War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery? Comparing Peace Policies Under the Karzai (2001-2014) & Ghani (2014-present) Leaderships in Afghanistan

Abstract

This thesis focuses on President Hamid Karzai (2001-2014) and President Ashraf Ghani’s (2014-present) peace efforts in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Strengthening the Peace Commission and later the creating of the High Peace Council were the most significant mechanisms Karzai used to talk peace with the insurgents, while the current government of Ghani has tried to assemble domestic and international consensus for the peace talks in Afghanistan. So far, about US$782 million dollars have been spent on the “Peace and Reintegration Program” (CSRS, 2016) and after nearly 15 years of war, there is no peace in sight. The culprits preventing an end of violence are the general factors of lack of trust among quarrelling and warring parties, politics of exclusion and lack of popular participation and support, in addition to interventions of neighboring Pakistan in abetting the Taliban insurgents and not forcing their leadership to the negotiating table. Western manipulation, with insufficient domestic input, begun with the 2001 Bonn Conference on Afghanistan, is another factor undermining peace process. This Thesis argues that any future Afghan political solution should be locally-owned and led, be internally inclusive, not overshadowed by changing military circumstances and have regional and international support.