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| Afghanistan |
| Rabbani expresses sour grapes |
| 2002-02-10 |
Rabbani was in a sense screwed by the process. The United Front government he headed was the recognized government of the country - Northern Alliance was simply the most important part of the United Front. On the other hand, the Dog-Eat-Dog erupted when Rabbani refused to step down from the presidency when he was supposed to, and provided the pretext for Hekmatyar to shell Kabul and impose his own brand of chaos. Rabbani hasn't been particularly graceful as an Elder Statesman. Rabbani being head of the de jure Afghan government was an historical accident based solely upon the diplomatic chances of the decade of turmoil after the Soviet withdrawl. Unfortunately for Rabbani, his achievements over that tenure as "head of state" were both few and thin. At best he posed as the arbiter between the Dostums and Masoods of the NA, and at worst as the instigator of the Taliban's rise to power. Any neutral observer would conclude that Rabbani's renaissance as head of state today would be a step backwards to a prior state of anarchy and ethnic strife. So, I'd conclude that he deserved what he got in Bonn. In terms of historical balance, I'd cry over the political fate of Rabbani as I'd cry over the political fate of Charles Stuart the First, who stood foursquare in the way of English political progress and paid for his error with his head. Rabbani should count his lucky stars if he dies in his bed at a ripe, old and cantakerous age. Many of his compatriots haven't been so lucky. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |