south-asian-militant-groups-and-global-jihad-in-2015
south-asian-militant-groups-and-global-jihad-in-2015
south-asian-militant-groups-and-global-jihad-in-2015
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QUILL IAM<br />
<br />
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<br />
term success of a DDR <strong>in</strong>itiative unlikely. Furthermore, the late<br />
implementation of the program, <strong>and</strong> the strategy of appeas<strong>in</strong>g<br />
comm<strong>and</strong>ers by offer<strong>in</strong>g them high level government <strong>and</strong> security<br />
positions, allowed them to manipulate the DDR process, <strong>and</strong><br />
entrench their personal power <strong>in</strong> the new government<br />
establishment. Moreover, the DDR program only targeted former<br />
Afghan Military Forces (AMF).<br />
A separate program for illegal militias, the Disb<strong>and</strong>ment of Illegal<br />
Armed Groups program (DIAG) attempted to use a mix of threats<br />
of coercion, <strong>and</strong> community development projects to get <strong>militant</strong>s<br />
to disarm. Unlike the DDR program, it is widely agreed that the<br />
DIAG had failed because the government officials that had<br />
facilitated the process were generally reluctant to break their ties<br />
with local militias. 116 A further difficulty that any future<br />
disarmament <strong>in</strong>itiative will have to contend with is the arms<br />
culture of rural Afghanistan, where personal possession of arms is<br />
a given, <strong>and</strong> there is limited trust <strong>in</strong> the state.<br />
Quilliam believes a more promis<strong>in</strong>g avenue than top down<br />
disarmament programs is that of grassroots reconciliation. The<br />
Afghan government <strong>and</strong> parts of civil society have already taken<br />
some <strong>in</strong>itiatives to this effect. Thus far, grassroots <strong>in</strong>itiatives have<br />
largely been <strong>in</strong> the form of organiz<strong>in</strong>g “peace jirgas” - councils<br />
between local warr<strong>in</strong>g factions. In 2007, the parliament created the<br />
National Commission for Peace <strong>and</strong> Reconciliation (PTS), <strong>in</strong> which<br />
officials <strong>in</strong> various prov<strong>in</strong>ces, coupled with civil society actors,<br />
aimed to reconcile the state with factions of the Taliban. We<br />
strongly urge the cont<strong>in</strong>uation of these collaborative efforts<br />
because they present an important opportunity for longer-term<br />
counter-extremism narratives to be fostered. An Afghan NGO<br />
called the Tribal Liaison Office has also attempted to facilitate such<br />
jirgas between local government, <strong>in</strong>ternational forces, <strong>and</strong> local<br />
communities, to try <strong>and</strong> improve relations. However, grassroots<br />
reconciliation <strong>in</strong>itiatives are generally unpopular with donors,<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce produc<strong>in</strong>g measurable output is difficult, <strong>and</strong> they have not,<br />
as hoped, facilitated departure of any high level Taliban<br />
comm<strong>and</strong>ers thus far. Nevertheless, they offer a susta<strong>in</strong>able form<br />
of positive reconciliation <strong>and</strong> collaboration, <strong>and</strong> we recommend<br />
they should cont<strong>in</strong>ue to be supported wherever possible. 117<br />
Afghanistan’s vast opium trade has been a thorn <strong>in</strong> the side of ISAF<br />
forces as they attempted to balance meet<strong>in</strong>g legal obligations to<br />
cease drug trade while build<strong>in</strong>g relations with communities for<br />
whom that trade is an economic lifel<strong>in</strong>e. Threats of seiz<strong>in</strong>g or<br />
44