By: Christopher Maffei
In the dust-filled streets of Maimana City, Afghanistan. Marshal Dostum’s supporters hold their Kalashnikovs and RPGs aloft. A fundamental shift in power is on the horizon for Afghan politics. Dostum is a man that has well supplied his supporters with legacy small arms for many years. Looking closely at the light weapons, such as the Kalashnikovs, PKs, and PGs they are well kept and ready for use. The abundance of linked munition is clearly visible on Dostum’s followers. Of course, the arms and munition trade are an integral part of the Afghan economy.
Not surprisingly, Dostum is a man that has been swept into a violent existential existence since his early years. He has survived multiple assassination attempts by multiple Taliban sects. Now, he is preparing to fill the void of the withdrawal of NATO, in general. Dostum, more than anything, is a survivor of countless Afghan regimes and has a singular vision:
The total defeat of the Taliban as a political and military force– a vision that has no chance of becoming reality.
But, why the anger among Marshal Dostum’s supporters now? President Ghani’s appointment of Mohammad Daud Laghmani in Maimana City, Afghanistan will have an obviously destabilizing effect. This state of affairs gives Marshal Dostum’s supporters reason and power.
However, one fundamental question remains, why would President Ghani not want a stable Afghanistan? Approximately 52 percent of Afghanistan’s GDP is opium economics. A stable and civil Afghanistan is not in the interest of its economic model. Therefore, Daud Laghmani’s appointment to Faryab is good for the Afghan economy. Like many before them, both Marshal Dostum and Mohammad Daud Laghmani have their role to play in the destabilization of the country.
Whether the Taliban are fighting each other, or Marshal Dostum’s supporters. The escalation of violence keeps western society out of Afghanistan and the guns and opium flowing.