JOHN COSTELLO / Inquirer
Said T. Jawad, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the United States.
Afghanistan: The Forgotten War
Audio Interview | Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the U.S., Said T. Jawad
Said T. Jawad was born in Kandahar and earned his law degree in Kabul. But after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, he migrated to the United States, where he ended up working for a law firm in San Francisco.
Following the fall of the Taliban five years ago, Jawad returned to Afghanistan and became President Hamid Karzai’s chief of staff. Three years ago, Karzai appointed him ambassador to Washington.
In a recent interview at the Afghan embassy in Washington, Jawad said that the upcoming handover of military power from the United States to NATO has caused some concern in Kabul about the level of the international community’s commitment to Afghanistan.
“Afghanistan is the first and most crucial front in a war against terror, where people are willing to partner with the international community and build a pluralistic and civil society. If you fail there, you will fail in the war on terror, completely.”
Editor's Note: The following clips are in MP3 format.
Jawad addresses concerns that NATO nations do not have a long-term commitment to Afghanistan.
Jawad addresses complaints that American military tactics might be alienating Afghans.
