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“Those guys were crazy” Posted Monday, September 30, 2002 by APA
The official story
Operation Mountain Sweep was a resounding success
... but
the mission was a disaster
American commanders sent some 600 action-hungry members of the Army’s 82d Airborne Division,
“Those guys were crazy”
“We couldn’t believe they were acting that way.
‘I Yelled at Them to Stop’
U.S. Special Forces are frustrated. Kicking down doors and frisking women, they say, is no way to win hearts and minds in Afghanistan. A report from the front
By Colin Soloway
NEWSWEEK
http://www.msnbc.com/news/814576.asp
Oct. 7 issue — One afternoon in August, a U.S. Special Forces A team knocked at the door of a half-ruined mud compound in the Shahikot Valley. The servicemen were taking part in Operation Mountain Sweep, a weeklong hunt for Qaeda and Taliban fugitives in eastern Afghanistan.
THE MAN OF THE HOUSE, an elderly farmer, let the Americans in as soon as his female relatives had gone to a back room, out of the gaze of strange men. Asked if there were any weapons in the house, the farmer proudly showed them his only firearm, a hunting rifle nearly a century old. When the team had finished searching, carefully letting the women stay out of sight, the farmer served tea. The Americans thanked him and walked toward the next house.
They didn’t get far before the team’s captain looked back. Six paratroopers from the 82d Airborne, also part of Mountain Sweep, were lined up outside the farmer’s house, preparing to force their way in. “I yelled at them to stop,” says the captain, “but they went ahead and kicked in the door.” The farmer panicked and tried to run, and one of the paratroopers slammed him to the ground. The captain raced back to the house. Inside, he says, other helmeted soldiers from the 82d were attempting to frisk the women. By the time the captain could order the soldiers to leave, the family was in a state of shock. “The women were screaming bloody murder,” recalled the captain, asking to be identified simply as Mike. “The guy was in tears. He had been completely dishonored.”
THROWING ROCKS
The official story from both the 82d Airborne and the regular Army command is that Operation Mountain Sweep was a resounding success. Several arms caches were found and destroyed, and at least a dozen suspected Taliban members or supporters were detained for questioning. But according to Special Forces, Afghan villagers and local officials living in or near the valley, the mission was a disaster. The witnesses claim that American soldiers succeeded mainly in terrorizing innocent villagers and ruining the rapport that Special Forces had built up with local communities. “After Mountain Sweep, for the first time since we got here, we’re getting rocks thrown at us on the road in Khowst,” says Jim, a Green Beret who has been operating in the area for the past six months. Special Forces members say that Mountain Sweep has probably set back their counterinsurgency and intelligence operations by at least six months.
Officers in the 82d insist their men did nothing wrong. In response to NEWSWEEK queries, public-affairs officers characterized the Special Forces involved in Mountain Sweep as “prima donnas” who were damaging the war effort by complaining to the press. Yet at a time when Washington is talking about expanding the mission in Afghanistan and increasing the number of large-scale operations like Mountain Sweep—and when Qaeda allies are stepping up terrorist attacks against the fragile government in Kabul—the criticism raises serious questions about the best strategy for fighting the low-intensity war.
Shahikot is where Al Qaeda and Taliban forces fought their last major battle against the Americans back in March. Some 50 soldiers from several Special Forces A teams have been operating in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktia and Khowst provinces ever since. They’ve been working to win the villagers’ trust and cooperation—and largely succeeding, as NEWSWEEK found while accompanying some of them for two weeks on operations shortly before Mountain Sweep began. “The Americans in Gardez who have Toyota trucks, they are good guys,” says Jan Baz Sadiqi, 46, district administrator in Zormat, the valley’s population center. “They don’t break into houses, and they don’t terrorize people.”
‘THOSE GUYS WERE CRAZY’
Then on Aug. 19, American commanders sent some 600 action-hungry members of the Army’s 82d Airborne Division, Third Battalion, charging into Zormat and the Shahikot area. “Those guys were crazy,” said one Special Forces NCO who was there. “We just couldn’t believe they were acting that way. Every time we turned around they were doing something stupid. We’d be like, ‘Holy s—t, look at that! Can you believe this!’ ” Another said: “They were acting like bin Laden was hiding behind every door. That just wasn’t the way to be acting with civilians.” Special Forces working in the region say that since Mountain Sweep, the stream of friendly intelligence on weapons caches, mines and terrorist activity has dried up.
The Special Forces have often had a stormy relationship with the rest of the Army. Conventional commanders sometimes regard the elite fighters as arrogant cowboys. Special Forces members respond that the regular Army is too rigid for the painstaking job of fighting a low-intensity conflict. “The conventional military has a conventional mind-set,” said an SF officer. “It does not work when you have crooks and terrorists and all kinds of bad guys who blend into the population.” In Afghanistan, the A teams have been out in the field, cultivating the friendship of villagers and tracking down terrorists. At the same time, regular soldiers like those of the 82d were, until August, mostly confined to their bases, just itching to get out and do the job for which they were trained.
In Shahikot, that wasn’t the job that needed doing. “The 82d is a great combat unit,” said a Special Forces NCO who took part in the mission. “A lot of us on the teams came out of the 82d. But they are trained to advance to contact and kill the enemy. There was no ‘enemy’ down there.” The remaining Taliban forces melted into the civilian population after Operation Anaconda blasted them out of the caves of Shahikot in March. Since then, the Afghan war has become basically a low-intensity guerrilla conflict, with Taliban and Qaeda fighters operating in small cells, emerging only to lay land mines and launch nighttime rocket attacks against the Americans before disappearing once again.
MAKING THE A TEAM
The Special Forces were created to deal with precisely that kind of enemy. Each A team is made up of 10 or fewer noncommissioned officers, led by one warrant officer and one captain. Armed with M-4 rifles and light machine guns, they live, travel and work with local troops. They patrol isolated villages in ordinary Toyota pickups, talking to the inhabitants—and never go anywhere without someone who speaks the local language. They have been trained to assimilate local customs and sensibilities as carefully as possible. Many of them sported full beards until a few weeks ago, when a news photo of a whiskery Green Beret shook up the brass in Washington. A smooth-cheeked adult male is a strange sight for rural Afghans, but the generals ordered all troops to shave immediately.
Still, people back home—Pentagon brass and civilians alike—are asking why terrorist leaders like Osama bin Laden and Mullah Mohammed Omar are still running loose. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reportedly dressed down Gen. Dan McNeill in July for failing to capture more “high-value targets.” Such impatience was likely a factor in launching Mountain Sweep. “It’s the victory of form over substance, substituting action for results,” says a Western diplomat who is worried about increasing complaints and warnings from areas where conventional operations are taking place. “It’s thinking if you do a lot of stuff, something will happen. Something will, but it might not be what you want. The unhappiness is building.”
Villagers have made no secret of that unhappiness. In the village of Marzak, several witnesses say that 82d troops chased down a mentally ill man, pushed him to the ground, handcuffed him and then took turns taking photos of themselves pointing a gun to his head. The office of Zormat administrator Sadiqi was flooded with complaints about the actions of some 82d units. “They knocked down doors, pouring into the homes, terrifying everybody, beating people, mistreating people,” says Sadiqi. He says villagers demanded: “Why do the Americans come here and search our women? We don’t need this kind of government!”
After the mission, the two SF teams submitted an “after-action review.” NEWSWEEK has not seen the document, but sources say it describes in detail the problems the teams witnessed and suggests ways to avoid such problems in the future. The report set off a storm of recriminations. Col. James Huggins, commander of Task Force Panther, of which the Third Battalion is a part, says every platoon and squad leader in the battalion was questioned under oath, and their statements did not support the teams’ charges. “I can’t tell you 100 percent these things didn’t happen,” says Huggins. “All I can tell you is I looked, and can’t find any evidence that they did.” Officers involved have been accused of leaking classified reports to NEWSWEEK, and have been subjected to internal investigations.
Even as he defends his troops, Huggins says he’s working to avoid problems in the future by increasing “cultural awareness” training, bringing in female military police to search Afghan women and keeping supplies of new locks on hand to replace those that are cut off during searches. As some Green Berets see it, the damage has already been done. Told that more operations like Mountain Sweep are being planned, one Special Forces NCO says: “It’s over, then. We might as well go home, because we’ll never succeed with big ops like that.” Even so, Mike sticks up for the conventional Army. “Some SF guys will tell you we don’t need regular forces out here, that we can do it all by ourselves,” he said. “But that’s impossible. The question is, how do you use those forces?” He recommends a model that has been successful in Afghanistan—pairing an A team with a company of regular infantry. “We need their muscle and firepower to support us when we go after the bad guys. But they need our brains, experience and skills to get the mission done,” Mike says. “If you establish rapport with the people—establish you are not an occupying army—and prove you are here to support the transitional government, they will tell you where to find Al Qaeda.” Among the Special Forces, the hope is that the U.S. command can learn from the mistakes of Mountain Sweep and get the job done right.
© 2002 Newsweek, Inc.
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STATEMENT BY President Hamid Karzai Posted Tuesday, September 17, 2002 by APA
57th Session of General Assembly of the United Nations
12 September 2002, New York
Mr. President,
Your Excellency Secretary General,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Not very far from here stood two towers that symbolized freedom,
prosperity and
progress. Half way around the globe stood two magnificent Buddha's
that
represented a culture of tolerance and a nation with a rich history.
These
symbols have been linked together through the global scourge of
terrorism.
Terror may have demolished these physical structures, however it
strengthens the
willpower of the international community never to let down the spirit
and
determination with which these icons were built. Terrorism and
violence are
against the teaching of Islam, a religion that stands for peace,
respect for
human dignity, dialogue, and tolerance. The Talibane, who destroyed
our country
and cultural heritage, did not represent Afghans and we do not
consider the AI
Qaida to represent the Arab world, and neither one represents Islam.
The Afghan people, as the prime victims of war and violence and the
front line
fighters against terrorism, particularly appreciate, honor and admire
the
friendly hand extended to them by the United States of America and
other members
of the Anti-tenor Coalition and the International Security Assistance
Force, the
United Nations family of organizations, particularly H.E Secretary
General Kofi
Annan, and Ambassador Lakhdar Barahimi, the Special Representative of
Secretary
General, for their tremendous support to Afghanistan in this critical
juncture
of the Afghan history.
Mr. President, I am honored to have this opportunity to highlight
some of the
achievements of my administration during the short course of the past
eight
months.
The implementation of the Bonn Agreement and the peace process in my
country is
completely on track. In accordance with the terns of the Bonn
Agreement, the
people of Afghanistan manifested their robust resolution and solid
consensus for
democracy and rule of law by gathering under one tent to convene the
Emergency
Loya Jirga, the Afghan Grand Council, on June 11 through June 17,
2002. The
success of the Loya Jirga, with broad and unprecedented participation
of women,
was a significant milestone in the recent history of Afghanistan, and
a major
step forward in the process of peace, stability and nation building.
During the
proceeding of the Loya Jirga, hundreds of delegates exercised their
rights to
express freely their opinions and desires for security, peace,
national unity,
reconstruction, democracy and good governance. The people of
Afghanistan told me
univocally of their disdain of war and violence. The Loya Jirga
demonstrated
that after 23 years of imposed wars, foreign interventions, violence,
bloodshed,
repression, destruction and subversion. Afghans are on the way to
enjoy the
peace and to benefit from reconstruction and are determined to take
every
measure to avoid a relapse into warlordism and lawlessness.
As a result of the back to school campaign, three (3) million
children, boys and
girls, have returned to school.
The strong commitment of the government to the eradication of poppy
cultivation
and destruction of narcotics resulted in destruction of drugs with an
estimated
street value of eight (8) billion Dollars.
As a sign of stability and security, over 1.6 million refugees and
hundreds of
thousands of internally displaced peoples have returned to their
homeland and
places of origin.
We have formed a Constitutional Commission to undertake the historic
task of
drafting the country's new Constitution. We have already established
a Judicial
Commission; to rebuild the Afghan justice system, as well as a Civil
Service
Commission to reform the entire administration and impose a merit
based system,
and a Human Rights Commission, to protect human rights, women rights
and civil
liberties. We have adopted a series of laws and decrees to promote
and attract
domestic and international investments, safeguard property rights and
others
pillars of the free market economy; combat narcotics, and protect
forest and the
environment.
Despite these achievements, we are realistic about countless
challenges and
problems that we are confronted with. Foremost among these is
security, which is
the principal demand of the Afghan people, and the most fundamental
requirement
for sustainable peace. It is our position that the real key to the
restoration
of sustainable security lies in the creation of a national army and a
national
police force, along with a comprehensive demobilization program. We
have
established a Commission for the formation of national army. I have
highlighted
the establishment of the national army and police force as top
priority and the
main objective for my government; but the people of Afghanistan need
a clear
commitment and sustained support from the international community to
realize
these objective. We appreciate the contributions of our American,
British,
German, Turkish and French friends in training our national army and
police
force, and the Government of Japan for its assistance in
demobilization
programs. I would like to once again request the donor countries to
further
support our strategy for the creation of a national army and a
national system
for security by translating international pledges into concrete
contributions.
The Afghan delegates that regularly visit us in Kabul from various
provinces to
exchange ideas with our administration strongly request the expansion
of ISAF to
other parts of the country. They want to be certain that Afghanistan
will not be
once again left alone by the international community.
We owe a particular debt of gratitude to the donor community for its
assistance
to Afghanistan, but would like to remind our friends that the
majority of the
financial pledges made to Afghanistan in Tokyo Conference are still
unfulfilled.
We have presented the donor countries with the National Development
Framework to
indicate our priorities, help manage the reconstruction programs
effectively,
and channel financial resources to national capacity building. It is
our
position that the consolidation of peace and stability depends on the
international community's sustained engagement in providing funding
for
reconstruction. Implementation of labor-intensive projects throughout
Afghanistan has a direct influence on security and demobilization of
combatants.
Despite these facts, the level of direct financial support provided
to the
Afghan Government can be characterized as insufficient, considering
the
generosity of donors at Tokyo Conference, where over $4.5 billion was
pledged to
support Afghanistan. The Afghan people urgently need the pledges in
Tokyo to be
turned into cash.
While we agree that there is still a humanitarian crisis in
Afghanistan, I would
like to request the international community to focus more on
reconstruction, to
support long-term recovery efforts, and to treat the causes of
poverty, not its
symptoms. Building highways and repairing the road networks in
Afghanistan is an
important undertaking with significant economical, political and
social impact
for the Afghan people. It creates jobs, helps with security and
demobilization,
provides better connectivity, strengthens national unity and assists
with the
reintegration of Afghanistan into the regional economy. Yet, the
donor community
is slow to answer to our repeated demand for reconstruction of
highways.
Mr. President, while the world has now clearly voiced its unity to
honor the
dignity of life and reconstruction over terror, destruction and
subversion, the
threat posed by the terrorist groups require resolute commitment on
the part of
all nations to fight this evil to the end. I have warned the world
before the
September 1 I tragedy about the dangers of terrorism. Afghan people
have
suffered tremendously in the hand of Taliban and terrorist groups.
They killed
many thousands people, destroyed villages and burned orchards.
Afghanistan is a
Muslim country and the people of Afghanistan truly believe in the
teaching of
Islam, which is based on peace, justice, equality, moderation and
tolerance, and
reject arty abuse and misuse of the holy name of Islam by the
extremist groups
to justify violence, death and destruction. My vision of Afghanistan
is of a
modern State that builds on our Islamic values promoting justice,
rule of law,
human rights and freedom of commerce, and forming a bridge between
cultures and
civilizations; a model of tolerance and prosperity based on the rich
heritage of
the Islamic civilization.
Afghanistan is committed to continue to have friendly relationship
with its
neighbors and the international community and to be a resilient
partner in the
war against terrorism. The establishment of security and prosperity
within
Afghanistan is a means of promoting security and prosperity in the
region and
the world. We do not want to live in the past, and are determined not
to let the
events of the past harm our relations with our neighbors. We extend a
sincere
hand of friendship to all our neighbors on the basis of mutual
respect for
sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and non-interference
in the
internal affairs of each other. We will never permit our soil to be
used for any
subversive activities against any of our neighbors and countries in
the region,
and we expect the same.
We are deeply concerned about the loss of innocent lives in Palestine
and
Israel. We strongly support the realization of the right of self-
determination
of the people of Palestine. We are also concerned about the dispute
between our
friends, India and Pakistan. We have good relationship with both
countries. The
people of Afghanistan know the high price of war and violence and are
yearning
for peace, stability and prosperity in the region. They know that a
peaceful
resolution of the issues between Pakistan and India is an urgent
necessity to
consolidate peace and security in the region and the world at large.
In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate
Switzerland
for joining the family of the United Nations, and extend my
appreciation to Iran
and Pakistan for having accepted millions of Afghan refugees, and
donor
countries, organizations and people that have assisted Afghanistan.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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Afghans Celebrate Independence Day Posted Wednesday, August 21, 2002 by APA
Afghans Celebrate Independence Day
By TINI TRAN
.c The Associated Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) - Uniformed girls marched alongside male
classmates as hundreds of spectators - turbaned men and women with their
burqas thrown back - cheered them on Monday in a new mood of liberation
marking this former Taliban stronghold's first Independence Day celebration
in more than two decades.
``After so many years, we feel liberty,'' said teacher Fereba Fayas, who sat
with her blue burqa flipped over to reveal a stylish embroidered shalwar
kameeza, a loose-fitting pajama-like garment. ``In the past, all events were
only for men, but now we are very happy to celebrate this day together.''
Though the daylong festivities in Afghanistan's second-largest city were
meant to mark the country's independence from Britain in 1919, some people
saw it as a chance to celebrate an end to their war-torn past and the
restrictive rule of the Taliban.
``Not since the time of King (Mohammad) Zaher Shah have we seen this peace
and happiness,'' said Abdul Majid, 65, who had staked out a spot overlooking
the morning military parade through the city. ``It's a good sign for
everyone. No more communists, no more fighting, no more Taliban.''
Earlier in the day, thousands of people had lined the streets cheering, as
soldiers, tanks and armored vehicles marched past a sea of fluttering black,
red and green Afghan flags and banners draped across buildings and signposts
throughout the city.
``In the future, we won't show you ammunition and guns,'' proclaimed Kandahar
Gov. Gul Agha Sherzai from a large dais along the morning parade route. ``We
will show you the development of the country. We will show you open doors to
schools. We will show you peace in the country.''
Curious onlookers crowded onto rooftops and balconies and even stoplights to
catch a better view of the spectacle as a military brass band provided the
lively soundtrack.
Standing on the sidelines, Maj. Gen. Sayed Zainuddin Rohani, 42, watched
proudly as some 5,000 soldiers, many trained by him in the new national army,
marched beneath giant banners reading ``Long live the Afghan nation.''
``Every person in his life has special moments - the day he gets married, the
day his son is born. But for me, this is the most beautiful moment in my
life,'' Rohani said.
Despite early fears that the celebrations would be targeted for attacks, no
violence was reported. Police had been beefing up security for the past
several days, establishing checkpoints at all the major entrances into the
city.
Leaders in Kabul canceled their main military parade last week, citing
financial reasons. Security concerns have been paramount after last month's
assassination of Vice President Abdul Qadir and the discovery of a would-be
car bomber.
In the capital, holiday ceremonies were largely confined to the city stadium.
Security forces swung rifle butts to drive back crowds outside the stadium,
while inside, President Hamid Karzai, his Cabinet, and ex-king Mohammad Zaher
Shah watched the festivities from the stands.
``It's now your duty to keep this freedom forever,'' Karzai told the
thousands gathered in the glaring sun. ``I congratulate the entire nation of
Afghanistan on this Independence Day.''
In Kandahar, residents seemed giddy at the sights and sounds of their first
parade in decades.
``Everybody is happy - men and women,'' said Qudratullah Haqani, 37, watching
with his 6-year-old son from a second-floor balcony. ``This is our
Independence Day. Afghans, we hope, will be able to see a new stable country
and government, God willing. This is the wish of all Afghans.''
In the afternoon, some 5,000 uniformed students from more than a dozen
schools and colleges marched around the stadium's green field, where the
Taliban had routinely held public executions in the past.
Several impromptu floats - jeeps decorated with colored tinsel and loaded
with desktop computers - drove past.
The sight of girls in black uniforms and white scarves marching behind Afghan
flags drew the loudest cheers. During the Taliban era, girls were prohibited
from going to school and women were banned from working.
``It is a first step. If girls can work and play and study with boys
together, maybe they can change people's thinking,'' said teacher Huma Najmi,
35. ``I think this is a new country now.''
Donated Books Heading To Afghanistan Posted Wednesday, August 21, 2002 by APA
July 25, 2002, 9:15 AM ET
by Ayesha Court
USA Today
Many Americans donated money and blood to victims and their families
after Sept. 11. Some also donated money to aid groups working in
Afghanistan. But when Melissa Street heard a Jan. 17 report on
National Public Radio by Anne Garrels about the devastated National
Library of Afghanistan, something inside her clicked.
''The librarians were working there, but they weren't getting paid.
They didn't have any heating,'' Street says. ''The only kind of books
they had were, like, old 1962 Soviet Union encyclopedias.''
When she thought about the librarians who said ''they need books to
train a new generation in Afghanistan,'' Street decided to ask her
boss at publishing house John Wiley & Sons to donate books. Wiley
donated 12,000 books, but Street had to get them to Kabul.
Street contacted Garrels in Pakistan and told her of her plan. Street
set up a conference call with about 15 people who also had contacted
Garrels. They formed a non-profit group, built a Web site (
www.booksforfreedom.org) and began taking donations. ''Everyone has
books. It's such a wealth of knowledge we have and we don't even
realize it,'' Street says.
But shipping to a war zone isn't easy -- or cheap. So Street turned
to her father, Chriss Street, CEO of Dorsey, Fruehauf and American
Trailers, a company with access to shipping containers that hold
60,000 pounds, or about 20,000 books. Dorsey donated the containers
and paid IBEX International Forwarding Co., which specializes in
shipping to difficult places. The first shipment is due in September.
Books for Freedom's acquisition chairman, Michael Whidden, doesn't
want to stop with Afghanistan's library. Requests have come in from
Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Argentina. ''I like to think 100-
plus years ago, the Red Cross was just starting -- if Books for
Freedom could ever be that big,'' Whidden says. If Books for
Freedom's first months are any measure, it could be opening minds
around the world for many years to come.
Donated Books Heading To Afghanistan Posted Wednesday, August 21, 2002 by APA
July 25, 2002, 9:15 AM ET
by Ayesha Court
USA Today
Many Americans donated money and blood to victims and their families
after Sept. 11. Some also donated money to aid groups working in
Afghanistan. But when Melissa Street heard a Jan. 17 report on
National Public Radio by Anne Garrels about the devastated National
Library of Afghanistan, something inside her clicked.
''The librarians were working there, but they weren't getting paid.
They didn't have any heating,'' Street says. ''The only kind of books
they had were, like, old 1962 Soviet Union encyclopedias.''
When she thought about the librarians who said ''they need books to
train a new generation in Afghanistan,'' Street decided to ask her
boss at publishing house John Wiley & Sons to donate books. Wiley
donated 12,000 books, but Street had to get them to Kabul.
Street contacted Garrels in Pakistan and told her of her plan. Street
set up a conference call with about 15 people who also had contacted
Garrels. They formed a non-profit group, built a Web site (
www.booksforfreedom.org) and began taking donations. ''Everyone has
books. It's such a wealth of knowledge we have and we don't even
realize it,'' Street says.
But shipping to a war zone isn't easy -- or cheap. So Street turned
to her father, Chriss Street, CEO of Dorsey, Fruehauf and American
Trailers, a company with access to shipping containers that hold
60,000 pounds, or about 20,000 books. Dorsey donated the containers
and paid IBEX International Forwarding Co., which specializes in
shipping to difficult places. The first shipment is due in September.
Books for Freedom's acquisition chairman, Michael Whidden, doesn't
want to stop with Afghanistan's library. Requests have come in from
Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Argentina. ''I like to think 100-
plus years ago, the Red Cross was just starting -- if Books for
Freedom could ever be that big,'' Whidden says. If Books for
Freedom's first months are any measure, it could be opening minds
around the world for many years to come.
In 1983 Masoud agreed to a temporary cease-fire with the Soviets" Posted Friday, August 16, 2002 by APA
In 1983 Masoud agreed to a temporary cease-fire with the Soviets"
Los Angeles Times, April 26, 1999
By DEXTER FILKINS
In 1975, at the age of 22, Masoud led a revolt--later known as the Panjsher
Valley Incident--aimed at toppling the regime. Most of his colleagues landed
in jail, but Masoud made a narrow escape--his first of many. After receiving
military training in Pakistan, Masoud returned to Afghanistan in 1978. …. In
1983, Masoud agreed to a temporary cease-fire with the Soviets, who were then
free to attack other areas. To this day, some of Masoud's old rivals express
deep bitterness at his dealings--which may have kept him alive but made their
lives much worse. "Masoud deceived everyone," said a former commander of the
moujahedeen, or holy warriors. The American spy who headed the CIA's efforts
against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan credited Masoud with impressive
military feats. But he added that, in the later years of the war, Masoud
spent most of his time preparing for the coming civil war--not fighting the
Communists. "He was not that reliable," said Milton Bearden, the CIA's
station chief in Pakistan during the war. "Toward the end, he spent most of
his energies on consolidating his own position." Masoud said he agreed to the
1983 cease-fire to buy time to build up his forces. Barnett Rubin, an
Afghanistan expert at the Council of Foreign Relations in New York, said
Masoud spent the year setting up a vast political organization across
northern Afghanistan. "Masoud was a very effective leader and a very
effective fighter," said a former CIA agent, who spoke on condition of
anonymity. "One of the criteria of an effective fighter is, you don't pick
fights you can't win." Masoud led the final drive into Kabul in 1992 and
became defense minister in the new government. Shooting broke out among the
moujahedeen almost immediately. The fighting, which lasted four years,
destroyed Kabul and killed tens of thousands of Afghans. Thousands more were
maimed, raped and robbed. … in one terrible incident in 1993, documented by
the State Department, Masoud's troops rampaged through a rival neighborhood,
raping, looting and killing as many as a thousand people.
In 1983 Masoud agreed to a temporary cease-fire with the Soviets" Posted Friday, August 16, 2002 by APA
In 1983 Masoud agreed to a temporary cease-fire with the Soviets"
Los Angeles Times, April 26, 1999
By DEXTER FILKINS
In 1975, at the age of 22, Masoud led a revolt--later known as the Panjsher
Valley Incident--aimed at toppling the regime. Most of his colleagues landed
in jail, but Masoud made a narrow escape--his first of many. After receiving
military training in Pakistan, Masoud returned to Afghanistan in 1978. …. In
1983, Masoud agreed to a temporary cease-fire with the Soviets, who were then
free to attack other areas. To this day, some of Masoud's old rivals express
deep bitterness at his dealings--which may have kept him alive but made their
lives much worse. "Masoud deceived everyone," said a former commander of the
moujahedeen, or holy warriors. The American spy who headed the CIA's efforts
against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan credited Masoud with impressive
military feats. But he added that, in the later years of the war, Masoud
spent most of his time preparing for the coming civil war--not fighting the
Communists. "He was not that reliable," said Milton Bearden, the CIA's
station chief in Pakistan during the war. "Toward the end, he spent most of
his energies on consolidating his own position." Masoud said he agreed to the
1983 cease-fire to buy time to build up his forces. Barnett Rubin, an
Afghanistan expert at the Council of Foreign Relations in New York, said
Masoud spent the year setting up a vast political organization across
northern Afghanistan. "Masoud was a very effective leader and a very
effective fighter," said a former CIA agent, who spoke on condition of
anonymity. "One of the criteria of an effective fighter is, you don't pick
fights you can't win." Masoud led the final drive into Kabul in 1992 and
became defense minister in the new government. Shooting broke out among the
moujahedeen almost immediately. The fighting, which lasted four years,
destroyed Kabul and killed tens of thousands of Afghans. Thousands more were
maimed, raped and robbed. … in one terrible incident in 1993, documented by
the State Department, Masoud's troops rampaged through a rival neighborhood,
raping, looting and killing as many as a thousand people.
Ex-Soviet commander unveil Masoud's secret pact Posted Tuesday, August 13, 2002 by APA
afghanpolitician@aol.com wrote:
> Ex-Soviet commander unveil Masoud's secret pact
>
> The News International, May 17, 2001
> BUREAU REPORT
> PESHAWAR: General Gramov, commander of ex-soviet
> invading army in
> Afghanistan, has revealed that present leader of the
> Northern Alliance in
> Afghanistan Ahmad Shah Masoud had inked an agreement
> with Moscow that ensured
> safe passage to the former USSR troops through
> Salang and Panjsher valleys
> during the Afghan jihad. According to an Afghan
> journalist Sami Yusafzai,
> General Gramov has exposed many facts about the 10
> years-long Soviet
> involvement and Afghan resistance movement in his
> took "Soviet Army in
> Afghanistan". He reveals that when the first Russian
> troops left Hairatan on
> Afghan-Uzbek border for Kabul via land route in
> 1980, the soviets feared that
> the passage of the army through Salang valley and
> high peaks of Panjsher
> valley which were manned by the mujahideen of Ahmad
> Shah Masoud was not only
> difficult but also almost impossible. The army of
> famed Jihadi commander
> Ahmad Shah Masoud, Gramov said, could convert the
> area into graveyard for the
> Russian troops by only throwing rocks. Gramov says
> at that critical time the
> then Khad chief Dr. Najibullah acted very shrewdly
> and contacted Ahmad Shah
> Masoud who demanded direct talks with the Russians.
> The Soviet General says
> they immediately met Masoud and signed an agreement
> with him that ensured
> safe passage of Russian army through the dangerous
> Salang and Panjsher
> valleys and thus onward to the southern, central and
> eastern Afghanistan.
> General Gramov says Ahmad Shah Masoud in return
> continued to get Russian
> assistance. He says Masoud sometimes used to stage
> sham skirmishes with the
> Russian to put off chances of suspicions about his
> activities among other
> mujahideen groups. He says the Soviets feared that
> Masoud would use the
> agreement for dishonest gains but he acted on the
> accord and avoided creating
> problems for the Russian army till its withdrawal in
> 1998. Gramov says
> differences between Ahmad Shah Masoud and Gulbuddin
> Hikmatyar dated back to
> their days at engineering faculty of Kabul
> University when both were members
> of an Islamic student organization. He says that
> besides being a high caliber
> military commander who never stayed for two days at
> a place, Masoud had a
> political mind. The Persian-speaking Afghans, Gramov
> says, consider Masoud as
> their leader and hero. Mining and export of the
> precious stones at Panjsher,
> he says, is major source of income for Masoud. He
> says Masoud had especial
> links with France where the press has helped him
> earn world fame. Gramov says
> Masoud leads his life in accordance with Islamic
> principles but according to
> Russians' reports he used to take liquor in the
> company of his close friends.
> Gramov further says that on the one hand Masoud had
> an agreement with the
> Russians for safe passage at Salang pass and on the
> other his military
> council Shura-i-Nazar, fought with them on many
> fronts in northern
> Afghanistan and killed many Russian troops. General
> Gramov says that in case
> of hard times his armies could contact the
> mujahideen in northern Afghanistan
> and struck a deal on the based of some give and
> take. However, he says in the
> eastern and southern Afghanistan where the Pukhtun
> were in majority such
> incidents were rare. Gramov says the Russian
> invasion of Afghanistan was a
> blunder that led to the disintegration of the Soviet
> Union.
>
>
>
>
> "In 1983 Masoud agreed to a temporary cease-fire
> with the Soviets"
>
> Los Angeles Times, April 26, 1999
> By DEXTER FILKINS
>
>
>
> In 1975, at the age of 22, Masoud led a
> revolt--later known as the Panjsher
> Valley Incident--aimed at toppling the regime. Most
> of his colleagues landed
> in jail, but Masoud made a narrow escape--his first
> of many. After receiving
> military training in Pakistan, Masoud returned to
> Afghanistan in 1978. …. In
> 1983, Masoud agreed to a temporary cease-fire with
> the Soviets, who were then
> free to attack other areas. To this day, some of
> Masoud's old rivals express
> deep bitterness at his dealings--which may have kept
> him alive but made their
> lives much worse. "Masoud deceived everyone," said a
> former commander of the
> moujahedeen, or holy warriors. The American spy who
> headed the CIA's efforts
> against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan credited
> Masoud with impressive
> military feats. But he added that, in the later
> years of the war, Masoud
> spent most of his time preparing for the coming
> civil war--not fighting the
> Communists. "He was not that reliable," said Milton
> Bearden, the CIA's
> station chief in Pakistan during the war. "Toward
> the end, he spent most of
> his energies on consolidating his own position."
> Masoud said he agreed to the
> 1983 cease-fire to buy time to build up his forces.
> Barnett Rubin, an
> Afghanistan expert at the Council of Foreign
> Relations in New York, said
> Masoud spent the year setting up a vast political
> organization across
> northern Afghanistan. "Masoud was a very effective
> leader and a very
> effective fighter," said a former CIA agent, who
> spoke on condition of
> anonymity. "One of the criteria of an effective
> fighter is, you don't pick
> fights you can't win." Masoud led the final drive
> into Kabul in 1992 and
> became defense minister in the new government.
> Shooting broke out among the
> moujahedeen almost immediately. The fighting, which
> lasted four years,
> destroyed Kabul and killed tens of thousands of
> Afghans. Thousands more were
> maimed, raped and robbed. … in one terrible
> incident in 1993, documented by
> the State Department, Masoud's troops rampaged
> through a rival neighborhood,
> raping, looting and killing as many as a thousand
> people.
Twenty-nine years later, elderly ex-king finally moves Posted Tuesday, August 13, 2002 by APA
Associated Press
August 4, 2002
Twenty-nine years later, elderly ex-king finally moves
back to his palace
CHARLES J. HANLEY
Afghanistan's former king moved back into his royal
palace Sunday, four months after returning from exile
and 29 years after being driven from the throne in a
family coup. It clearly was a happy homecoming for the
87-year-old ex-monarch.
"It's a great pleasure for everyone," Mohammad Zaher
Shah said after arriving on the palace grounds, a
leafy refuge in noisy central Kabul. "You even see the
birds coming back to their nests." After returning
from Italy in April, Zaher Shah moved into a two-story
home on a residential street a few blocks from the old
palace. The new Afghan government wanted to avoid any
suggestion that the monarchy was being restored.
At a national grand council, or loya jirga, that Zaher
Shah formally convened in June, it was decided that
the ex-king would be allowed to reside in his former
grand home as well as award titles and convene the
next parliament and constitutional commission.
In exchange, Zaher Shah took his name out of
contention for head of state, and interim leader Hamid
Karzai was chosen president.
Karzai, whose offices are nearby on the palace
grounds, welcomed the former monarch back to the Haram
Sarai - the small residential palace, which has been
undergoing renovations. "It is ready," the president
announced to the ex-king.
Zaher Shah, known affectionately as "Baba," or
"Father," of the nation, responded that "it is a great
pleasure to be back here in the company of my 'sons',"
referring to Karzai and other top government officials
who joined in a welcoming tea in the shade of a great
tree in a palace courtyard.
The bent, gray-mustached ex-king, in customary ascot
and a gray suit, also told Karzai he was grateful "to
the nation of Afghanistan that they have placed their
confidence in me and their confidence in you so we can
work together for the benefit and well-being of the
country."
After 40 years on the throne, Zaher Shah was toppled
in 1973 by his cousin, Mohammad Daoud, and settled
into exile in Rome. In the late 1970s, Afghanistan
plunged into what would be 23 years of war.
By the time a U.S.-led campaign brought down the
Taliban government last December, many Afghans viewed
the exiled monarch as a symbol of prewar stability who
should be brought back as a figurehead head of state.
He is especially popular among his own - and Karzai's
- Pashtuns, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan.
Although he is less esteemed among Afghanistan's other
factions, such as the northern Tajiks, a leading Tajik
member of the government, Foreign Minister Abdullah,
stood conspicuously by the ex-king's side during much
of Sunday's welcome.
The Haram Sarai is arranged around a shady courtyard
with a fountain in its center. A favorite upstairs
sitting room, where longtime staff remember the
younger king taking afternoon naps, features
golden-edged miniature paintings of hunting scenes and
a marble fireplace inlaid with Zaher Shah's name
inscribed in the Dari language.
The elderly former king returned to Afghanistan this
year without his seriously ill wife. Ex-queen Homaira
Shah, who remained behind in Italy, died June 26 at
age 86, and her body was flown here for burial in the
royal family tomb.
Twenty-nine years later, elderly ex-king finally moves Posted Tuesday, August 13, 2002 by APA
Associated Press
August 4, 2002
Twenty-nine years later, elderly ex-king finally moves
back to his palace
CHARLES J. HANLEY
Afghanistan's former king moved back into his royal
palace Sunday, four months after returning from exile
and 29 years after being driven from the throne in a
family coup. It clearly was a happy homecoming for the
87-year-old ex-monarch.
"It's a great pleasure for everyone," Mohammad Zaher
Shah said after arriving on the palace grounds, a
leafy refuge in noisy central Kabul. "You even see the
birds coming back to their nests." After returning
from Italy in April, Zaher Shah moved into a two-story
home on a residential street a few blocks from the old
palace. The new Afghan government wanted to avoid any
suggestion that the monarchy was being restored.
At a national grand council, or loya jirga, that Zaher
Shah formally convened in June, it was decided that
the ex-king would be allowed to reside in his former
grand home as well as award titles and convene the
next parliament and constitutional commission.
In exchange, Zaher Shah took his name out of
contention for head of state, and interim leader Hamid
Karzai was chosen president.
Karzai, whose offices are nearby on the palace
grounds, welcomed the former monarch back to the Haram
Sarai - the small residential palace, which has been
undergoing renovations. "It is ready," the president
announced to the ex-king.
Zaher Shah, known affectionately as "Baba," or
"Father," of the nation, responded that "it is a great
pleasure to be back here in the company of my 'sons',"
referring to Karzai and other top government officials
who joined in a welcoming tea in the shade of a great
tree in a palace courtyard.
The bent, gray-mustached ex-king, in customary ascot
and a gray suit, also told Karzai he was grateful "to
the nation of Afghanistan that they have placed their
confidence in me and their confidence in you so we can
work together for the benefit and well-being of the
country."
After 40 years on the throne, Zaher Shah was toppled
in 1973 by his cousin, Mohammad Daoud, and settled
into exile in Rome. In the late 1970s, Afghanistan
plunged into what would be 23 years of war.
By the time a U.S.-led campaign brought down the
Taliban government last December, many Afghans viewed
the exiled monarch as a symbol of prewar stability who
should be brought back as a figurehead head of state.
He is especially popular among his own - and Karzai's
- Pashtuns, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan.
Although he is less esteemed among Afghanistan's other
factions, such as the northern Tajiks, a leading Tajik
member of the government, Foreign Minister Abdullah,
stood conspicuously by the ex-king's side during much
of Sunday's welcome.
The Haram Sarai is arranged around a shady courtyard
with a fountain in its center. A favorite upstairs
sitting room, where longtime staff remember the
younger king taking afternoon naps, features
golden-edged miniature paintings of hunting scenes and
a marble fireplace inlaid with Zaher Shah's name
inscribed in the Dari language.
The elderly former king returned to Afghanistan this
year without his seriously ill wife. Ex-queen Homaira
Shah, who remained behind in Italy, died June 26 at
age 86, and her body was flown here for burial in the
royal family tomb.
Afghans Capture Would-Be Assassin Posted Monday, July 29, 2002 by APA
By AMIR SHAH, Associated Press Writer
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A would-be assassin of Afghan leaders was intercepted in Kabul when his automobile, loaded with explosives, was involved in a traffic accident, national television reported Monday.
The suspect had planned to crash his car into a vehicle or vehicles carrying members of the national leadership, the TV report said, citing a statement issued by the Afghan intelligence service.
The report did not say when the man was apprehended or how investigators had determined his alleged plans.
The foiling of a suicide-assassination plot would be the latest episode in a series of killings and security incidents involving the transitional political leadership in Kabul.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said he had not heard of the bombing plot but was not surprised. Taliban, al-Qaida and Afghan factions that want more power all could have motives to attack the Afghan government, Rumsfeld said Monday.
"We can expect that there will continue to be firefights and people shooting and things happening. It is an untidy place," Rumsfeld said while visiting a joint training exercise in Virginia.
The TV report was accompanied by video of the man's Toyota Corolla, whose door panels were exposed to show yellow blocks of what the intelligence service statement said was explosives.
The report also showed a photo of the suspect, a heavily bearded young man in a vest and open shirt. His dress and appearance seemed Afghan or Pakistani, but the government statement said he was a foreigner and the plan was developed abroad.
It did not identify him further, however, nor did it say whether any accomplices were taken into custody, or explain how the explosives were uncovered after the accident. Intelligence service officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The suspect, said to have been injured in the accident, was taken to the intelligence service's offices for further interrogation, the statement said.
"International terrorism once again is showing its face," it said. "The enemies of Afghanistan are not sitting quietly. They're conspiring to conduct terrorist operations."
Just three weeks ago, two gunmen assassinated Abdul Qadir, a new Afghan vice president and Cabinet minister, the second government minister to be killed this year. The aviation and tourism minister, Abdul Rahman, was beaten to death in February at Kabul airport. Neither murder has been solved.
Last week, because of rising security fears following the Qadir killing, President Hamid Karzai sidelined his Afghan bodyguards and called in U.S. troops to replace them. Diplomats said the move followed "serious threats" against Karzai, some believed to have come from within his own Cabinet.
The approximately 50 guards who were replaced were part of the 10,000-strong force of fighters loyal to Defense Minister Mohammed Fahim.
Since a U.S.-led military campaign ousted the Taliban regime last December, Karzai's transitional government has been beset both by worries of a Taliban resurgence or of terrorism by the Taliban's al-Qaida allies, and by ethnic tensions between the victorious anti-Taliban groups, particularly Fahim's northern Tajiks and the Pashtuns of President Karzai.
Forces of the U.S.-led antiterrorism coalition continue operations to flush out remnants of the Taliban and al-Qaida, especially in the harsh mountains of eastern Afghanistan along the border with Pakistan.
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