respondents was 32 years but they ranged from 17-70 years. Most received a median of 12 years of education and 136 out of 160 of the respondents had lived in Kabul for at least 19 years (PHRUSA 1998).

The results of the PHRUSA study were painfully realistic. Some of the results are: 62% reported that they were employed before the Taliban takeover while only 20% were employed during their last year in Kabul; 62% reported a decline in access to health care during the last two years of living in Kabul; 42% reported symptoms qualifying for post-traumatic stress disorder; 97% experienced major depression; 84% reported 1 family member or more killed in war; 68% reported extremely restricted social activities; and 96% expressed support for women's human rights

These conditions are direct results of the culture of war suffered by the Taliban nation. Women and men alike have endured social and political repression since the invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union in 1979. "It is estimated that more than 1 million people were killed in Afghanistan before the withdrawal of Soviet troops and the change in government in April 1992" (United Nations Commission on Human Rights 1996).

Not only have 20 years of armed conflict led to numerous problems for women, it has led to more than 6 million plus Afghans fleeing to the neighboring countries of Pakistan and Iran (United Nations High Commission for Refugees 1997). If the Afghan women's crisis is seen as a direct result of: (1) both internal and external political struggle; (2) of a politically motivated western agenda; (3) of poverty and lack of economic resources, and finally; (4) of literal interpretations of Islam's guidelines on gender, then the problem becomes more than simply an issue of the violation of women's rights. It becomes a problem of the validity of religious interpretation and of the freedom to practice religious interpretation. It also becomes a problem of western self-interest.

Knowing all of this, it is more and more obvious that the West's understanding of the state of women in Afghanistan is simplistic. It is not merely a simple conflict in which women are discriminated against because of extreme religious practices. It is so much more. Nevertheless, the problems of Afghan women remain. PHRUSA concluded, "support for women's human rights by Afghan women suggests that Taliban policies regarding women are incommensurate with the interests, needs, and health of Afghan women" (PHRUSA 1998).

In an ideal society, women, children, and men should not be denied access to health care, education, and the ability to be self-sufficient. In the end, these problems deal more with political and economic stability and support than fundamentalist religious interpretation. The Taliban people are in dire need of economic and social welfare. Even though it has its own problems to consider, Pakistan has more than once answered this call for support, with refugee camps and makeshift clinics and local welfare organizations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. When reading about culture or religion specific oppression of women, it is imperative that readers recognize the universality of this oppression.

The social, economic, and political environments in which gender-based oppression thrives in are specific, but gender-based oppression is NOT endemic to specific environments. It has become common practice to associate violence against women and the subjugation of women to Muslim cultures or Islam. Very rarely do we hear of domestic violence or rape in the United States as being a repercussion of extreme Christian cultural practices or traditional behavior, although both do exist in the context of the United States. However, as soon as instances of violence against women in Afghanistan receive the attention of the media, the western lens never fails to associate such news stories with Islam or the indigenous culture.

These faulty associations must no longer hold precedence. The West has wrongly adjudicated culture and religion as the sole contributors to Taliban women's oppression. By placing the blame on Taliban and culture and religious interpretations, faulty western analyses take the focus away from the political and economic harm the West continues to inflict upon these nations.
The writer is editor of Washington-based online iakhbar