IAWM supports Afghan hunger strikers

national | racism & migration related issues | press release Monday May 15, 2006 18:15 by Irish Anti War Movement - Irish Anti War Movement

Irish anti War Movement supports the Afghan asylum seekers on hunger strike in St Patrick’s Cathedral

The Irish Anti War Movement supports the asylum claims of the Afghan hunger strikers in St Patrick’s Cathedral. The desperate measure by the 36 asylum seekers highlights the lies and the myth that the US and its allies are spreading democracy through its ‘war on terror’. The reality is that the US has replaced one group of thugs that it helped to create and fund – the Taliban, with another group that it now funds – the Northern Alliance (NA), to rule Afghanistan. The real agenda behind the US ‘war on terror’ is the extension of US power and dominance in the world. The Irish Anti War Movement calls on the Irish government to approve their asylum claims in recognition of the continued oppression and absence of democracy that exists in Afghanistan.

Irish Anti War Movement
Po Box 9260, Dublin 1. Tel: (01) 872 7912

Press Release
15/05/06

Irish anti War Movement supports the Afghan asylum seekers on hunger strike in St Patrick’s Cathedral

For comment contact Richard Boyd Barrett at 0876329511

The Irish Anti War Movement supports the asylum claims of the Afghan hunger strikers in St Patrick’s Cathedral. The desperate measure by the 36 asylum seekers highlights the lies and the myth that the US and its allies are spreading democracy through its ‘war on terror’. The reality is that the US has replaced one group of thugs that it helped to create and fund – the Taliban, with another group that it now funds – the Northern Alliance (NA), to rule Afghanistan. The real agenda behind the US ‘war on terror’ is the extension of US power and dominance in the world. The Irish Anti War Movement calls on the Irish government to approve their asylum claims in recognition of the continued oppression and absence of democracy that exists in Afghanistan.

The US claimed it was fighting the Taliban under the banner of women’s liberation. Mehmooda Sheikiba, an activist with the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) who has worked in the publications committee of RAWA during the past five years describes Afghanistan today under the US backed Karzai regime as a “land of warlords and payees of foreign powers”.

She continued “all of the fundamentalist bands including Taliban were created, funded, and trained by the CIA turning a blind eye to the higher interest of the Afghan people and to the consequence of such sinister support to the fate of freedom and democracy in our country. Thus, the US war on the Taliban was nothing but a family fracas between the father and his rogue children. Afghans will not see as their “liberators” those who drove the Taliban wolves through one door and unchained the rabid dogs of the Northern Alliance through another.”

To get another idea about the scale of corruption and lack of democracy of the Karzai regime, we draw your attention to a confidential document disclosed in 2005 by Dr. Ramazan Bashardost who was assigned as the minister of planning and tried to stop the activities of some 2,000 suspicious and money-making NGOs. He was soon forced to resign. According to the document ministers and high-ranking officials, in addition of other allowances, get up to $36,000 annually from a British company. Whereas the disabled get $6 and ordinary government employees get $60 per month only.

The overwhelming corruption is present in the highest organs. Dr Bashardost said, “The President had asked me to assume the responsibility of the Administration of Fight against Corruption, I however told him that I would undertake it provided I could start with the Presidential Palace.”

In an interview with Reuters on Aug.30, 2005, he said, "Government members, the NGOs, the big embassy staff, the United Nations staff ... they made a mafia system and you can see the result. We received about $12 billion since three years, where is the money?" he said, referring to international aid since the overthrow of the Taliban in late 2001.

"The Afghan people are against warlords, why does the international community, why does the Afghan government supports warlords? In the provinces, all governors are former warlords, all chiefs of police are former warlords”

The recent Afghan elections in November 2005 were discredited by numerous and widespread allegations of electoral fraud and intimidation.

Mehmooda Sheikiba reported that the US and its allies “allowed about 200 criminals and arch enemies of democracy to pave their way to the parliament and provincial council. After four years the people see that the “liberators'” promises for them were all lies”.

She continued, “The Northern Alliance is comprised of those millionaire rapists busy in the opium trade under the very nose of the US troops. They are the people behind the insecurity, kidnappings, embezzlement of billions of dollars of foreign aid, injustices, anti-women constraints, covering up of the day light murders. Most of the Afghan ambassadors, governors, secretaries and other high ranking officials are also affiliated with Northern Alliance mafia”.

“The former head of their dreaded religious secret police, notorious for executing and abusing thousands of men and women, criminal figures of the infamous terrorist band of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, high level members of the Soviet backed puppet regime were allowed to stand as candidates”.

“Ballot boxes were kept for 48 hours or more before being transferred to the polling stations. Thousands of votes for independent candidates were burnt and thousands of fake votes were cast for the pro-fundamentalists/ pro-Karzai candidates”.

The Human Rights Watch report on the election stated: “many voters and candidates voiced concerns to Human Right Watch about their sense of vulnerability at the hands of warlords forces, de facto or official militia forces ostensibly allied with the government”.

“Across the country, candidates and political organizers complained to Human Rights Watch of cases in which local commanders or strongmen, or local government officials linked with them have held meeting in which they have told voters and community leaders for whom to vote. In some cases, candidates and their supporters allege that direct threats have been communicated.”

Richard Boyd Barrett, chair of the Irish Anti War Movement said, “All of this evidence proves what the anti-war movement has claimed for the past five years, that the US project has nothing to do with democracy and everything to do with US power. The US has for decades propped up the most dictatorial and undemocratic regimes in the world. All their talk of spreading democracy is simply propaganda. This is particularly important in light of their current campaign to justify an attack on Iran in the name of democracy”.

He continued, “The Irish Anti War Movement calls on the Irish government to recognise the justified claim to asylum of these Afghan refugees. We also call on the government to stop supporting the US war and occupation machine through the use of Shannon Airport”.

For comment and confirmation phone Richard Boyd Barrett 0876329511