Rabbani initially blasted the Bonn accord establishing an interim government in Afghanistan but has since toned down his fiery rhetoric–even giving interim president Hamid Karzai a hug on his inauguration day. The main reason for Rabbani’s appeasement: the appointment of members of his Jamiat-e-Islami party to top posts in the defense, foreign and interior ministries. Nonetheless, many analysts believe Rabbani could be the first warlord to return to arms if he believes things are not going his way. He spoke to NEWSWEEK’s Babak Dehghanpisheh at his home in Kabul’s upscale Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood. Excerpts:
NEWSWEEK: What do you think of the interim administration?
Burhanuddin Rabbani: This government was formed on decisions made outside of this country [at the U.N.-sponsored Bonn Conference]. Decisions that were made in a hurry. I didn’t want the world to think that I opposed peace so I gave my support. But this government is only here for six months. We can’t expect them to do too much. There’s no real parliament or elected government and there’s no reconstruction taking place.
You still have an office at the presidential compound without having an official governmental role. Why?
Mr. Karzai asked me to stay at the Gulkhana palace. He said, ‘If you leave I’ll leave,’ so I stayed.
Do you have regular contact with Hamid Karzai?
You probably realize that I put his name forth as a potential leader for the interim government. I don’t want to interfere too much in his work, and I don’t want to make it seem like there is a parallel administration working outside of the interim government. But if there is a pressing issue to discuss, I do speak to him. He will probably be able to accomplish some political goals during this time period, but he faces many problems.
Do you feel that Karzai has been brought to power through American interference?
There’s little doubt that the countries present at Bonn manipulated the process. They were probably working with good intentions, but this should be the last act of foreign interference in our domestic affairs. The growth of terrorist groups in the country was a result of foreign interference. All of our wars have been caused by foreign powers. We are open to friendly advice, but meddling will not benefit anyone. If foreign meddling continues, the Afghan people will conclude that foreign powers don’t want us to be free and only want to imprison us.
What is your assessment of America’s relationship with Afghanistan?
I believe America’s knowledge of Afghanistan is not only limited, but bordering on ignorance. They haven’t taken the time to get to know Afghanistan or its leaders. They only know Afghanistan through their spying. Since the Soviet war, any of our leaders who allied themselves with the U.S. have faced a wave of criticism. I visited the White House during the Reagan administration and was harshly criticized by the press. But we have always realized the necessity of establishing a healthy relationship with the United States.
Will you run as a candidate after the six-month mandate of the interim government expires?
I’m working on creating a national political party. When the Loya Jirga [national assembly] takes place, people can decide for themselves. If the conditions are right, I’ll announce my candidacy or support another suitable candidate. Armed struggle must be replaced by political struggle. I can’t step down from politics. I’ve devoted my life to the cause of the people and made great sacrifices when no one else cared. Our work isn’t finished.
Do you receive any financial assistance from the government?
We asked Mr. Karzai for a budget for all political parties, including ourselves. When I led the government, I helped all political parties.
During the war against the Taliban you commanded a large group of Northern Alliance soldiers. What will happen to them now?
They will become part of the national army. One of the conditions of the interim administration is that no one will have their own armed faction. They were part of our party but, from now on, they will be backing the government. Our national army must be impartial.
What do you think of the international peacekeeping force?
Like most Afghans, I don’t want foreign powers in our country. Afghans would rather be in charge of their own security. But we will cooperate with them so they can perform their duties.
Do they have an important role in ensuring security or are they more of a symbolic presence?
Their presence has not had much effect on overall security. The situation appeared calm before and still does on the surface. The peacekeeping force isn’t counterproductive, but I think security problems won’t be resolved by their presence. Their most important role should be to help us create a national army which would stabilize the country.
Do you feel that security is the main problem in Afghanistan now?
Many problems still exist. Authority hasn’t been centralized. Different provinces are working for their own interests. Cooperation between the central government and the provincial governors is based on verbal promises. The temporary offices haven’t been brought under the control of the government. The interim administration isn’t functioning as a central body.
What is the legacy of the Taliban?
They were an illiterate group who were ill-informed about religious matters. They had a very dogmatic view of religion. We have a proverb: half a mullah is a danger to your faith, half a doctor is a danger to your life. A person who is not a proper doctor can kill, and a person who is not a proper mullah can ruin the faith of Muslims.
Many Islamic schools are now viewed as suspect institutions. As a former graduate of Al-Azhar, the world’s largest Islamic university, what do you think about the current perception of the institution?
This is negative propaganda. If you look at all the people labeled as terrorists, none of them were graduates of this school. Osama bin Laden was an engineer. His deputy, Ayman-al Zawaheri, was a doctor. The people who assassinated [Egyptian leader] Anwar Sadat were either engineers or graduates of military institutions. Among the Al Qaeda members, there’s not a single person who graduated from a theological school. Islam is the foremost religion in the battle against terrorism. Killing an innocent person is considered a bigger sin than destroying Mecca.
