Jalaluddin Haqqani

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Maulavi Jalaluddin Haqqani (c. 1950- ) is 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 invitated by President Hamid Karzai to become Prime Minister of Afghanistan.

More recently, he has lead pro-Taliban militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan[1]. He has also been credited with introducing suicide bombing to the region[2].

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Originally a member of the Hezb-i Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar[3], Haqqani was a widely admired and respected leader during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and ensuing civil war.[1] 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.[3]

Operating against the Soviets and the Afghan government from a safe haven in North Waziristan[2], Haqqani is reputed to have once had strong ties with the CIA and the Pakistani ISI[3]. He reputedly attracted generous support from prosperous Arab countries compared to other resistance leaders.[4]

[edit] 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.[3]

During the Taliban years in power, he served as the Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs and governor of Paktia Province.[3] [5]

[edit] 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.[3]

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.[5] [6] [7] [8]

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.[1]

[edit] 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.[9] 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[10], 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.[11]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Through the eyes of the Taliban, Asia Times, May 5, 2004
  2. ^ a b Return of the Taliban, PBS Frontline, October 3, 2006
  3. ^ a b c d e f The Failing Campaign to Kill Jalaluddin Haqqani, Marc Herold, cursor.org, January 18, 2002
  4. ^ Ex-CIA allies leading Afghan fight vs. G.I.s, New York Daily News, December 2, 2005
  5. ^ a b Summarized transcripts (.pdf), from Mohammad Gul's Combatant Status Review Tribunal - - mirror - pages 1-12
  6. ^ Villagers Add to Reports of Raids Gone Astray, New York Times, February 2, 2002
  7. ^ Summarized transcripts (.pdf), from Abib Sarajuddin's Combatant Status Review Tribunal - pages 36-41
  8. ^ Summarized transcripts (.pdf), from Gul Zaman's Combatant Status Review Tribunal - mirror - pages 39-53
  9. ^ Khan, Ismail. "Forces, militants heading for truce", Dawn, 2006-06-22. Retrieved on 2006-09-29.
  10. ^ Moreau, Ron; Zahid Hussain (2006). Border Backlash. Newsweek international edition. MSNBC.com. Retrieved on 2006-09-20.
  11. ^ The Long Hunt for Osama, Atlantic Monthly, October 2004
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