“Nine years have passed since American and NATO forces entered Afghanistan with the aim of establishing peace and security as well as reconstructing the country. The main justification for their military excursion was … eliminating the threat of terrorism,” he noted.
“However, it is very hard to assess the achievements … and the prospects for the future,” the Iranian envoy emphasized in an address to the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan on Wednesday.
“What is clear is that the suffering of Afghan civilians not only has not diminished, but it is rather on the rise … I doubt whether we could call this situation as an achievement for the military forces present in Afghanistan,” he further explained.
Alehabib also called for an immediate withdrawal of foreign forces from war-torn Afghanistan and the hand-over of the control of the affairs to the people and government of Afghanistan.
He also called into question the West's claim of fighting terrorism in Afghanistan and said foreign military operations in the war-ravaged country failed to curb terrorism but instead encouraged the spread of its “evil effects” beyond Afghanistan's borders into regional countries, including Iran.
The Iranian envoy also rejected a military approach and said the only solution to regional issues was to obtain a true understanding of the “social, political and cultural structures” in the region.
Alehabib described narcotic drugs as “one of the most serious challenges” facing Afghanistan and called for an international effort to tackle the issue.
The menace has hindered the progress of Afghanistan, put at risk the security situation in the country and the region and served as a financial source of terrorism, he added.
He also hailed Afghanistan's parliamentary elections as a major achievement by the Afghan government and people in determining the future of the country and bringing to an end the presence of foreign forces.
According to Alehabib, Iran, as an immediate neighbor of Afghanistan, is willing to continue cooperation with other neighbors to discuss more concrete measures necessary to help Afghanistan with developmental projects and security issues.
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