Spanta lists reasons behind extremism

KABUL): The National Security Council (NSC) chief has said inadequate regard for religious and national values, nighttime operations, lawlessness and corruption are the result of increasing extremism and people’s distrust in the government.

Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta told a meeting on lack of public confidence in the government and increasing extremism that the administration’s insufficient attention to the problems facing the people was widening the gap between the rulers and the ruled.

Some ideological and social factors were also behind the growing public disenchantment, he told a three-day conference that began in Kabul on Monday. Representatives from the Afghan government, ISAF and local and foreign experts are attending the conference.

Spanta said the government had so far been unable to fully implement its laws. The NSC chief said militant sanctuaries outside Afghanistan were the main source of the insurgency in the country.  He said the war against terrorism could not be won until these hideouts were eradicated.

He said the international community’s mission to combat terrorism in Afghanistan needed since cooperation among the countries involved in the fight in line with the United Nations Security Council’s resolution.

Any country avoiding since efforts in this regard would mean disrespect to the UN resolution, he said, adding Pakistan was a party to the conflict as the UN resolution was not limited only to Afghanistan.

“ISAF should take serious action if Afghanistan’s national integrity is threanted from abroad,” Spanta said. However, ISAF says it mission is limited to Afghanistan only.

President Hamid Karzai has ordered the NSC and ISAF to jointly work to identify the main source of extremism and discontent of people and present a report to the government.

A joint investigation team of NSC and ISAF has been working on the issue and the team is expected to present its findings to the government soo.

The government will use suggestions discussed at the three-day conference to address the people’s discontent and prevent the spread of extremism.

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