NationStates Jolt Archive

I know most of you will be going "who the hell is he"? But I don't care for I am literally dancing with joy. Hekmatyar was a warlord during the Afghan jihad against the Soviets. After Soviet withdrawal, Najibullah-Massoud combine took power in Kabul with Najibullah as PM and Massoud as defence minister. Since they were Afghan nationalists and Pakistan army does not like rise of Afhgna nationalism (due to Durrand line issues), the Pakistanis backed Hekmatyar for power.

So Hekmatyar got himself crowned as Prime Minister and advanced to Kabul and started shelling Kabul with rockets thus becoming the first Prime Minister to bomb his own capital. Although he failed, he did immense damage to Kabul and many Kabulis fled the area. It was his failure that made the Pakistanis to create the taliban since the taliban could draw upon the Pushtun community and Hekmatyar cannot because of his Persian connections.

Anyways, short story, Hekmatyar = bad guy, very very bad guy and I am happy he is caught.

*dancing*

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/southasia/article_1200299.php/Seven_al-Qaeda_suspects_arrested_in_eastern_Afghanistan
abul - In an operation launched by Afghan coalition forces in eastern Afghanistan, a known al-Qaeda facilitator and six other suspected al-Qaeda associates were detained, coalition forces said.

The commander of the Hizb-i-Islami militia in Hafezan in the eastern province of Nangarhar, Gulbuddin Hikmatyar, was arrested after credible intelligence led Afghan and coalition forces to his compound, the statement said.

No shots were fired and there were no injuries reported.

Hikmatyar, the former prime minister of Afghanistan, announced jihad or holy war against what he called the US invasion of Afghanistan four and half years ago and the joint opposition of the Afghan government by Taliban and al-Qaeda in the fight against coalition forces.

I remember reading about this guy in Ghost Wars, good riddance.

That sounds like good news. We could use some of that these days.

I remember reading about this guy in Ghost Wars, good riddance.

Great book. Must read for anyone interested in the region.

I know most of you will be going "who the hell is he"? But I don't care for I am literally dancing with joy. Hekmatyar was a warlord during the Afghan jihad against the Soviets. After Soviet withdrawal, Najibullah-Massoud combine took power in Kabul with Najibullah as PM and Massoud as defence minister. Since they were Afghan nationalists and Pakistan army does not like rise of Afhgna nationalism (due to Durrand line issues), the Pakistanis backed Hekmatyar for power.

So Hekmatyar got himself crowned as Prime Minister and advanced to Kabul and started shelling Kabul with rockets thus becoming the first Prime Minister to bomb his own capital. Although he failed, he did immense damage to Kabul and many Kabulis fled the area. It was his failure that made the Pakistanis to create the taliban since the taliban could draw upon the Pushtun community and Hekmatyar cannot because of his Persian connections.

Anyways, short story, Hekmatyar = bad guy, very very bad guy and I am happy he is caught.

*dancing*

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/southasia/article_1200299.php/Seven_al-Qaeda_suspects_arrested_in_eastern_Afghanistan

I also remember hearing about this guy. Thanks for reporting the good news.

The who what now in the how now when?

http://billroggio.com/archives/2006/09/gulbuddin_hekmatyar.php

Hekmatyar has been designated by the U.S. Department of State as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist “ and “has participated in and supported terrorist acts committed by al-Qa’ida and the Taliban.” The 9-11 Commision report indicates Osama bin Laden kept lines of communication open with Hekmatyar. “bin Laden apparently kept his option open, maintaining contacts with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who, though an Islamic extremist, was also one of the Taliban's most militant opponents,” states the report.

Hekmatyar fought against the Soviets, was prime minister of Afghanistan in the mid 1990s, and became an anti-Taliban fighter until the collapse of Afghanistan's Taliban government in December of 2001. After the U.S. operation, Hekmatyar threw in his lot with the Taliban and al-Qaeda, and brought Hezb-i-Islami into battle against the government of Hamid Karzai. Hezb-i-Islami split in two, with a section loyal to Hekmatyar (know as Hezb-i-Islami Gulbuddin or HIG). HIG has influence particularly with Afghan refugees in western Pakistan. Hekmatyar had deep ties to Iran and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, and is said to have facilitated the movement of high level al-Qaeda leaders, including Saif al-Adel and Said bin Laden, into Iran with the assistance of the IRGC.

The capture of Hekmatyar is a major blow to al-Qaeda and the Taliban, as it provides an opportu nity to split his organization. HIG is considered one of the major Anti-Government Elements (or AGEs) in Afghanistan. And Hekmatyar may be privy to valuable information about the location of high level al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders.

I know most of you will be going "who the hell is he"? But I don't care for I am literally dancing with joy. Hekmatyar was a warlord during the Afghan jihad against the Soviets. After Soviet withdrawal, Najibullah-Massoud combine took power in Kabul with Najibullah as PM and Massoud as defence minister. Since they were Afghan nationalists and Pakistan army does not like rise of Afhgna nationalism (due to Durrand line issues), the Pakistanis backed Hekmatyar for power.

So Hekmatyar got himself crowned as Prime Minister and advanced to Kabul and started shelling Kabul with rockets thus becoming the first Prime Minister to bomb his own capital. Although he failed, he did immense damage to Kabul and many Kabulis fled the area. It was his failure that made the Pakistanis to create the taliban since the taliban could draw upon the Pushtun community and Hekmatyar cannot because of his Persian connections.

Anyways, short story, Hekmatyar = bad guy, very very bad guy and I am happy he is caught.

*dancing*

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/southasia/article_1200299.php/Seven_al-Qaeda_suspects_arrested_in_eastern_Afghanistan

Be better if he didnt survive capture, but still good news.

Didn't read the article. But if he was anti-commie doesn't that mean we probably trained him and provided him weapons?

between america and russia the poor afghans are used and harmed :( since most mothers cant even find enough food to feed their hungry children then give them opium. Whole families pass their days drugged without the wish or energy to lift their arms, gather and fight russians whenthey attack and this goes on like this. As for the quality product, it is exported for pleasure of world's rich, making many richer.

Didn't read the article. But if he was anti-commie doesn't that mean we probably trained him and provided him weapons?

He is not necessarily an idealogue. He is a power monger and an opportunist. He has deep Iranian ties and in the beginning he was Iran's proxy in the original Afghan jihad. And when the mujahideen won against the Soviets, he crossed over to Pak camp, because they said they will get him Kabul. And then he actually fought against the taliban at one point, when Pakistanis ditched him and supported taliban. And then after 9/11 he allied with taliban.

Since he was one of the original mujahideens, probably he was trained by CIA, if not directly, then atleast through ISI with funding from CIA.

Read Ghost Wars for more details.

Be better if he didnt survive capture, but still good news.

He'd become a martyr, this is much more humiliating and by far better, let him rot in prison.

He is not necessarily an idealogue. He is a power monger and an opportunist. He has deep Iranian ties and in the beginning he was Iran's proxy in the original Afghan jihad. And when the mujahideen won against the Soviets, he crossed over to Pak camp, because they said they will get him Kabul. And then he actually fought against the taliban at one point, when Pakistanis ditched him and supported taliban. And then after 9/11 he allied with taliban.

Since he was one of the original mujahideens, probably he was trained by CIA, if not directly, then atleast through ISI with funding from CIA.

Read Ghost Wars for more details.

I thought that a lot of the warlords in Afghanistan were opportunists of the same ilk.

I thought that a lot of the warlords in Afghanistan were opportunists of the same ilk.

They just about all were, and rightly so.

If the superpowers want to duke it out by proxy in your country, you certainly deserve rich compensation.

At any rate, the war against the soviets in afghanistan was probably the biggest success in the entire cold war, the straw that broke come commies' backs, and very cost effective to boot. +1000000 Milt Bearden &al. , Stinger Missiles, Mujahedin.

At any rate, the war against the soviets in afghanistan was probably the biggest success in the entire cold war, the straw that broke come commies' backs,

That part is debatable. The Soviets did not lose that much in Afg. Like the US in Vietnam, they won most of the battles and inflicted heavy casualties on the Afghan fighters. Plus most of the Soviet troops were conscripts from the various central Asian stans. USSR was rotting even before their Afghan adventure.

That part is debatable. The Soviets did not lose that much in Afg. Like the US in Vietnam, they won most of the battles and inflicted heavy casualties on the Afghan fighters. Plus most of the Soviet troops were conscripts from the various central Asian stans. USSR was rotting even before their Afghan adventure.

Nevertheless, we spent less than they did, by a large margin, and their defeat was extremely demoralizing. It was stanis that were fighting, but it was Russian honor that was at stake. The soviet empire was turned back, publicly, by savages living in caves, and that counted for a lot.