'The Bonn agreement will lead to peace'

Interview with Yunus Qanooni.

Muhamad Yunus Qanooni, the Northern Alliance's Interior Minister, is small-built, has a sparse, wispy beard, and walks with a limp - the result of a battle injury. He led the Northern Alliance delegation to the recent Bonn talks and revealed himself as a skilful negotiator - firm, yet capable of being flexibile. Yunus Qanooni, son of Muhamad Yunus, was born in Kabul in 1957. He finished his secondary education in 1977 and obtained a degree in Islamic theology from the University of Kabul in 1980. He then joined the Afghan armed resistance as a member of the Islamic Jamia led by Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani. Following the capture of Kabul by the Mujahideen in 1992, Qanooni was named the head of political affairs in the Ministry of Defence. He was named Interior Minister in 1996. He led several delegations representing the Islamic government of Afghanistan. He has six children. His family has been living in New Delhi for the past several months. Excerpts from an exclusive interview he gave Vaiju Naravane in Bonn:

Are you happy with the outcome of the Bonn talks? What will be the first priority for your country?

It goes without saying that I am happy with the results of the Bonn negotiations. It is an event of historic importance, which will leave its imprint on the history of the Afghan people. The agreement will lead to peace and a happy future for my country.

Afghanistan has been in the grip of a cruel civil war. Do you think that the regional chiefs will now be willing to relinquish power and authority to the interim government?

It is clear that those who possess arms in Afghanistan today and whom we describe as "armed chieftains" must be integrated into the country's regular Army under the new interim government. Otherwise they will become a source of anarchy and instability. I am convinced that those whom we call armed chiefs will place the interests of the country before any other consideration and that they will play a key role in the peace process. They were heroes during times of war. They must now become the heroes of peace, if God so wills.

The document you have signed says specifically that no amnesty will be given to those guilty of human rights abuses and war crimes against civilians and prisoners of war. How will you bring these criminals to book? Do you think that there should be an international tribunal for Afghanistan on the lines of the international court on the former Yugoslavia?

Of course we want the war criminals to be tried and judged - those who have committed atrocities against their own people. But we must make a distinction between those who fought foreign imperialism during the aggression by the Soviet Union and those who killed their own people alongside Red Army soldiers. There is also an important distinction to be made between those who fought the Taliban and outsiders like Pakistan, Osama bin Laden and other foreigners. The Taliban and its leaders lit the brazier of war and killed innocent Afghans, and these criminals must be brought to justice in the same manner as the Yugoslav warlords. Justice and wisdom must carry the day.

What role can India play in the future of Afghanistan?

We have profound historical and cultural ties with the great India. India has never interfered in our internal affairs. On the other hand, India has helped us during moments of great hardship and need. India is a great nation and the great civilisation of the Asian continent. It can greatly contribute in the fields of education and industry and in training Afghanistan's future civil service, as it did just after Independence. Every Afghan carries the people of India in his heart and knows that Indians wish Afghanistan and its people well.

What role do you see for the United Nations Force in the long run and the short run?

We expect and we prefer Afghans to take charge of the security of their country since they know their nation and their people better than anyone else. If the need is felt, we would probably require a temporary, limited, U.N. force. I do not think we shall require it. However, it is better to wait for the installation of the provisional government on December 22 and see what will be decided.

You have pledged to withdraw all armed units from Kabul and other urban centres. Is that a promise you can keep?

Yes, we have decided on the withdrawal of all armed units from the streets of Kabul and their return to military positions they held earlier. With the help of God, we shall be able to put into practice the decisions agreed upon in Bonn. The presence of these troops in Kabul is not necessary.