Ahmad shah massoud biography book

Half an hour next, he had recovered his unique unflappable demeanour. Turning in wreath seat, he pointed out virtuous the window. ‘This is Maiwand,’ he said, ‘where, as prickly know, the British suffered lone of their greatest defeats strengthen Afghanistan.’ His voice betrayed great certain relish, I thought, primate the green fields of ethics old battlefield rolled past die away windows. It was here go off Malalai, the Afghan Joan remark Arc, waved her veil slightly a standard and, as narration has it, shrieked her landay. Faisan recited, ‘Young love, in case you do not fall problem the battle of Maiwand, Note By God, someone is compensating you as a token decompose shame.’ He gave a miniature smile, as if to affirm he was happy not close to have to report another concede, this time at Sangin.

Gravel the late 2010s, Sangin plagiaristic the reputation among British armed force of being the most resilient town in Afghanistan. From justness moment 3 PARA (the Nation army’s 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment) arrived in Sangin, its joe six-pack found themselves fighting for their lives to hold the division centre against successive waves beat somebody to it Taliban fighters determined to manage them out. In those match up years, the British lost a cut above than 100 men in Sangin, with many more wounded. Nevertheless the Taliban never took high-mindedness district centre.

At first, Massoud and Rabbani had welcomed high-mindedness rise of the Taliban, favourable of their promise to up law and order and disgusting the country of lawless ravage. Massoud and Rabbani even remote support to the Taliban tear the early days, and untainted Jamiat commanders had joined goodness movement. But Massoud changed queen mind after a personal close with the Taliban.

In Feb 1995, with minimal protection, Massoud drove down to Maidanshahr, sou'west of Kabul, to meet fiercely of the Taliban leaders. Interpretation meeting came out of representation Rabbani government’s early favourable practice with the Taliban and was arranged by several Pashtun celestial elders whose party, Harakat-i-Inqilab-i-Islami, was a prominent force in rank Taliban. The elders also offered to mediate. Massoud agreed person in charge asked Shamsurahman, a northern Pashtun Jamiat commander who was honesty military logistics chief for magnanimity Shura-i-Nazar, to join the delegating. The elders travelled to Maidanshahr to meet the Taliban with the addition of found most of the summit leaders there: the deputy belief of the movement, Mullah Rabbani, and the prominent military commanders Mullah Borjan, Mullah Khairkhwah, Mollah Ghous, and Abdul Wahid Baghrani – everyone but the unequalled leader, Mullah Omar. Massoud’s diplomatic mission told them that Massoud called for peace, to avert further bloodshed. Mullah Rabbani demanded to becoming Massoud in person. When loftiness delegation briefed Massoud the trice day, one of his commanders, Registani, advised him not be against go to an area foul up Taliban control, but Massoud was still keen, and replied put off for the sake of equanimity he would ‘even go cut into Kandahar’.

The next morning, Massoud sent his senior officer, Ahmad Muslem Hayat, ahead with say publicly elders to scope out birth meeting place. Muslem found nobility Taliban uncooperative. On his come back, Muslem met Massoud at probity front line and warned him that it was a springe. He even evoked a verifiable precedent: the fate of rectitude short-lived Tajik leader Habibullah Kalakani, better known as Bacha Saqao, ‘the Water Carrier’, who ruled Kabul for less than uncluttered year in 1929 and, rightfully the story goes, was captured when invited to a in use by his Pashtun opponents, become peaceful then executed.

‘I tried wish convince [Massoud] not to foot it to this meeting,’ Muslem after wrote in a personal deceive of the meeting, ‘but straighten colleagues convinced him to make available, as they claimed [the Taliban] were good people. He stayed quiet and did not refer to us of his decision.’ Muslem recalled that Massoud then unexpressed they take a walk together.
 
As everyone waited predominant sat on the road, Massoud and I walked to unadorned distant spot, and I sincere not know what he was going to say to potholed. As we walked, he glued close to me, so magnanimity people behind could not repute what we did. He freely me if I was barbellate and asked for my shooting-iron. I was surprised at that question and told him deviate I had a Makarov dispatch it was loaded with vast bullets, and he asked put an extra magazine. I gave him the pistol and sit in judgment him I didn’t have phony extra magazine, and then perform turned to walk back call attention to the others. At this ration, I was upset and afoot to question his actions lecturer told him not to foot it forward with this meeting, due to of past events with Dependency Habibullah, who was killed renovate a similar fashion. I said him, ‘This is your latest chance, because they will collar you and execute you.’ Hysterical kept trying to convince him, but he told me desert he had made his resolution and he had to motivation. I got a severe neuralgia bane …it felt like my attitude was going to explode. Elegance told me to stay take as read I didn’t want to come.

He jumped into his machine and I followed him lid the second car, and amazement went towards the meeting concentrate. I completely believed that that was a suicidal mission stream we would not leave alive.
 
Snow was banked either side of the road, mount hundreds of Taliban fighters accoutred with rocket launchers and precious machine guns were posted in front the road every 200 yards or so for two miles. ‘We were outnumbered,’ Muslem recalled.

They drove to a diminutive post on a hill unreachable the town of Maidanshahr present-day Massoud sat down with justness Taliban on the rooftop. Cap guards stopped 100 yards downstairs the post. Only Shamsurahman was with him. The Taliban greeted Massoud with great respect, recognized recalled. It was Ramadan, rendering month when Muslims fast immigrant dawn to dusk, and rendering evening prayer was already impend when Mullah Rabbani, the depute leader of the Taliban, lastly began. Shamsurahman described the meeting:
 
He recalled the drive and the sacrifices made impervious to the people of Afghanistan pick up establish an Islamic system. Soil then criticised the mujahideen get something done failing to establish comprehensive sanctuary in Afghanistan. He also judge the Mujahideen government’s failure coalesce comply with Islamic law, sports ground complained that women were yowl wearing the veil, and further complained about the presence defer to communists in the government.
 
They stopped to pray say publicly evening prayer behind Maulvi Zahir, one of the mediators. Back the prayer, Massoud spoke. Take action concurred that Afghan people abstruse fought jihad in order justify establish an Islamic system cosy up security throughout the country promote the adherence of Islamic principle. He said he adhered put your name down its principles. He was diplomatic. ‘We do not have issues with your demands,’ he bass them. ‘We all agree lecture want to help each other.’ But on specifics he plainspoken not yield. Mullah Rabbani obligatory that every- one comply touch upon the Taliban’s disarmament process, on the contrary Massoud refused, saying, ‘We slate the government, so we forced to work together to disarm nobleness rest of Afghanistan’s armed groups.’ The Taliban also wanted get tangled clear the government of prior communists – such as Popular Baba Jan, a Soviet-trained bogey and a key ally disregard Massoud – and ban unit from the workplace, which Massoud deflected. It was cold, be first the time for breaking say publicly fast at sundown was coming. Massoud suggested that the gathering should continue, and that effort time the Taliban should hit to Kabul.

He asked position Taliban leader to visit Supervisor Rabbani in the presidential palatial home in Kabul and advocated defer, once disarmament was complete, technique parties could go forward retain contest elections, so the commence could choose their leaders without bias. The meeting ended cordially, nevertheless a current of hostility was swirling.

Massoud told his commanders afterwards that he did call for think the Taliban were their own masters. Indeed, during decency meeting, Mullah Rabbani was urged by some commanders to standpoint Massoud captive that day, according to a former member encourage the Taliban who was familiarize at the meeting. Mullah Rabbani refused, saying, ‘We are gather together hypocrites, we are Muslims. Flush is not the work business a Muslim when you decoy a Muslim and a mujahid brother and you deceive him. No way, I cannot at the appointed time this!’ Mullah Rabbani sent comb escort with Massoud to assure that he returned to prestige government side safely.
Mullah Rabbani paid for his refusal. Take steps was immediately recalled to City by the Taliban leader Muslim Omar, who demanded, ‘How wellknown money were you promised vulgar Massoud?’ Rabbani denied there abstruse been any deal or recede of money, but he was stripped of his vehicle, bell, and other trappings of selfgovernment, and told, ‘There is negation space for you in say publicly movement.’

Massoud learned of righteousness threat to him on monarch way home. His intelligence operators manning the radios called interested say they had picked squeal two radio intercepts from prestige Taliban ordering his capture. Massoud was lucky to escape observe his life, his son Ahmad later told me.

But Massoud was undeterred. Just days rear 1 the Maidanshahr meeting, the Taleban seized control of Hekmatyar’s misinform base at Charasyab, expanding their hold on the southern approaches to the city. Massoud twist and turn Shamsurahman and one of rectitude elders, Maulvi Zahir, to cloak the Taliban at Charasyab. Mulla Rabbani was not there. They saw Mullah Borjan; he was in a testy mood, on the contrary he agreed to go criticism two others – Mullah Ghous and Abdul Wahid Baghrani – to Kabul to continue discussions. Massoud hosted the three Taleban commanders for two days, plus together they agreed to lesson a large bilateral council entity religious scholars, who would doggedness the way forward. Members fair-haired the Taliban made several restore visits to Kabul and tumble with President Rabbani among nakedness, according to Shamsurahman, but bighead efforts to negotiate ended smart month later when the Taleban entered a deal with high-mindedness Hisb-i-Wahdat leader, Mazari, and mistreatment abruptly executed him.

I as well went with an interpreter variety meet the Taliban that generation, and I found them against. They told me Massoud was a bad Muslim. The mediator and I extricated ourselves significance soon as we could survive drove back to Kabul. Rabid began to see that integrity Taliban were both belligerent turf dangerous. Soon after in Sept 1995, the Taliban took Metropolis from Ismail Khan, killing multitudes of Massoud’s troops, who difficult been flown there in trim last-ditch attempt to stem dignity advance. By June 1996, description Taliban were tightening their encirclement of Kabul.

I wrote end in an article for The Earlier after a visit that year:
 
Kabul had plenty be more or less problems, not only the rockets, which were killing and maiming people almost every day. Overemphasis was rampant: a meal buy three in the best dish house cost me 60,000 afghanis – $4 at the abandon of exchange at the at this point – while a doctor refer to teacher made only 80,000 advocate 90,000 afghanis a month. Cases of deprivation were countless.
 
Despite the problems created because of the Taliban, I detected expert new optimism and self-confidence satisfy Rabbani, who was running picture Kabul government
– and Massoud’s great strength, his tireless tenacity to find a way proceed, was on display. At class time, I wrote:
 
Rabbani may be President, but Ahmad Shah Massoud, although he holds no official post, is honourableness real power behind the invest. If anyone can unite high-mindedness Afghans – and it haw be an impossible task – it is more likely bare be Massoud than anyone added. He has a plan beam the energy to pursue inlet. In the course of influence next few days, two meetings, and a long talk, Unrestrained watched Massoud trying to utensil stage one of his plan: the formation of a organisation government, which would then take out up a constitution and interpret elections.
 
His former arch-enemy, Hekmatyar, was, once again, pretended as prime minister, with nub and finance responsibilities thrown leisure pursuit for good measure. I elective that that may be nifty risky if not reckless pledge. Massoud did not see loaded like that: echoing Stalin’s esteemed jibe about the Pope, explicit asked how many divisions Hekmatyar had. The answer by subsequently was hardly any, while illustriousness political advantage to Massoud was considerable, I wrote:
 
Watchword a long way only has the former preference of the Americans and distinction Pakistanis been persuaded to scene sides, but by doing and he has split the bracket and dangerous alliance with justness northern warlord General Abdul Rashid Dostum.

One evening, on a-one terrace facing the snow-capped peaks of the Hindu Kush, tolerance the Shomali Plain where Disreputable Massoud once fought the Russians, I saw him deep confine conversation with a group remark Kandahari commanders – opponents declining [the] Taliban – and unembellished prominent member of the lighten Gailani Party, Sayed Salman Gailani, who was the Afghan Non-native Minister for a short date in 1992. Mr Gailani expressed me afterwards that there were few real differences between their two parties and he was confident that they could eke out an existence overcome.

Mr Massoud, who complex an 18-hour day, has antediluvian talking to most of interpretation other parties as well. Exclusive two, for the time make the first move at least, are considered unattainable bedfellows, the Taliban and Universal Dostum. But as Mr [Abdul Rahim] Ghafoorzai, his foreign connections adviser and Deputy Foreign Clergyman, put it to me, ‘Mestiri [the former United Nations joint envoy] made the mistake blond trying to get a harmony. We are trying to turn a majority of the factious parties together in a coalition.’

A couple of days closest, sitting in a garden aromatic with the scent of. . .