Ministry of Defense (Afghanistan)
| Pashto: د افغانستان ملی دفاع وزارت | |
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| Department overview | |
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| Jurisdiction | Afghanistan |
| Headquarters | Kabul |
| Minister responsible |
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The Afghan Ministry of Defense (Pashto: د افغانستان ملی دفاع وزارت) is an organ of the Central Government of Afghanistan, overseeing the Afghan Armed Forces. Its headquarters is located in Kabul.[1]
The defense minister is nominated by the President of Afghanistan and the Parliament makes the final approval. As of May 2015, Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai has been serving as the acting defense minister. Dawlat Waziri is his spokesman.[2]
Zahir Azimi is the Major General and spokesman of the Ministry of Defense. From late 2001 to 2004, Mohammed Fahim served as the Defense Minister but was not reappointed, after being accused of illegally occupying land in Kabul. During the same period, Abdul Rahim Wardak was the Deputy Minister. In December 2004, President Hamid Karzai appointed Wardak as the new Defense Minister. He resigned in August 2012.
One of the functions of the Defense Ministry is the continuance of disarming insurgent groups through programmes such as the Afghan New Beginnings Programme. These militant groups coalesced from warlords and former army personnel after the collapse of the Najibullah government in 1992.
List of Defense Ministers
| No. | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Political Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| * | Ghulam Haidar Rasuli | 1977 | April 1978 | Republican |
| * | Abdul Qadir | May 1978 | August 1978 | PDPA-Parcham |
| * | Mohammad Aslam Watanjar | 30 March 1979 | July 1979 | PDPA-Khalq |
| * | Hafizullah Amin | July 1979 | 27 December 1979 | PDPA-Khalq |
| * | Mohammed Rafie | 28 December 1980 | 1982 | PDPA-Parcham |
| * | Abdul Qadir | 1982 | September 1984 | PDPA-Parcham |
| * | Nazar Mohammad | September 1984 | 1986 | PDPA-Khalq |
| * | Mohammed Rafie | December 1986 | May 1988 | PDPA-Parcham |
| * | Shahnawaz Tanai | May 1988 | March 1990 | PDPA-Khalq |
| * | Mohammad Aslam Watanjar | March 1990 | April 1992 | PDPA-Khalq |
| * | Ahmad Shah Massoud | April 1992 | 9 September 2001 | Jamiat-e Islami |
| * | Mohammed Fahim | 9 September 2001 | 23 December 2004 | Jamiat-e Islami |
| * | Abdul Rahim Wardak | 23 December 2004 | 7 August 2012 | None |
| * | Enayatullah Nazari (acting) | 8 August 2012 | 15 September 2012 | Jamiat-e Islami |
| * | Bismillah Khan Mohammadi | 15 September 2012 | 24 May 2015 | Jamiat-e Islami |
| * | Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai (acting) | 24 May 2015 | Present |
References
- ↑ "Afghanistan gets 'mini-Pentagon' as troops struggle". Associated Press. June 12, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ↑ "Afghanistan Works to Determine Fate of Missing Soldiers". Voice of America (VOA). November 28, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
External links
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