Afghan Commentary Post

The Panama Papers vs Afghan Papers http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wahab-raofi/the-panama-papers-when-wi_b_9692664.html     By Wahab Raofi   The Panama Papers scandal triggered tsunami waves of shock throughout the world’s media, as if this were an unprecedented event. It is not. The concealment of fortunes, often acquired through illicit means by corrupt politicians, world leaders and powerful individuals, has long been commonplace. But perhaps the light shined by the Panama Papers could lead to actual reform. We can only hope. Within the 11.5 million leaked documents are implications that 12 current or former world leaders, as well as 128 other politicians and public officials, engaged in various potential financial crimes. This information comes from an anonymous hack of a Panama law firm which apparently has been shielding secret fortunes for almost 40 years. But before Panama, the places to go for secret offshore accounts were Dubai, Hong Kong and ...

Treaty Proposal Could Save Afghanistan And Give the U.S. a Face-saving Withdrawal       By Wahab Raofi   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wahab-raofi/treaty-proposal-could-sav_b_9634542.html   We have a saying in Afghanistan which translates something like this: An army of 200 good fighting men is better than an army of 100,000 men unwilling to fight. Today, this old truism may hold the key to Afghanistan’s very survival, as well as a face-saving withdrawal for the United States and NATO forces. The withdrawal of Coalition forces would not only save face, but also lives and treasure – for the U.S., its NATO allies, Afghanistan and the entire Middle East. But it could only happen with a multi-lateral treaty that guarantees Afghanistan’s sovereignty. In exchange, Afghanistan would basically disarm itself, reducing the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) from 350,000 to just a few thousand police and securit...