UN brokers theocracy, imperialism in Afghanistan As the United Nations officials get down to negotiations with a few Afghan organizations over the future of the country it should be clear to everyone watching that this is not democracy but rather a group of wealthy reactionary powers negotiating over which theocratic or imperialist power will control Afghanistan next. The first indication that the UN is not attempting to reach a settlement in Afghanistan that is in the interests of the majority of the Afghan people is the list of groups who are "negotiating" the future of the country. There are only four groups represented: the Northern Alliance which has been the U.$.-backed opposition to the Taliban in the recent war; the "Rome Group," which supports the deposed king; a group of exiles based in Cyprus who are backed by Iran; and the Peshawar group backed by Pakistan. Missing from this meeting is representation of the Afghan people themselves. Instead only four groups which enjoy significant foreign backing are being called in to decide the fate of the country. It is important to note that in spite of lip service to the rights of wimmin, and a lot of u.s. government talk about the Taliban's evil policies with regard to wimmin, no organizations representing the wimmin in Afghanistan were invited to these talks. A senior u.s. official said the United States expects to be a "partner" in shaping the political and economic future of the country (1). But at the same time the united states has declared that it wants to leave the fate of Afghanistan up to the Afghan people. That is, of course, after destroying the country with military bombardment, and assuming that the new government will be friendly to U.$. imperialism. Neocolonialism is far more convenient and inexpensive for the imperialist powers in the world today than the former policy of directly occupying colonies with imperialist troops. Rather than fighting their own wars, the imperialists prefer to set up puppets and foreign armies to do the dirty work. Then the imperialists can step in with corporations to steal the natural resources and labor of the country while offering "aid" that will ensure economic and agricultural dependence. As of November 27 all four Afghan groups had agreed tentatively to a leading role in the new interim government being played by the former king Mohammad Zahir Shah. Zahir Shah was deposed in 1973 and, at 87 years of age, lives in Rome. Zahir Shah is a Pashtun, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan representing about 40% of the population.(2) In 1964 Zahir Shah implemented a new constitution in Afghanistan which was to allow for elections, a parliament, civil rights, emancipation of wimmin, and universal suffrage. In the 1965 and 1969 elections, Islamic fundamentalists and the Soviet-backed People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan drew strong support. But Zahir Shah refused to enforce the constitution.(3) In the early 1970s Afghanistan suffered drought and famine while Zahir Shah took economic "development" aid from the united states which seemed to have no effect outside of Kabul. This is typical of governments accepting imperialist aid: that money does not go to programs that benefit the people but instead end up profiting the wealthy while impoverishing the nation. Zahir Shah was overthrown in a bloodless coup in 1973.(4) Restating his loyalty to the imperialist powers, Zahir Shah has indicated his willingness to return to the country stating that he wants to see it rebuilt with the help of the united nations. He has already sent a letter to President Bush asking for assistance and met with a u.s. delegation in October.(5) Even if the majority of the Afghan people support the former King, this can not be seen as true self-determination of a people. After a long war over control of the country between the imperialist u.s. and social-imperialist USSR, followed by years of repressive rule by the Taliban which was took power with the help of the CIA and with U.$. funding, and recently several months of devastating bombing, it is not possible that the people of Afghanistan are suddenly free to decide their fate. As they face a new repressive military rule by the Northern Alliance, which does not differ significantly from the Taliban as a government, it is no wonder the people of Afghanistan look to a monarchy as a potential improvement. Especially if the imperialist powers, which will bomb and destroy the country if a government they do not like takes power, all seem to be behind Zahir Shah. The organizations negotiating the future of Afghanistan all want a U.N. "peacekeeping" force in Afghanistan with the significant exception of the Northern Alliance which, like the Taliban before it, wants to keep the power it gained with U.$. backing all to itself. The other groups want the U.N. force to help them gain a piece of the power in Afghanistan. The united snakes has set up exactly the same situation in Afghanistan today with the Northern Alliance that it set up back in the 1980s when Osama Bin Laden was on the CIA payroll as the leader of one of the opposition groups fighting against Soviet control of Afghanistan. The united states backed Bin Laden and the Taliban up until this year. In fact the Bush Administration gave the Taliban $124.2 million in aid this year making the united states the largest Afghan donor for the second year in a row (6). The united states, and their puppet international organization, the "United Nations," are not interested in democracy or peace or self-determination in Afghanistan. Their track record is clear. Imperialist involvement in Third World countries means poverty, environmental destruction, and death for the people. Notes: 1. New York Times, November 28, 2001. 2. Boston Globe, November 28, 2001. 3 MSNBC http://www.msnbc.com/modules/afghanprimer/timeline _7.htm 4. Sabawoon online http://www.sabawoon.com/afghanpedia/Personalities. MohammadZahirShah.shtm 5. CNN.com October 1, 2001 6. CNN.com May 17, 2001