Jalaluddin Haqqani
 |
Jalaluddin Haqqani (Pashto:) (January 12th, 1950-October 9th, 2008) was a Pashtun military leader known for his involvement in fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s, specially during Operation Magistral, as well as for being invited by President Hamid Karzai to become Prime Minister of Afghanistan.
In the 1980s, Jalaluddin Haqqani was cultivated as a "unilateral" asset of the CIA and received tens of thousands of dollars in cash for his work in fighting the Soviet Army in Afghanistan, according to an account in "The Bin Ladens," a recent book by Steve Coll. At that time, Haqqani helped and protected Osama bin Laden, who was building his own militia to fight the Soviet forces, Coll wrote.[1]
More recently, he had led pro-Taliban militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan[2]. He had also been credited with introducing suicide bombing to the region[3].
On October 9th, during a suspected U.S. bombing raid in a targeted area along the mountainous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Haqqani was killed, along with at least 10 other Taliban members.
Mujahideen leader
Originally a member of the Hezb-i Islami of Mowlawi Khalis Group[4], Haqqani was admired by certain eastern Pashtuns during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and ensuing civil war.[2] In 1991 he was the first resistance leader to capture a city, Khost, from the Najibullah government. After the fall of Kabul to the Mujahideen in 1992, he was appointed justice minister in the first Mujahideen government.[4]
Operating against the Soviets and the Afghan government from a safe haven in North Waziristan[3], Haqqani is reputed to have once had strong ties with the CIA and the Pakistani ISI[4]. He reputedly attracted generous support from prosperous Arab countries compared to other resistance leaders.[5]
Relations with the Taliban
Haqqani was not originally a member of the Taliban. In 1995, just prior to the Taliban's occupation of Kabul, he switched his allegiance to them. In 1996-97, he served as a Taliban military commander north of Kabul, and was accused of ethnic cleansing against local Tajik populations.[4]
During the Taliban years in power, he served as the Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs and governor of Paktia Province.[4] [6]
Post-2001
In October, 2001, Haqqani was named the Taliban's military commander. He may have had a role in expediting the escape of Osama Bin Laden. With his base in Khost under repeated American air attack, it is believed he crossed the border into the Waziristan region of Pakistan himself in November or December.[4]
Four Guantanamo detainees -- Abib Sarajuddin, Khan Zaman, Gul Zaman and Mohammad Gul -- were captured and held because American intelligence officials received a report that one of them had briefly hosted Haqqani shortly after the fall of the Taliban.[6] [7] [8] [9]
It is claimed Haqqani has since been offered positions of authority by President Hamid Karzai's government, including the offer of the post of Prime Minister.[2]
In July 2008, CIA officials confronted Pakistan officials with evidence of ties between Inter-Services Intelligence and Jalaluddin Haqqani.[10] The ISI denies these allegations.[11]
A September 2008 airstrike which targeted Haqqani, resulted in the deaths of between ten and twenty-three people. The US missile strike hit the house of Haqqani in the village Dandi Darpa Khail in North Waziristan and a close-by seminary[12][13]. The madrasah, however, was closed and Haqqani had previously left the area, therefore most of the casualties were women and children.[13][14]
Role in Waziristan Conflict
Haqqani and his son, Sirajuddin Haqqani, are believed to be commanders of the Taliban mujahideen forces in the Pakistan agency of Waziristan.[15] The success of the mujahideen fighters in the two-year Waziristan Conflict against the Pakistan Army pressured the government to agree to the 2006 Waziristan Accord, a cease-fire agreement allowing Taliban fighters to operate with impunity in Waziristan as long as Pakistani law is followed and the Taliban do not launch raids into neighboring Afghanistan. The local Taliban, identified by some as the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan[16], appear to have been strengthened by the cease-fire agreement, which stipulated the release of up to 2,500 fighters held by the Pakistan government, as well as the return of all weapons captured by government forces during the war.
Haqqani is said to speak fluent Arabic.[17]
Notes
- ^ 'US attack on Taliban kills 23 in Pakistan', International Herald Tribune, 9 September. Retrieved on 10 September 2008.
- ^ a b c Through the eyes of the Taliban, Asia Times, May 5 2004
- ^ a b Return of the Taliban, PBS Frontline, October 3 2006
- ^ a b c d e f The Failing Campaign to Kill Jalaluddin Haqqani, Marc Herold, cursor.org, January 18 2002
- ^ Ex-CIA allies leading Afghan fight vs. G.I.s, New York Daily News, December 2 2005
- ^ a b Summarized transcripts (.pdf), from Mohammad Gul's Combatant Status Review Tribunal - - mirror - pages 1-12
- ^ Villagers Add to Reports of Raids Gone Astray, New York Times, February 2 2002
- ^ Summarized transcripts (.pdf), from Abib Sarajuddin's Combatant Status Review Tribunal - pages 36-41
- ^ Summarized transcripts (.pdf), from Gul Zaman's Combatant Status Review Tribunal - mirror - pages 39-53
- ^ "C.I.A. Outlines Pakistan Links With Militants", by Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt, July 30, 2008, New York Times
- ^ "Pakistan denies 'malicious' report on CIA confrontation", July 30, 2008, Agence France Press
- ^ Newhouse, Barry (2008-09-08). "Suspected US Missile Strike Hits Taliban Commander's House". Voice of America. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Shahzad, Syed Saleem (2008-09-09). "US's 'good' war hits Pakistan hard". Asia Times Online. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
- ^ Perlez, J. & Shah, P.Z. 2008, 'US attack on Taliban kills 23 in Pakistan', International Herald Tribune, 9 September. Retrieved on 10 September 2008.
- ^ Khan, Ismail (2006-06-22). "Forces, militants heading for truce". Dawn. Retrieved 2006-09-29.
- ^ Moreau, Ron (2006). "Border Backlash". Newsweek international edition. MSNBC.com. Retrieved 2006-09-20.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ The Long Hunt for Osama, Atlantic Monthly, October 2004
External links