PRESS CONFERENCE BY MR. LAKHDAR BRAHIMI, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY- GENERAL FOR AFGHANISTAN (11 December 2001)

The following is a transcript of the press conference by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul on 11 December 2001.

** Ahmad Fawzi, Spokesman for Mr. Brahimi

Today Mr Brahimi had a full day. He met with political leaders in Kabul including Professor Rabbani, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, General Fahim, Professor Sayyaf, and Ayatollah Muhseni. He’s been on the road for twenty days, so I hope you’ll go easy on him. Just a few ground rules. We have to be out of here in about 30 minutes, so could you limit yourselves to one question each and tell us who you are. Sorry we don’t have a roaming microphone, so for transcription purposes could you please speak up so we can hear your question. And’ll go straight to Mr Brahimi.

** Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan

First an announcement on behalf of UNSMA. The Afghan professional association is holding a press conference tomorrow at UNSMA at 10:00. I hope you’ll all be there.

Now, it is very good to be here in Kabul, peaceful, and looking forward to an end to the conflict and to the beginning of reconciliation, stability and reconstruction.

Today I had a series of meetings, all informative and encouraging. I’ve been here for today just to touch base with the authorities in Kabul and to make sure that everything is in place for the 22nd of December. I have unfortunately to go back to New York because there are some things which need to be attended to there and I’ll be back before the 22nd of December, I hope on the 20th or 21st – I can’t leave New York earlier.

I think this is enough for the beginning. I’ll take your questions.

(Question by Lyse Doucet, BBC: Is Bonn set in stone or can any changes now be made?)

I don’t know. But I think that if any changes are to be made, I think it should be made after the 22nd, when you have an Interim Administration and I presume the Chairman of the Administration and his colleagues, like any administration may make some changes. But I think the news we hear, in particular from General Dostum, is that although he is unhappy about a number
of things, that I think he has assured us in very clear and strong terms of his commitment to the implementation of the agreement in Bonn.

(Question from Reuters: General Fahim held a presser this afternoon, saying that 1,000 forces are enough for Kabul. And they should be restricted to protecting government meetings and that under Bonn Agreement, the Northern Alliance is not bound to withdraw security forces other than military forces from Kabul. Do you agree with that assessment and will 1,000 troops be enough?

We discussed this with the General when we met today. What I can say at this stage is that there is no opposition from the authorities in Kabul to an international military presence if it is authorized by the Security Council. I am not in a position to discuss numbers or operational issues. But please note and be clear about the fact that this force if and when it comes will come as a friend not an enemy. So I think the issue of numbers is not going to be a problem. And also what it does or does not do will be subject of an agreement of the authorities. I am extremely encouraged by the fact that these authorities understand this extremely well – that a force that will come here is not coming to fight anybody or to oppose anybody but is coming here to help increase stability and security for the people of Aghanistan. And I’ve read in what you guys write and what your radios and television say, that the people of Afghanistan are not opposed to the UN authorized military presence.

(Question on how many troops are needed)

This should be answered) by the people who are more versed in military matters than I am.

(Question from the LA Times: How important is it for the diplomatic community to return to Kabul before 22 December and which countries have indicated they will return their diplomatic missions by then?)

There is a very large number of countries who are, who want very much to attend the ceremony on the 22nd. Now who is going to open an embassy, who is going to attend the ceremony and open an embassy later, that I don’t know. But I think that both in Bonn and here the interest in what is happening in Afghanistan is really unprecedented. And we will never repeat enough to the people of Afghanistan that they have a golden opportunity, perhaps never to come again, of availing themselves of this goodwill and political will to help them support a process that will bring peace and security to them, and will provide resources for reconstruction.

(Question from the Middle East Broadcasting: First of all do you think the UN forces, or the multinational forces , could be enough for Kabul, or from your own assessment will it be all over the place, the main cities in Afghanistan? And the second part of the question. You have been associated for so long with the Afghan issue – What makes you so sure that this time your mission will be a successful one?)

I think that (it is stated in) the Bonn Agreement that the UN mandated force will first come to Kabul and the surrounding areas, and it may add a role elsewhere. And I think that yes, the authorities understand that. They also, I think, understand – the people of Afghanistan should be informed broadly, that there is no country which wants to send a force here for 20 years. I think they will send a force for 3 months, 6 months and then they want to leave earlier than later, so there is no issue there. I think the force will come if it is needed, if it is helpful, and I think if they come here they will also try to contribute to the reconstruction effort.

(Question pour une radio francaise: Quand cette force va-t-elle se deployer – avant le 22 ou après le 22, et quelles sont les difficultés qu’elle peut rencontrer?)

Je ne sais pas quand elle va se deployer. A ma connaissance, elle n’a pas dépasse le stage de consultation, mais d’après ce que je vois ici, ce n’est pas tellement important si elle se deploie avant ou après. Les difficultés pour le moment, je n’en voie pas.

(Do you think that the force that comes here should report to the American military to the Central Command, or do you think it should be entirely independent and only responsible to its own command?)

That it much too complicated for someone like me.

(Question from AFP: Did General Fahim confirm to you during your meeting today that the Northern Alliance would withdraw all of its forces out of Kabul, as stipulated in the Bonn Accord?)

No, we didn’t discuss that. As I told you, these are things which will be discussed with the Security Council. If it is a multinational force, there will be a lead nation, and the lead nation will discuss operational issues like that.

(Follow-up from AFP: So you received no such commitment?

I didn’t seek any.

(Question from Sky News: When will the peacekeeping force become operational and what do you see as their priority?)

I don’t know, the decision hasn’t been taken yet.

(Follow up from Sky News: What will be their priority?)

Again, I think it will come to work with - don’t forget that we will soon be in this interim stage, with an interim administration, it will work with the Interim Authority, to help provide stability and security and also contribute to recovery and reconstruction.

(Did Rabbani say he would accept more than 200 peacekeepers?)

He didn’t say he would accept more than 200, but he didn’t say he’d accept less than 200 either.

(Question from the Times of London: Will some of this force be here by the 22nd and is Britain likely to lead it?)

I have no idea.

(Are you going to meet with Mr. Karzai?)

I have been in touch with Hamid Karzai and we were planning to meet today but he hasn’t been able to make it, I think. Although he said that he would try. Because as you know he is a little busy in Kandahar. But we are in touch with him.

(Is it possible he’ll come tomorrow?)

I am leaving tomorrow. I don’t know.

(Vous dites que vous ne voyez pas de probleme quant a une force multinationale. Quelle sorte de message avez vous eu du General Fahim par exemple?)

Le General Faheem et tous les gens que j’ai rencontres disent qu’ils veulent que les accords de Bonn soient mis en oeuvre dans leur intégralite, y compris ce qui concerne le deploiement d’une force mandatée par les Nations Unies.

(Question from Cox newspapers regarding the security situation in Afghanistan)

I don’t think it is perfect yet, both for foreigners and for Afghans. There again we are receiving assurances from people who are exercising authority, that they are doing their best to improve security conditions in areas under their control, for the people of Afghanistan and for delivery of aid by the UN.

(What has been agreed today?)

We have agreed that on the 22nd there will be a handover from the present authorities to the Interim Authority, the creation of which has been decided in Bonn. We have agreed also that these authorities have no objection to the arrival of the UN mandated force to cooperate with the authorities of this country. I myself have said that I cannot discuss operational questions because I’m not qualified.

Question from CNN: Why has arrival been postponed of the Afghan delegation from Bonn?)

I didn’t know it was postponed. I don’t think there is anything serious if they don’t arrive tomorrow.

(Could you comment on the reaction of General Dostum and other commanders against the Bonn conference?)

I think I have already said that General Dostum has sent us a letter. He has also sent his envoy to meet with us yesterday in Islamabad and whereas yes he said he was unhappy with a number of things that happened in Bonn, but more important from our point of view is that he has said in very very clear terms, both in the letter that he has sent and through his envoy, that he is 100% committed to this agreement, and that he will cooperate with us to make it work.

(Question from ABC Australia: In your meeting with Prof. Rabbani today, what role did he indicate he would like to play in future, and is it likely that he will be accommodated?)

I think he has definitely confirmed that he would welcome Hamid Karzai on the 22nd and hand over to him and that he would be supporting this new administration. I think it’s no secret that he has been unhappy with a number of things that have taken place and that he would like the agreement to contain for example a Supreme Council composed of 10-20 people including all the leaders of the jihad of the past. He has repeated those concerns but he has also committed himself in no uncertain terms to cooperation and support with this process.

(Follow up from ABC Australia: Will he have a role in the government to come, apart from being Northern Alliance leader?)

I don’t know.

(Question from a Japanese journalist: How do you look at the situation of the southern part of Afghanistan such as Kandahar, in which Pasthun sub-tribes are fighting one another, and do you think it is necessary to deploy a UN peacekeeping force there?)

We are not well enough informed about what is happening there. We are rather encouraged by the developments in Kandahar itself, where Hamid Karzai has been able to negotiate with the parties there. It is very sad to see this turmoil at the southern part of Afghanistan. At this stage the UN is not considering any peacekeeping force there.

(Question de l’AFP: Il y a une inquiétude ici. Tous le monde parle de securité et de paix mais aucun fonctionnaire n’est payé, aucun policier n’est paye, aucun militaire n’est paye. Comment peut-on s’attendre a la paix quand les forces de sécurité ne sont pas payées, et qui va les payer?)

Quand cette administration interimaire est installée, je suis sur que ca serait une des premières questions a laquelle elle répondra. La communauté internationale, les Nations Unies en particulier, feront tous pour aider cette administration avec ces
questions qui sont effectivement très importantes.