Should a new Loya Jirga be called in Afghanistan?

**Farnan** · August 29, 2009, 08:56 PM

Should a new Loya Jirga be called in Afghanistan? Bring the tribal leaders in to begin a new dialogue and start negotiations for peace (not surrender but peace negotiations to bring tribes into the fold). It is a traditional manner of solving disputes, and for many in Afghanistan tradition trumps everything.

Of course it cannot be led by Hamid Karzai as it would be seen as too biased towards the government. Perhaps Ahmed Shah Khan (son of Father of the Nation) could take the lead as I believe the Royal Family still has some tribal authority.

**Boyar Son** · August 29, 2009, 09:23 PM

peace between the tribes? sure. Peace between the tribes and al qaeda/tribes that support al qaeda? I'm leaning towards 'no'..

**Farnan** · August 29, 2009, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by Boyar Son

peace between the tribes? sure. Peace between the tribes and al qaeda/tribes that support al qaeda? I'm leaning towards 'no'..

If we can bring the tribes that support Al Qaeda over to us it would destroy Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Anyways, Al Qaeda isn't a tribe nor is the Taliban. They can't come (however pro-Taliban Tribal leaders can come).

I actually am beginning to favor the Loya Jirga rather than the ballot box for choosing the President of Afghanistan. It has more legitimacy there, and literacy is too low and corruption is to high for democracy to be optimal right now.

**Boyar Son** · August 29, 2009, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by Farnan

If we can bring the tribes that support Al Qaeda over to us it would destroy Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Anyways, Al Qaeda isn't a tribe nor is the Taliban. They can't come (however pro-Taliban Tribal leaders can come).

I actually am beginning to favor the Loya Jirga rather than the ballot box for choosing the President of Afghanistan. It has more legitimacy there, and literacy is too low and corruption is to high for democracy to be optimal right now.

well if Afghanistan is steeped in tradition as you say, loya jirga could be the best way to go. but this wont be a modernization in any way.

**Major.Stupidity** · August 29, 2009, 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by Farnan

Of course it cannot be led by Hamid Karzai as it would be seen as too biased towards the government. Perhaps Ahmed Shah Khan (son of Father of the Nation) could take the lead as I believe the Royal Family still has some tribal authority.

I'm thinking a no on "the Royal Family still having some tribal authority."

**Farnan** · August 29, 2009, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by Major.Stupidity

I'm thinking a no on "the Royal Family still having some tribal authority."

Well before we intervened to support Karzai, their former king was going to be reinstated by the last Loya Jirga... We just couldn't, for some reason, think we could sell the idea of the US instating a king. In the retrospective we should have let that happen.

**TheTrainee** · August 29, 2009, 09:23 PM

It should be considered, or something like it. We can never control the whole country. Some deals must be cut, just don't compromise too much.

This reminded me of a story where there was this town with a girl school and the Taliban started moving into town. In order to save the girls school, the town leaders made a deal with the Taliban. However, when the US & coalition forces found out about that they weren't going to stand for that. Shortly thereafter, the school was bombed and a number of girls were killed. Few Afghans are ideologues and the traditional deal-making way of doing things sometimes can have grayish positive outcomes. Though, one could argue that eventually the Taliban would go back on their deal, anyway, but that may very well depend on the kind of Taliban.

**~~Exarch~~** · August 29, 2009, 10:40 PM

i like the idea of reinstating the royal family
the afghans mights rally behind that

**clandestino** · August 31, 2009, 09:04 AM

Should a new Loya Jirga be called in Afghanistan?

Yes it should, and it's first task should be to change it's name.

**The Noble Lord** · August 31, 2009, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by Farnan

Should a new Loya Jirga be called in Afghanistan? Bring the tribal leaders in to begin a new dialogue and start negotiations for peace (not surrender but peace negotiations to bring tribes into the fold). It is a traditional manner of solving disputes, and for many in Afghanistan tradition trumps everything.

Of course it cannot be led by Hamid Karzai as it would be seen as too biased towards the government. Perhaps Ahmed Shah Khan (son of Father of the Nation) could take the lead as I believe the Royal Family still has some tribal authority.

No need for new Loya Jirga, because it is not the right time to have one now.
Let the Afghan Parliament settle things, and to mediate between the government and the insurgents.
There are few reasons why calling a new Loya Jirga is not possible:

1. The elections are still being disputed and votes are being counted.
2. Karzai is seen as a puppet and very weak man.
3. Pashtuns are afraid they are loosing political dominance and will refuse.
4. Ahmad Shah Khan Barakzai is seen as non-entity and as a nobody.
5. Royal had some authority while old king was alive, not any more.
6. Gulbudin Hekmatyar of Hezbi-Islami is back in Afghanistan and is regrouping.
7. Karzai's government is seen too corrupt and unable to do anything really.
8. It's still too early since the last Loya Jirga.
9. Let the elections finish and see who is the president.
10. ISAF and NATO are bringing reinforcements which only weakens the efforts by the Afghan government.
11. People see only Kabul as a benefactor of billions of dollars sent to Afghanistan by the International community.
12. It's the month of Ramadan now and it would be totally inappropriate to call a Loya Jirga.

This is just few reasons why it is not smart and feasible to do it now. First let the new president take over and we'll see what happens to the foreign deployment. Let the Parliament show some initiative.

**Gumpfendorfer** · August 31, 2009, 10:55 AM

Nope, the last Loya Jirga has been used by the warlords to push aside civil society, which is despite of what a lot of people say, is present in current Afghan society. They will do so a second time.

The classical tribal system does not exists any more, it has mutated into the warlord system over time. Those with the guns decide what is going to happen, not the tribal elders, they yield far less influence than before 1979. The war has destroyed much of the system. On a local level it still exists. National it doesn't.

The exile "royal family" , well, he is an exile, by default not manly enough for many, totally out of touch another reason.

Abdullah A. has the best ideas, more politics is his motto, elected governors, political parties in parliament, decentralization. That's the way to tackle the problem of a corrupt and over-centralized government.

Light a candle for a second round, hope he an Gilani join forces.