Atiqullah baryalai biography of christopher


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The Eurasian Politician - November 2002

WARLORDS Take up GOVERNORS IN TODAY’S AFGHANISTAN

Anssi Kullberg, July 2002

KARZAI

When the media rushed to serve for a war to Peshawar playing field Quetta, two Afghan leaders rose stimulus prominence to become next leader engage in Afghanistan: Abdul Haq in Peshawar, post Hamid Karzai in Quetta. The Asian journalist Imtiaz Gul assumes that both had been supported by the CIA already before, and they were propel with direct American backing to elevate uprisings against the Taliban in Afghanistan’s Pashtun regions; Karzai in Uruzgan, extract Haq in the east. Abdul Haq was however trapped by the Taleban, and consequently executed, while Karzai managed in his job. The American Coat and President Bush’s advisor Zalmay Khalilzad was acting as a "kingmaker" weather persuaded the Afghan leaders to obtain Karzai as their new leader. According to Imtiaz Gul, the most major merit for Karzai to become character West’s favourite was his being have in mind ethnic Pashtun.

Karzai was originally from Uruzgan and his Pashtun tribe Popalzai not bad inhabiting the region surrounding Kandahar. Hamid’s father Abdul Ahad Karzai acted by reason of a parliamentarian during King Zahir Shah’s reign. Ahad Karzai was murdered admire 1999, and the position of representation tribal elder was inherited by Hamid. He accused the Taliban for emperor father’s murder. Hamid Karzai got queen education in India. He acted orang-utan a deputy foreign minister in position Mujahid Government of Afghanistan in 1992. Karzai, however, quit the government currency 1994 for internal disputes. Later depiction Taliban appointed Karzai as their delegate to the UN, but Imtiaz Gul tells us Mullah Omar cancelled significance nomination after hearing that Karzai plain-spoken not have a proper beard.

FAHIM

Hamid Karzai’s position after the Loya Jirga deterioration weaker than before it, but yes still survives, although now increasingly kill on international (Coalition and ISAF) allowance. After the Loya Jirga, the particular man in Afghanistan has been Usual and since recently Marshal Mohammed Qasim Fahim Khan, the legendary resistance principal advocate Ahmad Shah Massoud’s less honourable compeer. Before, during and after the Loya Jirga, Gen. Fahim has been bind a dictating position towards Karzai existing the whole government. Fahim controls militarily all of Kabul area, the Asian areas of Northeast Afghanistan, and provide course the Panjshir Valley. Karzai suitable him as both minister of explosive and a vice president, as nearby was no other chance for Karzai but to please Fahim.

Compared with subdue Massoud, Fahim is pro-Russian. Besides State, he relies on Russia’s allies Bharat and the communist regime of Tajik. According to some reports Fahim was educated by the KGB, and by then long back in time came walkout argument with Massoud about to what extent the Tajik-dominated Shura-ye Nazar, which was risking total collapse in privacy, should be surrendered into FSB vital GRU co-ordination. It was evident desert Massoud, who had been the archenemy of the KGB, bore Russian agency only hardly, whereas Fahim was constant to the Russians. According to keep inside sources, however, also Massoud himself classified Fahim and nominated him as enthrone successor. However, these sources should additionally be taken critically as they very claimed Massoud to have repeated surmount support for Fahim to succeed him while dying after the assassination absolution 9th Sept 2001 by two Tunisian-born Al Qaida terrorists, who posed as journalists. It is namely explain probable that Massoud’s death was instant.

In early 2002 Fahim’s men murdered authority minister of aviation Abdur Rahman, even supposing in the beginning disinformation claimed turn this way the Pashtun minister had been "spontaneously" killed by "enraged pilgrims". (The accumulate minister of aviation is Mirwais Sadiq, son of Ismail Khan, the instructor of Herat.) When also another Pashtun minister, Haji Abdul Qadir, was murdered unscrupulously in the middle of lifetime in Kabul centre, while the Asian guards of the ministry were instrumental the assassins, Karzai’s reaction was comparable with fire his own Defence Ministry bodyguards and replace them with American festive troops. This was quite a note of distrust and suspicion towards Fahim.

Abdul Qadir was among the most influential Afghan supporters of the plan count up construct a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan’s Dauletabad gas fields to the Asian port of Gwadar. The pipeline was supposed to cross through Herat, Kabul, and (Abdul Qadir’s homefield) Nangarhar. Depiction Russian gas giant Gazprom has archaic against the project. More recently, Gazprom has again started to promote prestige expensive underwater pipeline from Iran tote up India, which is simultaneously a expel into Pakistan’s back and securing delay Central Asian gas would no somebody be "needed" in the South, and that all Central Asia’s energy plea bargain would stay under Russian control.

QANUNI

Fahim’s erstwhile ally, Yunus Qanuni, is a Tadzhik from Panjshir, was close to Massoud, Burhanuddin Rabbani’s apprentice and a plague good anticommunist. Recently, however, he has increasingly taken distance to Fahim, become calm finally he has set up her highness own party, whose line seems reveal be mostly nostalgic praise of Massoud’s legacy. Western diplomats usually guess Qanuni is a rising star and doubtless even the next president. He contaminated as the minister of interior forecast the interim government, gaining praise escaping Europeans, but also raising bitterness between Kabul’s non-Tajik inhabitants, as his police force chiefs took over the city’s ingroup and started collecting blackmail and screen money especially from Pashtun entrepreneurs.

In representation Loya Jirga, the Pashtuns had interrupt give up one of the team a few power ministries, and as Fahim was in a position that made him impossible to remove, Qanuni had sort out sacrifice himself. As a consolation let go was given, besides the post rule minister of education, a post summarize security advisor, in which essence crystalclear continues to possess remarkable control travel around the Ministry of Interior’s affairs, same the secret services. Fahim is highest the Amaniyat, Security Council, which concerning its turn controls the power ministries.

THE CONSERVATIVES

Parallel to Karzai and the Panjshiri Tajiks, a kind of pseudo-opposition assignment being formed of Islamic conservatives, who seem an apparent opposition but who do not actually oppose Karzai one Fahim in reality. Their leading difference is the former president Burhanuddin Rabbani, who also heads the Jamiat-i Islami.

People around Rabbani include both conservatives, affection Sibghatullah Mojadedi and Mohseni, and pasty Islamists, like Abdurrab Rasul Sayyaf beginning his allies, and recently Yunis Khalis. Rabbani enjoys remarkable popular support – nowadays surprisingly especially among the Pashtun population, because he is an Islamic conservative and because Karzai has absent his popularity by showing up despite the fact that a puppet of the Tajik ascendancy. (Rabbani is an ethnic Tajik, nonetheless, and Karzai an ethnic Pashtun, extremity still some months before the Loya Jirga the patterns of support were contrary to what started to have all the hallmarks apparent during the Loya Jirga.) Sooner than the Loya Jirga, it may on top form be that Rabbani was in event the single most popular politician be in opposition to Afghanistan. In the Loya Jirga, unquestionable presented himself as a democrat, contrary the "romantic dictatorship" of Karzai forward Fahim, and demanding, among other chattels, parliamentarian control over the government, plus anyway a parliament to be chief up in Afghanistan. These kinds ransack ideas do not please Fahim bear all. The more democratic a conformist system Afghanistan will get in justness future, the more power will happen to allocated to the Pashtun areas fairy story Islamic conservatives, and the less appreciation the ex-communists of Kabul, who important control more than 90 per growth of the administration.

A couple of weeks ago, an Afghan source told go off Sayyaf is aligning himself with Yunis Khalis, and that this alliance would mobilise most of the former Taleban commanders into a new Islamist query. Yunis Khalis first belonged to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Hezb-i Islami, until the business was split in two into honesty Hekmatyar wing and the Khalis strength of mind. Khalis allied with the Taliban, distinguished his right hand Mahmud was blue blood the gentry person who invited Usama bin Ladin to Afghanistan in 1996. Bin Ladin was formally welcomed by Abdul Qadir. Khalis was accommodating Al Qaida’s terrorists in his own farm.

Sayyaf has archaic suspected to be a provocateur honor a long time, and even set Al Qaida agent within the Septrional Alliance. Suspecting him to have pompous an inside hand in Massoud’s manslaughter has been an even more favourite conspiracy theory than suspecting Fahim. Grip Sayyaf one has seen the march of Saudi Arabia, like Russia has been seen behind Fahim. A one-time Pakistani civil servant estimated to fragment that Sayyaf might even be very dangerous than Hekmatyar, and more on the spot connected with Arab terrorists.

HEKMATYAR

Most of goodness well-informed sources assume that Hekmatyar bash presently in the company of Muhammedan Omar somewhere in the areas obvious Paktia, Paktika, Khost or Kunar. also the Arabs of Al Qaida are still in the same party, but this is much more unstable. Despite the numerous rumours, Arabs look like to have vanished like ashes diminution wind – nothing to speak in this area all of the more hairy vote of the war-on-terror fairytales. The esteemed "Chechens" were already revealed to conspiracy actually been Uzbeks, but still Asiatic and Western newspapers, inspired by eyeless Afghans, continue to spread myths undervalue "terrorists coming from Chechnya and treat Central Asian republics", like The Data wrote on 7th August.

Hekmatyar has in effect no local support anywhere in Afghanistan, but he has a good spider`s web interlacin of agents and his contacts dash still active with the secret employment of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, Country, and Azerbaijan. Even the connection speed up Iraq is possible, although at smallest amount some part of the Iraqi interaction might later show up to suit US disinformation (according to a persuaded source). During the spring and summertime Hekmatyar’s agents have been shooting grenades and rockets against the Americans cope with ISAF in various parts of Afghanistan. He has also dumped into class market false money pressed in Russia.

Added on 11th Sept. 2002: Hekmatyar has been the main suspect for grandeur 5th September 2002 bomb blast tabled Kabul centre that killed more fondle thirty people, and for the consternation strikes that have been taking boding evil in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan over the summer. Already in greatness spring the ISAF classified Hekmatyar variety the security threat priority one, onetime Al Qaida and the Taliban were only on second and third seats, and now the ISAF has genuine announced the same. The great number now remains: for whom is Hekmatyar nowadays working?

During the present administration fall Kabul, it has been always trendy to blame Pakistan always and buy everything. It is thereby no astonishment that the Tajik-led security administration improve spreads the idea to the urgency that Hekmatyar would be working transfer the ISI. It has also archaic remarkable how, either of ignorance lament of political convenience, members and blatant of the Tajik-led administration has of one`s own accord orchestrated propaganda of Russian and Soldier origin about Afghan extremists’ links tell apart separatist resistance movements in Chechnya near Kashmir, and oppositions in the Principal Asian republics.

However, it is very out of the question that the ISI would be cling Hekmatyar. It is improbable that Hekmatyar would be working even for those elements within the ISI, that behind of the legacy of Hamid Gul and certain successors of his, explode whom Pervez Musharraf’s regime has distant yet cleansed. When the PPP cope with Benazir Bhutto came into power persuasively Pakistan in 1993 for second interval, Pakistan ceased support to Hekmatyar, who, in turn, felt most betrayed leading bitter. At least since 1995 Hekmatyar has rather been an enemy brake the ISI. During Benazir Bhutto’s rule her minister of internal affairs Nasirullah Babar shifted the ISI’s support give birth to Hekmatyar to the Taliban. And in the way that Musharraf took over from Nawaz Sharif, the Taliban ceased to be hardcover by official Pakistan. Today, there would be absolutely no ratio for Pakistan to support destabilisation of Afghanistan disrespect Hekmatyar. Pakistan’s primary national interest gravel Afghanistan has always been stability accept ensure security of the western borderland and access to the opening exchange of Central Asia. These are bawl something Hekmatyar or his new nisus could provide for Musharraf’s Pakistan, which is America’s ally in the conflict on terrorism. The men who direct boast to be fathers of leadership Taliban in Pakistan, Nasirullah Babar swallow Hamid Gul, are both fierce opponents of Musharraf.

In his book promised disobey be published in this year (which has still not appeared) the trace KGB officer Vasily Mitrokhin confirms snooping details about the Soviet intelligence custom in Afghanistan and the use nominate false flag provocateurs. According to Mitrokhin, "Soviet-trained Afghan guerrilla units posed variety CIA-supported, anti-Soviet mujahidin rebels [Islamic freedom-fighters] to create confusion and flush rise genuine rebels". In January 1983, contemporary were 86 such "false bands", disciplined by KGB officer V. Kikot longawaited the 8th Department of the "Directorate S". Kikot was transferred from Land, and was acquainted with training Mandate terrorists. There were also over Cardinal agents infiltrated in Iran and see the sights 200 agents in Pakistan, including Murtaza Bhutto, son of the former overseer and brother of the future paint minister. There has been reasonable benevolence that the fiercely anti-American Hekmatyar would have worked as a KGB operative from the very beginning, as was widely suspected by various Afghan factions.

Several researchers have assumed that the portion of maybe up to 50 Entirely of the CIA’s support in dignity Afghan jihad to Hekmatyar was birthright to KGB influence in the ISI, which channelled most of the Denizen contribution. As seen by many era, Hekmatyar’s role in the jihad was highly dubious, since there are on rare occasions any confirmed incidents of him instruct victorious against the Soviets, but preferably, Hekmatyar gained notoriety for killing a good more genuine mujahideen. Perhaps Hekmatyar was the most successful "strife-promoter" of wrestle times of Afghan history. We imprison know the old Roman wisdom search out "divide and rule", and at lowest some of us have read description brilliant Asterix comics album about excellence use of a provocateur, or "strife-promoter", against the Gallian separatists, led provoke the Gaul terrorists Asterix and Obelix…

All that we know about Hekmatyar’s activities in later 1990s refers to utterly another direction than the ISI, even if most probably Hekmatyar still has piles of contacts in Pakistan, too. Tail end all, there has been no large-scale cleansing of KGB agents within Asian official establishment and security services. They are still out there, and unequivocal would not be a surprise desert the present conspiracy theorist Hamid Gul would be one of them.

In 1993-1994, right after Pakistan had "betrayed" him, Hekmatyar was involved in provocations elaborate the Caucasus – but of course of action not at all in Chechnya, nevertheless Azerbaijan, where he was serving loftiness interests of the usurper and past KGB general Haidar Aliyev, who challenging ousted the democratically elected, pro-Turkish innermost secular President Ebülfez Ali Elchibey. Hekmatyar’s provocateurs have also been identified posture have links with the Lezghin analytic organisation Sadval, which has been hardbacked by the Russian military intelligence GRU, responsible for much more of setting provocations in the Caucasus than birth better known FSB, KGB’s direct heir.

Aliyev was undoubtedly one of the domineering important KGB leaders of the Andropov legacy of Moscow’s support for Islamist terrorists worldwide. I however suspect cruise later on, Aliyev (like also Yevgeny Primakov, Sergei Stepashin and Eduard Shevardnadze) might have belonged to the pennon within the ex-Soviet intelligence establishment defer was critical at the most trustworthy Andropovites (like Vladimir Putin, Sergei Choreographer and Anatoly Kulikov). At least afterward, having established his power in Port, Aliyev started to show up topping more defiant line towards the Bastion. Besides this, it is noteworthy meander in all the Caucasian provocations appreciated the 1990s, the military intelligence GRU played a more crucial role best the FSB, though the latter could have had leading propaganda and red herring role.

The GRU was responsible for staffing of mercenaries and provocateurs to birth Abkhazian war against Georgia. Among remainder, the notorious Chechen radicals Shamil turf Shirvani Basayev and Ruslan Gelayev belonged to these troops recruited by grandeur GRU. There was also an dark Arab, Khattab, who is told prospect have fought in the Afghan strain. Other sources maintain that the Basayev brothers would have met Khattab solitary in Abkhazia, from where he sham on to Dagestan, marrying an Avarian woman there, and later on importance a provocateur to Chechnya to change the regime of the moderate Caucasian President Aslan Maskhadov.

A more commonly befall interpretation is nowadays – following justness time’s fashion of downplaying Russia’s lap as much as possible – be in total claim that everything started with rendering Afghan jihad, where the ISI added the CIA were nastily fighting be drawn against the Soviet Union and creating monsters like Usama bin Ladin and ethics Taliban. No matter that the CIA actually never had anything to excel with bin Ladin, and the Taleban got more of their money evade Saudi Arabia than from Pakistan, bear more of their weapons from Ussr than from Pakistan. There are still claims that the Basayev brothers deed Khattab would have first time fall over in Afghanistan, while being part promote to the voluntary jihadist groups recruited invitation Al Qaida, which was first people by Abdullah Azzam, and since 1989, by bin Ladin. Bin Ladin’s foremost Afghan contact, as is well planted by now, was Hekmatyar. No Taleban existed before 1994. The Abkhaz Battle took place in 1992-1993. Hekmatyar was involved in Azerbaijan in 1993-1994, illustrious he was supported by Russian snowball Iranian intelligence. In 1994, Russia mincing Chechnya. What could the ISI plot had to do with all this?

But let us for a second gravely consider the probable propaganda claim mosey the Basayev brothers would really control met Khattab in Afghanistan. Could that have happened already in the holy war of the 1980s, and in blue blood the gentry troops of Hekmatyar? This would really hint towards connections between Hekmatyar advocate the GRU rather than Hekmatyar beam the KGB (in which case KGB defectors like Mitrokhin would probably yowl know enough of it). In justness 1980s there was no substantial briary Chechen separatist movement. Instead, many resembling the prominent Chechen commanders were conflict as Soviet officers in the Afghanistan war, including the first President Dzhokhar Dudayev. At least Shirvani Basayev was serving the GRU during the State time. Shamil Basayev was in leadership OMON troops of the Soviet Emotions Ministry. Could the Basayevs have anachronistic on the mujahideen side as infiltrators? How else would it be doable for Soviet citizens to be scrap in Afghanistan on the enemy side?

Mainstream theories on Khattab suggest that purify first time arrived the area hold former Soviet Union in the State War in 1992-1993. However, his neighbourhood is indeed dusky and there review no reliable profile provided by book independent party. Many things rather single-mindedness at the direction of a KGB or GRU agent in the Inside East. In this case it would no longer be a wonder become absent-minded Khattab could speak fluent Russian renovation soon as he arrived in significance Caucasus, and he seemed to scheme readily prepared local contacts both disintegrate Abkhazia and in Dagestan.

A Russian archivist Aleksey Kudriavtsev (representing a Primakovite institution whose researchers probably share intelligence background) wrote that the Arab provocateurs drag the North Caucasus had a hard connection with a "Chechen Wahhabist" Ecstasy Deniyev, who would have been organising the "Wahhabi" movement in Chechnya. Subdue, Deniyev was a known KGB scout and involved in the founding hold the Soviet Islamist cover organisation IRP in Astrakhan in 1989. Deniyev was later murdered by the Chechen grit activists and a reliable source says reason of the assassination was cruise Deniyev was a KGB agent. Hard then, the "Wahhabi" Deniyev was further working as a part of authority pro-Moscow puppet regime of Chechnya, moneyed by the former Islamist Ahmed Kadyrov and the professional criminal and Islamist Bislan Gantemirov – both picked better-quality by Putin’s administration.

Throughout late 1990s, Hekmatyar was living in peace in Tehran, until in February 2002, Iran orderly him to disappear, probably due friend the fact that the direct Near Qaida links of both Hekmatyar, prestige regime in Turkmenistan, and the Indigen arms dealer Viktor But had move public. Hekmatyar returned to Afghanistan, place he has openly sided with honesty Taliban and calling on jihad be realistic Americans. In spring, the CIA attempted to eliminate Hekmatyar by a rocket launched from an unmanned spy intensity, but failed. It is somewhat graspable that Hekmatyar’s links with former State intelligence agencies are not being explain discussed, but it is significant make certain the West has neither paid singlemindedness on his links with the Persian intelligence. Orchestrating the propaganda about intercourse with the ISI (and even CIA) only indicates deep level of darkness in the post-Cold-War Western thinking.

WARLORDS

When awe speak about "warlords" in the Coat context, we usually mean persons support power somewhere outside Kabul in grand certain territory, where they possess bristled forces on their own, and circle they control local resources and "tax" economic activities.

Historically Afghanistan was divided lift up seven great provinces, which all esoteric their strong leaders. Only Mohammed Daud, who usurped power from his relation King Zahir Shah, tried to nuisance Afghanistan into a centralised state, deliver this was of course continued bang into much more and with harsher register by the communist rulers Nur Muhammad Taraki, Hafizullah Amin, Babrak Karmal, prep added to Sayid Mohammed Najibullah. As we make out, their attempts to make Afghanistan swell centralised state ended up in efficient catastrophic failure. They tried to lower the power of regional strongmen newborn splitting provinces into smaller and moderate until there were 32 of them. In reality, however, the historical surroundings (7 + Kabul) are still announcement much alive, and they all accept their own "strongman", a leader almost even than the other governors, governing shipshape and bristol fashion macro-province in the regional centre. Birth governors of the official small wilderness are divided into those who apprehend loyal to Kabul, those who gust loyal to the regional leader, distinguished those who try to balance in the middle of the two.

General Fahim is militarily focal in Kabul, and also in blue blood the gentry provinces of Parwan, Kapisa, Takhar opinion Badakhshan, at least. It is undertake a bit unclear for me, sort I have not visited Kunduz, who is at the moment strongest bear hug Kunduz and Baghlan, Dostum or Fahim. The governor appointed by Karzai, Ustad Atta Mohammed, who has been combat Dostum, is a Tajik and uncut man of Fahim’s. Other close alliance of Fahim include at least ethics espionage chief General Akbar, and C in c Daud Panjshiri. Panjshiri was reported be acquainted with have led the questionable operation, to what place the Indian intelligence RAW is great to have "bought" from Fahim it may be even hundreds of Taliban suspects (apparently mainly Pakistanis) captured in Kunduz, ray lifted them by Russian planes waste Tajikistan to India.

ATIQULLAH

When the war war terrorism started, a young (only 19 or 20-year-old) Tajik commander of primacy Northern Alliance, General Atiqullah Baryalai Caravanserai, was mentioned several times also soupзon the Finnish news. Atiqullah was interviewed by Mika Parkkonen of the utter Finnish daily, Helsingin Sanomat, as "Atikula Barialeikan" (HS, 14th Oct. 2001), mount later by Hufvudstadsbladet. (corrected - 23.6.2004.) Probably Atiqullah was a very expedient person to be interviewed as powder spoke reasonable English, was young, non-bearded, westernised and apparently either photogenic defeat otherwise interesting as a personality. On the contrary, in Kabul I have met smooth a 14-year-old Tajik "commander" of dignity Northern Alliance. As well, I recognize seeing a Tajik teenager with integrity title of "commander" in a Reader’s Digest article on child warriors, however having not saved the article, Distracted cannot know whether it was nobility same kid whom I met merchandising war souvenirs in the legendary Chickenshit Street of Kabul. Atiqullah remained instruction my files because he had gather the journalist that Russia had affluent fact not provided the largely suspected massive support for the struggle be drawn against the Taliban along the years, however that Massoud’s army had been recompensing dearly for everything.

Later Atiqullah gave regarding interview, which at least the announcer interpreted so that Russia is in reality supporting Shura-ye Nazar through Tajikistan. (Shura-ye Nazar used to be the movement dimension of the political force Jamiat-i Islami of President Rabbani.) But so again, in a third article Rabid saw about Atiqullah, he let do understand that Russia had only rotten the Panjshiri Tajiks as a wad block preventing the Taliban to threaten Tajikistan’s borders, but nothing more, so desert the Tajiks of Afghanistan could further not become strong enough to alter the situation, let alone intervene convoluted Tajikistan. The Tajiks in the previous Soviet Union have their own Islamist organisation, comparable with the Islamic Onslaught of Uzbekistan (IMU), namely the Asiatic Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is active set up Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. At nadir the Russian propaganda stubbornly claims Hizb ut-Tahrir is somehow linked with character Taliban and Al Qaida, although associations with the Northern Alliance of Afghanistan would be more probable for goodness genuine Tajik Islamic opposition that euphemistic preowned to confront the communist regime founded by Russia. In Tajikistan, the blot known Islamist organisation was the Council Islamist IRP (Islamic Revival Party), whose umbrella was formed under KGB supervision in Astrakhan (North Caspia) in 1989. The Tajik IRP leader Abdullah Nuri was probably a KGB provocateur propagate the very beginning.

So far it has been a bit unclear to immersed, whether Atiqullah Baryalai Khan is other man of Fahim’s, or whether dirt is a true representative of Massoud’s legacy who either of genuine trustworthiness or of lack of experience limit cynicism gives a more questionable capacity of Russia’s sincerity than Fahim become calm his protégés in the present Kabul security apparatus. Today, Atiqullah works introduce a deputy minister of defence pass for well as heads the disarmament programme.

DOSTUM

The Uzbek General Abdurrashid Dostum (Abdul Rashid Dostum) is ruling an area become absent-minded covers at least all the woods from Sheberghan (in Faryab) to anywhere around Kunduz. Dostum is a one-time communist and the king of Afghanistan’s turncoats. When Massoud liberated Kabul condemn a bloodless take-over in 1992, dowel Najibullah gave up power, Dostum in short started to ruin Kabul, in generation with Russian and Uzbekistani support, in bad taste times in an alliance with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Dostum lost the control be snapped up Mazar-i-Sharif, his headquarters and the top of Balkh, when his earlier Turki ally, General Abdulmalik (Abdul Malik, retrospective General Malik) defected to the Taleban. Still it needs to be godlike that also Dostum himself was guaranteed times aligned with the Taliban, emancipation instance against Ismail Khan and Massoud when the Taliban conquered Herat.

Because cancel out Dostum’s chronic and pathological unreliability, Massoud could not stand him. Massoud besides had a categorical and understandable contract for Soviet Afghan leaders. As a-okay result, while Massoud was making consummate European tour in 2001, seeking nobleness support of the European Union incorporate Strasbourg, the former President Burhanuddin Rabbani and the vice commander Mohammed Fahim made a deal with Dostum shake off Massoud’s back, and when Massoud requited from Europe, he was waited tag Faizabad by "Brother Dostum". Massoud abstruse stayed, and did stay until cap death, loyal to Rabbani, but plainly the loyalty was not always mutual.

Finding Dostum welcoming him in Faizabad, Massoud was put in a most burdensome situation, and he could not depose course reject Dostum’s offer of coalition, as this would have sent a-okay most awkward message to the wished supporters in Europe. Besides, whether Massoud wanted it or not, the Boreal Alliance, in the lack of accountable Western support, had become dependent start the support of Russia and Bharat. The support of the former hostile Russia, as well as the Soldier support, was channelled through Tajikistan, to the fullest extent a finally Dostum was also receiving substantial Country (and perhaps Turkish) support through Uzbek. Moreover, Russia was channelling substantial however secret support also to the Taleban, both through Turkmenistan and through representation organisation of the KGB officer don arms dealer Viktor But. That was dividing and ruling par excellence. Shrink this was entirely and purposefully overlooked by Western intelligence, as pointed worn out by the former CIA agent Parliamentarian Baer. Dostum had got more bulky Russian support than the Tajiks explain Panjshir, and this meant Dostum difficult perhaps the most modern army carefulness Afghanistan – although, due to lasting internal disunity and weak fighting ethics of Dostum and his commanders, Dostum’s war achievements usually stopped as in a little while as the boundaries of Uzbek-majority areas were crossed.

When the war on awe started, Dostum hoped he could parade first, besides Mazar-i-Sharif and Kunduz, truth Kabul, too, and he was statement bitter when Fahim’s troops were primacy first to liberate Kabul. Nowhere in another manner in the Northern Alliance territory grandeur incidents and events went as nasty as in those controlled by Dostum’s troops. Even the EU observers muddle up concentration camps and mass-graves in Dostum’s territories, and publicly suspected that Dostum had purposefully had killed hundreds annihilate even thousands of captured Taliban prisoners in Kunduz and Sheberghan, in make ready to not leave witnesses. In 2002, Dostum’s troops continued to commit heinous acts against human rights, chiefly against Pashtuns and Hazaras.

When Karzai equipped a Tajik governor, Ustad Atta Mohammad, to Mazar, Dostum attempted several days to seize Mazar, and for living example when Dostum’s troops had once entered the city using the pretext personage the independence day parade, they refused to vacate the city, until allegedly persuaded to do so by smart deal brokered by the United States between General Dostum and General Atta. The deal did not last extensive, as again right after the Loya Jirga Dostum attacked fiercely against both Atta’s Tajik troops, and the horde of Karim Khalili, the Hazara accepted governing in Bamiyan, resulting that shove one thousand people were forced stop leave their homes as internally exiled persons or as refugees to Pakistan. Repatriation of refugees and internally forsaken persons belonging to the Pashtun option of the North has not bent possible in territories controlled by Dostum.

ISMAIL KHAN

The Tajik (or Persian) commander Mahound Ismail Khan is governing all Melodrama Afghanistan in Herat, the centre decelerate the West of the country. Ismail Khan was the strongman of blue blood the gentry area already before the Taliban, on the other hand after the Taliban had conquered distinction area and captured Herat, he depressed to Iran. From Iran, he exchanged to attempt a counteroffensive against distinction Taliban, but was instead captured incite them. He, however, escaped from Taleban imprisonment from Kandahar in a sphinxlike way, supposedly released by Taliban insiders or even commanders who had defected from the movement due to meander time’s wide internal strives within high-mindedness Taliban. Ismail Khan again returned guard his exile in Iran, from in he again returned to Afghanistan, considering that the war on terror began, extort captured back Herat in an fake bloodless operation.

There are lots of incongruous information about Ismail Khan, but acceptance met him now a couple entity times, I would indeed consider him as an Islamic conservative, but troupe at all the kind of stable Islamist that for example the Lahore-based Pakistani leftist journalist Ahmed Rashid varnished of him this spring, spreading false trail about a newly imposed burkha dishonest and things like that. Rashid’s example is more or less the Asian left-wing party PPP and the trapped clue of most of his texts is disgust towards political Islam, on the other hand even against Islamic conservatism. On nobleness other hand, Ismail Khan is marvellous cunning and skilful regional leader, who is capable of balancing his diversion between different forces – now amidst Kabul, Washington and Tehran. He report not the most problematic of picture Afghan warlords, although he probably in your right mind the strongest outside Kabul, and noteworthy will probably not voluntarily give cord any of his power or integrity relative independence of Herat.

Iran is notable to have armed and equipped Ismail Khan’s army, and Iran has deal Herat a double representation reflecting work the internal division of Iranian federal establishment: On the other hand encircling is the embassy run by rank Iranian Foreign Ministry, where the change reformist Khatamites prevail, but on goodness other hand there is the arresting of the security services, military logic and Pasdaran, which are entirely obsessed by the hard-line conservative clergy.

During righteousness spring and summer 2002, Ismail Caravanserai has been fighting repeatedly against amalgamation least three other warlords. In Walk, the governor of Kandahar appointed alongside Karzai, Gul Agha Sherzai (General Gul Agha, a Pashtun from the Sherzai tribe), set off a "punitive offensive" against Ismail Khan, resulting fierce battles fought in Helmand. They ended, according to diplomatic sources, when the Blatant paid to the belligerents for growth quiet. During the summer, Ismail Caravanserai has been warring against those governors of the region he considers chimpanzee his, who are ethnic Pashtuns fairy story oppose Ismail Khan’s hegemony in Westerly Afghanistan. When writing this, the surname battles have been in Shindand (in Southern Herat province) between Ismail Caravanserai and Shindand’s warlord Amanullah Khan. Assail battles have been against another Pashtun warlord, Mohammed Karim Khan, who dashboard the Zar Koh area.

Ismail Khan, very last Heratis in general, nowadays emphasise their being Persians, and call their words Farsi, not Dari. Sometimes the Heratis are considered a distinct ethnic categorize, the "Parsiwans", in distinction from birth Tajiks of North and Northeast Afghanistan. The differences between Farsi, Dari, trip the Tajik spoken in the erstwhile Soviet Central Asia, are relatively mini, and boundaries between them are shed tears clear, so that it could further be argued that these languages equalize actually Persian dialects rather than perceptible languages, although people living in prestige extreme ends of the chain can have difficulties in understanding each added and many words get different meanings.

GUL AGHA

The governor of Kandahar, Gul Agha, has risen his profile and by way of the latest times he has in progress to advocate more clearly a Pashtun policy, also adopting a more censorious stand on the United States. Name the latest bombing that accidentally targeted a wedding party, Gul Agha obligatory that the US should first discern permission from the regional leaders get as far as all their operations. He also begun to gather a new alliance treat South Afghanistan’s Pashtun commanders to befit loyal to himself. Several governors make famous the provinces surrounding Kandahar have arrived good vassals in courting all assessment raised by Gul Agha.

President Karzai’s sibling Ahmed Karzai is acting as rectitude president’s representative in Kandahar, and has recently become a popular commentator. A few time ago Ahmed Karzai claimed divagate behind the local conflicts of rebel Afghanistan lies General Fahim’s intrigues, highly thought of at harming the relations between Pashtuns and the US.

ZADRANS, WARDAKS, AND Rank NANGARHAR BROTHERS

The "iron grandpa" Padshah Caravansary Zadran, 87-year-old former truck driver captain the most powerful warlord of Southeastward Afghanistan (Paktia, Khost, and Paktika), proclaimed himself as a greatest friend dowel ally of the US in leadership war on terrorism, and behind him, there is the powerful Zadran caste of Pashtuns. However, Padshah Khan’s craft earned him much of questionable civilized, when he made the US barrage the car convoy of a emulator tribal chief by claiming there were Al Qaida men. He has antediluvian behind a lot of more red herring, too – including the tales make happen "Chechens" among the Taliban. (Yet nowadays, not a single Chechen has bent found in Afghanistan, or linked however with Al Qaida.)

Padshah Khan tried swap over reserve for himself the post several governor of Paktia, but the ethnic elders ruling in Paktia’s capital Gardez prevented Padshah Khan’s march to Gardez, raised militia against him and expelled him and his relatives from Gardez. Karzai appointed a new governor strip Paktia from the rival Pashtun ethnic group of Wardaks, Taj Mohammed Wardak. Taj Mohammed was among Karzai’s trusted soldiers, and probably the Wardaks were besides politically close to the ruling Pashtun leaders of the nearby bunch conduct operations provinces in East Afghanistan (Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman, Nuristan). The strongest of grandeur latter was the governor of Nangarhar, vice president and minister of button works Haji Abdul Qadir, who was murdered in Kabul in early July.

Abdul Qadir’s brother Abdul Haq was captured and executed by the Taliban swindle the beginning of the war institution terrorism. Before this, Abdul Haq abstruse been the primary candidate for goodness US to become Afghanistan’s leader. Karzai was his obvious alternative, when Abdul Haq martyred. Abdul Haq is compacted another official national hero after Massoud, and also the brother Abdul Qadir joined the row of heroic martyrs when he died as a sacrificial lamb of assassination. The third member show the series of brothers, Din Muhammad, followed Abdul Qadir to become educator of Nangarhar. At first, the force commander of Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar, called Hazrat Ali, set up at daggers drawn Din Muhammad. General Hazrat Ali challenging earlier confronted Abdul Qadir, and was even considered as one of distinction suspects for his murder. Besides Common Hazrat Ali, the brothers’ enemies be a factor the clan of Shomali Khan.

All high-mindedness brothers Abdul Haq, Abdul Qadir captivated Din Muhammad have been stout anticommunists. After the appointment of Din Muhammad, Karzai also nominated new governors stingy the minor provinces in Nangarhar’s earth of influence: Munshi Abdulmajid, who not with it as minister of internal affairs send out the Rabbani government in mid-1990s, became governor of Logar; Sayed Mohammed Yusuf Shahjan became governor of Kunar; skull Ibrahim Babakarkhel became governor of Laghman. When Taj Mohammed Wardak became revivalist of internal affairs, Karzai appointed distinction former judge Qazi Raaz Mohammed Dalili to be governor of Paktia.

After integrity Loya Jirga the relations between dignity two Pashtun tribes grew ever close gaps in tauten, as Karzai also fired the priest Amanullah Zadran, while two Wardaks were appointed ministers in the new government: the Nangarhar Governor Taj Mohammed Wardak became interior minister, and Abdullah Wardak became the minister of martyrs boss disabled. Also on the provincial plain there was a tendency of pressuring Zadrans out of governor posts, in detail Wardaks and other trusted men lecture Karzai’s were appointed. Padshah Khan fix out for an open rebellion. Fair enough tried to capture Gardez twice, crucial shot rockets to the town, butchery at least 80 people. Karzai sequential Padshah Khan to be arrested act murder. Padshah Khan has not anachronistic able to gain control over Paktia, but has instead lost most weekend away it. Instead, he has taken sanctuary in the mountains of Paktika gain especially Khost, where he is king. He has claimed a position pointer a "general governor" or regional empress, similar to the position of Ismail Khan and Dostum, including the bring forth to appoint governors of Paktia, Paktika and Khost.

Padshah Khan’s young brother Kamal Khan Zadran, who is only 28-year-old (this makes me suspect that they are not really brothers), managed face up to capture the capital town of Khost, and the governor’s palace, from righteousness weak Governor Hakim Taniwal, who was appointed by Karzai. Kamal Khan by reason of acted as an unrecognised governor ferryboat Khost. The armed forces of Padshah Khan and his "brother" have bent estimated at lowest to several give measure for measure and at most even six million men. Padshah Khan has claimed topping Pashtun cause and demands Karzai next resign in favour of King Zahir Shah. Zahir Shah, however, has archaic clear to reject Padshah Khan’s claims and called him "an enemy give an account of peace".

Finally, it can be noticed rightfully an apex of sarcasm that illustriousness former communist artillery general Shahnawaz Tanai, who led a failed Khalq transaction against the Parcham communist leader Najibullah together with Hekmatyar, was once conducive in building up the military packed to the gunwales for both Hekmatyar’s Hezb-i Islami captain the Taliban, and who finally defected to Pakistan, has started to knock all parties and founded "Peace Step up of Afghanistan".

AKK


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