Introduction

st th The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2020 | 21 – 24 of January 2020 Forum: The Security Council Issue: The Situation in Afghanistan Student Officer: Kayana Elmaadi, Titilope Akinade Position: Deputy Presidents of the Security Council Introduction For 18 years, Afghanistan has been torn by war. The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center led to the withdrawal of the Bush Administration's previous Afghanistan policy, which focused on imposing economic and political pressure on the Taliban while refraining to aid the Afghan Northern Alliance with military. Instead, it led to the the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEC), also known as the ‘Global War on Terrorism,’ by the Bush Administration that conducted a military takeover of coordinated airstrikes. In 2001, the US led an invasion to target Al-Qaeda’s safe haven in Afghanistan. Since then, The Taliban, an Islamist fundamentalist political party and rulers of Afghniastan from 1996-2001, have increased their control over 10.8% of Afghanistan’s population (according to the New York Times). Afghanistan was a strategic location for Al-Qaeda to hide and host their training camps, thus the Bush administration aimed to eliminate their safe havens. Though the Taliban regime ended on November 9th 2001, the Taliban still remains active in Afghanistan to a lesser extent. Several agreements such as the Bonn agreement between the Afghan Northern Alliance and other prominent factions (such as the mujahideen groups led by the former commander, Ahmed Shah Massoud) secured periods of peace by establishing an interim government. Legal, civil, and democratic frameworks were put in place with an agreed constitution in 2004 which took a positive step towards democracy, utilizing aid from the United States and its allies. President Hamid Karzai, a Pro-American secular leaning candidate, was elected with nearly half of the casting ballots belonging to women. Many aspersions were cast on the voting procedure with over 1,000 official complaints of corruption levelled at President Karzai’s administration and the UN officials overseeing the Electoral count. The coalition's progress to rebuild and strengthen Afghanistan’s government were staggered when insurgency started to spread throughout the country, jeopardizing the fragile but positive progress achieved after the downfall of the Taliban. According to the Council of Foreign Relations (a US based non-governmental organisation), suicide attacks rised at alarming rates from 27 to 139 in the span of a year (2005-2006) and remote bombings doubled from around 800 to 1677. Without basic services such Research Report | Page 1 of 16 st th The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2020 | 21 – 24 of January 2020 as an adequate police force, collateral damage and civilian casualties are mounting. Former President of the USA Barack Obama committed even more troops until the pinnacle of 100,000 in 2009, to try and soothe the resurgence and dismantle Al-Qaeda whilst training the Afghan army and police force, which caused even more terrorist attacks in Afghanistan to repel the troops. For context, the size of the Afghan Army is approximately 300,000, and the population of Afghanistan is 35 million, making Afghanistan the highest country in the world for number of military personnel per capita. Despite this heavy military presence, the death toll from terrorist attacks continues to rise month by month with over 450 civilians killed and over 700 injured in August 2019 alone. The withdrawal of US military presence was announced to begin in July 2011 whilst NATO members ratified full security handover to Afghan forces by the end of 2014. All national affairs regarding a police and military force were to be handed to the Afghan National Security Forces trained by the available foreign troops in Afghanistan. The US strategy shifts from combat to support campaigns against the Taliban are fought alongside the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). By June 22nd 2011, Obama confirms that the United States are holding peace talks with the Taliban to try and negotiate ceasefires. The Taliban agrees to mediate with the opening of an office in Qatar to host peace talks but US-Afghan tensions flare as controversial events such as the burning of Page 2 of 16 | Research Report st th The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2020 | 21 – 24 of January 2020 Qurans by US soldiers occurs leading them to back out from preliminary talks. Peace talks do resume after an office is set up in Doha but the US denied any involvement with the Afghan government as they are concerned that any progress made with the Taliban will be jeopardised. On the 13th of April 2017, as President Donald Trump authorizes the launch of The United States’ most powerful nonnuclear bomb to an Islamic State cave complex south of Jalalabad, Kabul experiences a steep escalation of suicide bombings that claim 5,243 civilian casualties in the first six months of 2017 alone. The number continues to rise as tension festers and military pressure from the US intensifies. According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, the Taliban are now in control over a third of the country's districts and continue to violently contest for territory. They increase major attacks in Kabul that claim the lives of 115 more people by 2018. As the war between the United States and the Taliban reaches a new stretch of uncertainty, it is imperative to contribute to uplifting Afghan civilians from the consequences of war and internal political turmoil that annihilate their chance to an adequate quality of life. The protection of civilians in armed conflict can be achieved if the core of this issue is severed from the complex branching issues of being a post-colonial nation. Not enough specialised pro-active aid is being implemented and the maximum military pressure aggravates the Taliban rather than aiding the Afghan government to a position of national authority due to the festering of corruption. The Afghan National Security Forces are undermanned and exhausted from the territorial disputes against the Taliban. They need to be further strengthened and supported by the United States through training. Countries have to acknowledge these problems and work together to find a middle ground between restoring safety and campaigning against terrorism, whether they are playing an influential role in Afghan affairs or not. The latest US Led secret peace talks with the Taliban and Afgahani Government 2019 were cancelled abruptly in response to a car bombing attributed to the Taliban, which killed 12 people. In response, the Taliban retaliated and killed a further 450 civilians in August 2019. Definition of Key Terms Depose To remove a leading party or person from their position of power, authority and control over the ruling office of that country. Coalition A political alliance between two or more different political parties that cooperate to form and run a government/constitution under a common agenda. Coalition governments are usually created Research Report | Page 3 of 16 st th The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2020 | 21 – 24 of January 2020 under times of national crisis in order to eliminate political strife whilst building a collective political identity. Parties competing for power negotiate and collaborate to work together under one goal. Insurgence The act of revolting against the country’s established government or constituted authorities with arms and violence. It is not established as a state at war, therefore is not protected by or subjected to the laws of war. Insurgence does not reach reach capacity or organisation of a revolution. For example, the coordinated suicide attacks during the election campaign of President Hamid Karzai on the 17th of September 2019 or the on going territorial disputes around the ring road in Kabul with the Afghan National Security Force. Transitional/Interim Government A temporary governmental authority that is set up to handle internal and external affairs of the country between periods of political transition or previous collapse of the governing administration. Ceasefire An agreement between two or more parties to halt hostilities/firing for a period of time in order to negotiate and discuss peace. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) A bomb constructed by non military or military components and deployed unconventionally thus can be planted on or hidden anywhere (eg: strapped to a person, under cars etc.) and activated in a variety of ways. Employed frequently by rebels or insurgents as a weapon against the conventional military force. Preliminary Talks Introducing and preparing for an important event or significant occurrence using dialogue and discussion, such as the discussion between the US and the Taliban before creating a bilateral draft framework deal so that Afghan territory would never house terrorist activity. Invasion The act of taking control of a country using means of force and arms by another country until it is under their rule. Counter Terrorism Page 4 of 16 | Research Report st th The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2020 | 21 – 24 of January 2020 A practice that utilizes the military, government, law enforcement, business and intelligence agencies to combat against terrorist attacks and implement safety measures to protect citizens. Nexus The act of linking two groups or parties together with a central connection due to shared characteristics or in this case ideologies and actions. For example, the link between Al Qaeda and The Taliban as terrorist bodies. Background Information Historical context To understand the current situation in Afghanistan, one must also understand how the political climate of the past has influenced the present. Once Afghanistan gained its independence from the British, it witnessed a relatively stable period from 1926 to 1973 after establishing itself as a monarchy. In 1973, King Mohammed Zahir Shah was overthrown by former prime minister Mohammed Daoud Khan.

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