KUNAR PROVINCE – In his remarks to more than 80 elders, Haji Rahman, said that security problems in the area have delayed construction on the road projects, and that the elders needed to be involved in fixing the problem. “We want your participation in providing security for the roads.
We have to work together because security is a prerequisite for development to come,” Rahman said. “Development and security are co-dependent. It's a request to you elder members to help me, and to help yourselves. It's good for the future of your children and for our country to have these roads.”
“It’s a golden opportunity for us. In the past, we didn’t have roads. We used donkeys to go back and forth between places, but that was in the past,” the sub-gov said. “It would take hours to get from here to Asadabad, but now it takes 30 to 35 minutes. In the past patients couldn’t get help, but now they can be taken to the hospital quickly, because we have a road. Also, we didn’t have mobile phones in the past, but we do now because it’s development. It’s a sign things are getting better as time goes by.”
“Foreign forces will leave when we have a built country. Foreign SECFOR will pull out when we can take care of our own security. They did that in Iraq and they'll do that here,” the Afghan cmdr said. “This is a golden chance; let us use it."
The gathered leaders pledged to support ANSF and CF to improve security, so workers could get back to building the desperately needed infrastructure. They also challenged the contractors in the room to be accountable for the money by not bribing insurgents or corrupt officials, and instead use the money to build quality roads.
