David Miliband

Sudan / CPA

Sorry to sound like a stuck record on the importance of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Sudan, but it is key and needs to be advanced. Glad the FT agrees.

Posted at 11:47 08 February 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[1]

Q & A on Afghanistan

I just met 100 people in Taunton as part of a Cabinet trip to the South West. Best question - "Why do Al Qaeda hate us so much?" Part of the answer was to read Bruce Riedel's book, "The Search for Al Qaeda". There was also lots on our "allegiance" to President Karzai's government.

Posted at 14:06 05 February 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[4]

Iran: Ten days of dawn

Yet again the eyes of the world are on Iran. Yet again for all the wrong reasons.

1 February marked the start of the 10 Days of Dawn, commemorating the return to Iran of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 and the victory of the Islamic Revolution on 11 February. In a blatant attempt to cow the opposition movement ahead of the 31st  anniversary of the Revolution, the Iranian regime has resorted to a chilling campaign of threats and intimidation in the form of mass arrests, executions and calls for hangings to quell demonstrations. Reports that nine people will be executed imminently in connection with the post election unrest are utterly deplorable.

This in response to peaceful calls for democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms. These are not western prerogatives, but universal rights to which we are all entitled. We in the international community will continue to speak out in defence of those who are killed, arrested or brutalised in the name of free speech and freedom of expression.  We have a right to do so, and a duty. The people of Iran have legitimate concerns which their government must address.  Such brutality and hateful rhetoric can only serve to further erode whatever remains of the fragile bond of trust between the Iranian regime and its people.

Posted at 11:36 05 February 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[13]

Looking back at the London Conference

The London Conference on Afghanistan was set a clear goal to mobilise international civilian and military support behind the priorities of improved security, better governance and stronger regional buy-in, all under the rubric of Afghan leadership and international partnership.
 
The communiqué  shows the deliverables achieved. The wider, less tangible outcome is greater clarity and coherence around the world in the plan for the next decisive year in Afghanistan. At my Press Conference at the close of the Conference I tried to set out the basis for this. The difficulties are profound, but some of the  parallels upon which doom is predicted don't hold up.
 
I spoke to General McChrystal on Saturday morning, on his way back to Kabul. His own speech at the Conference showed how military and civilian action is now interwoven in support of a clear drive for a political settlement. This is a theme to which I will return.

Posted at 14:38 01 February 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[8]

Strenghtening the International System

The need to strengthen the international system is clear. I 'm pleased that the World Economic Forum is discussing these issues at Davos. The FCO sponsored paper by the Brookings Institution on Risk and Resilience in the International System is an important contribution to the issue - and worth a read. 

Posted at 18:09 29 January 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[3]

India and the UK

I had a quality meeting yesterday with the Indian External Affairs Minister, Mr Krishna. I am delighted that he could attend the London conference and we had a useful discussion about the situation in Afghanistan, where India will continue to play an important role. What came through in our meeting today was the close partnership that the UK already enjoys with Indian government and the Indian people across a remarkably broad landscape. The day before I was very pleased to celebrate the 60th anniversary of India's Constitution with the Indian High Commissioner, Mr Surie, together with over a thousand British Indians. I look forward to seeing more of our Indian colleagues over the next few days.

Posted at 09:37 28 January 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[2]

Yemen Meeting

I chaired a meeting today in London on Yemen.  The meeting focussed on a comprehensive approach to the root causes – political, social, economic – of Yemen’s problems.

I was pleased that Ministers of 21 countries and 5 international institutions agreed on a concrete package of measures to help Yemen.  The Chairman’s Statement contains the full details.  

But UK’s interest did not start, and will not finish, with this meeting.  The meeting was a successful step in what will need to be a long road.

Posted at 19:04 27 January 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[7]

What next for Afghan politics?

General McCrystal's excellent interview with the FT on Monday sets out clearly the military case for a political settlement in Afghanistan. Military effort and civilian effort need a political purpose - the construction of a political ring within which all those not affiliated or supportive of Al Qaeda can argue out differences.  Al Qaeda out, tribes onside, neighbours doing no harm or better still supporting stability is the goal.

In this context Ahmed Rashid's article in the New York Review of Books is essential. Rashid knows more about the Taliban than almost anyone, and his explanation of the recent history of Afghanistan and the choices for the future is compelling. The fact that countries represented in Istanbul were queuing up to support his thesis - in their own words - is encouraging.

Posted at 10:03 27 January 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[2]

Regional support for Afghanistan

The Turkish conference on co-operation in "the heart of Asia" brings together the neighbours of Afghanistan - from Iran round to Pakistan - preparatory to the London Conference.  I have just spoken. Transcript is here:  Istanbul Summit on friendship and co-operation in the 'heart of Asia'

I said that we needed the region to a) support Afghan independence and sovereignty, b) establish serious fora for co-operation based on the do no harm principle c) tackle problems like drugs and exploit opportunities for, eg, trade and d) support political reconciliation inside Afghanistan.

Posted at 12:03 26 January 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[1]

Senate Foreign Relations Committee 3

My briefing session from the Senate is here. Impressive knowledge of the situation in the South, with many praising UK forces/diplomats.

Strong calls for burden sharing. Serious desire for reassurance at the London Conference from the Afghan delegation that the new government will deliver.

Posted at 12:27 22 January 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[1]

Not Vietnam

Here is my article from the special issue of the New Statesman, on why Afghanistan is not another Vietnam.

Posted at 12:54 21 January 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[3]

Senate Foreign Relations Committee 2

I am travelling to Washington to brief the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about Afghanistan and the aims/objectives of the Afghanistan Conference. It's an unusual thing to do - I don't think a serving British Foreign Secretary has ever done it - but it is a way of conveying key ideas in a manner that may get more traction than a speech.

I will post the written statement submitted as soon as appropriate/possible. It covers the key issues of security, governance and regional support.

I said in Afghanistan at the weekend that one key aim of the conference is to achieve greater clarity, cohesion and confidence in the international community about the Afghan plan. The briefing in Washington takes this to a new audience and different format. The committee has heard serious evidence from a range of experts  and has an experienced and well informed membership. Chairman John Kerry testified on his return from Vietnam in 1970 . Its a different story today.

Posted at 17:38 20 January 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[1]

Martin Luther King Day

Today is Martin Luther King day. When I was a student in the USA in the late 1980s, I read the first volume of a brilliant three volume biography by Taylor Branch, called 'Parting the Waters'. The subtitle is' America in the King Years'. What's striking is the notion of 'the King Years', unusual for someone who was not a President or even a Senator. This speaks to the impact he had on social justice. And it speaks to the part he played in America's drive to be a 'great society'.
 
On the 42nd anniversary of his assassination, it is worth remembering that he was a champion of equal rights in all its forms, and a champion of peace. It is a double tragedy that he is not alive today - to see the progress, and to take on the injustices that still exist.
 

Posted at 14:17 18 January 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[8]

Srebrenica

The Serbian President Boris Tadic has called for a Serbian Parliament resolution on the Srebrenica massacre. The 15th anniversary falls in July. I think this is a very welcome initiative. I hope it prospers and is not resisted or misused. Amidst all the terrible crimes of the 1990s in the former Yugoslavia, Srebrenica, with more than 8000 victims, stands out. This was the largest mass murder in Europe since World War II, and ICTY and the ICJ have both determined that acts of genocide were committed at Srebrenica.

I know from my meetings with my Serbian counterpart that the present Serbian Government is working hard to try to find General Mladic, who has been charged with responsibility for this atrocity. Facing up to the past can be painful. Srebrenica is seen, across the world, rightly as a grim reminder of the depths to which people can sink when dictators whip up ethnic hatred, and the outside world doesn't intervene in time.

Posted at 11:28 18 January 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[25]

British Cemetery in Kabul

I paid a moving visit this morning to the historic British Cemetery in Kabul.  The gravestones date back to the 1840s.  Sadly the roll of honour of those lost in the current conflict outnumbers those buried there.  The cemetery is kept in good order in one of Kabul's more affluent districts.  Civilians and military personnel are remembered in the cemetery, and so are some foreign nationals - notably Italians.  It is a reminder of Kabul's peaceful times as well as war torn history.

Posted at 12:21 17 January 2010 by David Miliband  |  Comments[1]