Steps toward peace and justice in Afghanistan

In an op-ed in today’s Christian Science Monitor, J Alexander Thier and Scott Worden, two advisors on the rule of law at the United States Institute of Peace, discuss the steps that should be taken to manage Afghan reconstruction so that both peace and prosperity can be achieved.

Thier and Worden believe Afghanistan is currently under pressure to live up to lofty political goals despite rampant instability. Accordingly, the Afghan government is, as said by the writers, “struggling to balance the need for peace and stability with demands for justice and accountability.”

Recently, debate arose after a hastily drafted “Charter on National Reconcilation” passed by the parliament last month. The contentious amnesty bill that came out of the charter elicited a public outcry in the international rights community, as it was widely considered to be an attempt by the country’s warlords-cum-politicians to escape prosecution. While Afghan President Hamid Karzai recently amended the amnesty bill, Thier and Worden still consider the revised version to be controversial, confusing, and detrimental to the cause of uniting a divided Afghan society.

For the full article, click here.