Afghanistan, Princess Soraya: “In 20 years we have done very little, now it is right to negotiate”

“It is right to negotiate. The Americans have been doing it for 4 years already, but they have excluded the Afghan government.” This is what Princess Soraya of Afghanistan, granddaughter of King Amanullah, recognized as a great modernizer of the country, deposed in 1929 by a revolution, and of Queen Soraya, considered among the 100 most influential women of the 20th century, declared to the Adnkronos. to earn the cover of Time Magazine in 1927. In these hours, Princess Soraya is constantly updated on what is happening in Afghanistan, the departures, the arrivals of refugees, the humanitarian cordons. There is no optimism in his words. “The Americans are leaving my country. But unfortunately in these 20 years very little has been done for my people. No infrastructure has been built, for example, hydroelectric power plants. Perhaps women, in big cities, have been, in part, ‘liberated’ from the burqa, but this has not been the case in the villages. It has existed for 200 years, the Taliban have not imported it “. Notes on the work of our country in Afghanistan. “I like to speak well of Italy – commented King Amanullah’s niece – Italians have the habit of speaking ill of themselves. Yet Italy has achieved excellence especially in the health sector by building hospitals, one of which to treat the great burned in Kabul, cancer screening centers, gynecology departments, specializing doctors, paramedics and nurses, thanks also to the cooperation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, assisted by representatives of the Sassari Brigade and the Alpini “. “There is a lot of talk today on TV, in the newspapers of the bankruptcy of America, of the West … – he added – A shame. Instead, a people, a nation ‘failed’. If I remember correctly, about 500 million have been spent dollars for the elections. Observers, cardboard boxes with ballot papers, mules to transport them … I prefer not to comment on whether these are the results “. In your opinion, is it right to postpone the date of August 31 to be able to rescue more people, especially women and children? “People who had been trained in Afghanistan by the West are leaving – replied Princess Soraya – We are talking, in these hours, of a humanitarian cordon. – he added – The Taliban are doing it, allowing the evacuation of civilians. sad to admit, but this is the reality. ” And regarding the evacuation of civilians from Kabul airport, he then specified again: “I repeat, most of the people who have worked with Americans and Westerners are leaving the country, but most of the population will remain in Afghanistan. there is no planning, no strategic plan, no concrete purpose on what will happen in the future. There have not been any by the US in the last 20 years, there will not be in these days “. “Instead of bombing opium plantations – concluded Princess Soraya – they bombed civilians, dropped ‘the mother of all bombs’ in 2017. And today we are talking about air bridges”.