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LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- Leaders of the Logar and Wardak Provinces' Afghan national army and Afghan national police forces and the Task Force Bayonet Commanders and Command Sergeants Major met for a Commanders' Conference, April 20, to discuss upcoming elections, the forthcoming national peace jirga, and progress with the reintegration process.
"We must work at this peace process; how to bring peace, how to reintegrate those individuals who are against the government of Afghanistan," said Alhaj Shojakuddin Shouja, deputy governor of the Logar province. "We are working through the tribe elders, and we will have the tribe elders and the governor talk with them, and raise the issues that are the most crucial steps. We have to bring the people's support to the government of Afghanistan," he said.
U.S. Army Maj. Stephen Wisniew, the Task Force Bayonet chief of plans, addressed the members of the conference concerning one of the major components of the peace process, reintegration.
"President Hamid Karzai has stated that the future of Afghanistan is going to be a negotiated peace, and since we're here working together, we've found that this is an appropriate time to talk together on how we're going to bring those who want to stop fighting into the government, and also discover what's being done now concerning fighters coming to us to stop fighting," said Wisniew.
The first two phases of reintegration are planning and Malmastia, or hospitality, in which the community is informed.
"Re-integration is a community-focused process, meaning we're bringing everyone from the community and involving them in this very important process. In phase one, we're looking at an Afghan led process. In phase two, a broad information program or campaign," Wisniew said.
The next phases are Nanawati, Ghayrat, and Dostee, or sanctuary, honor, and trusted friend. In these phases, the fighters are brought to the table, publically reintegrated, and re-evaluated.
"In phase three, we want to bring the combatants or fighters to the table. In phase four we want to have a public reintegration, a community reintegration, and for phase five, we want to follow up with those who want to come to the government, those who want to be a part of Afghanistan," Wisniew said.
"At this time we think we're in phase three of the operation, which is to bring the fighters to the table, or those who want to be a part of the government. What we see is that they go to a legitimate local leader, such as an elder or religious leader they trust, and then say they want to be part of the government. They're brought to a government official such as a sub-governor or the governor himself," Wisniew said.
"Then in the next phase, public reintegration or community reintegration, a community comes together and accepts the former fighter, and brings him into their community and to the government," said Winsiew. "The last phase is what we call a trusted friend, or somebody who has decided that they will no longer fight. They want to be part of the greater Afghanistan part of that solidarity and the community brings them together and finds them a job or a safe place to live and they decide that they will no longer fight," he said.
Lt. Col. Matthew McFarlane, the Task Force Talon commander, said that many insurgents are looking to begin the process.
"It's important to note many low level insurgents are looking for jobs and have approached either coalition forces, or leadership in the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, or Afghan National Security Forces leadership recently to talk about how they can stop fighting," McFarlane said.
Wisniew noted that job creation is a large part of this process.
"We need to have a procedure for the peace reintegration, and it should involve some sort of job creation for those who would come to the government," said Wisniew.
Lt. Col. Kyle Lear, the Task Force Bayonet deputy commanding officer, agreed.
"Reward successful businessman. You want successful businessmen to bring on those individuals reintegrated as an apprentice, and train them, and then the government can reward the businessman," said Lear.
Lt. Col. William Brown, commander Special Troops Battalion, shared the same sentiment.
"Take your regular businessman, the one who's out there running a sheep farm, the one who's out there who is running his own welding shop, the one who is out there making clothes, the one who's out there making shoes, and have them take one apprentice. If you do it with small businessmen, they can touch many people, one at a time, and you can encourage their growth," Brown said.
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2010 06:38 |
| Story ID: | 48663 |
| Location: | LOGAR PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 347 |
| Downloads: | 285 |
This work, ANA, ANP, TF Bayonet Commanders' Conference Addresses Re-integration, by SGT Daniel Haun, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
