Northern Afghan Warlords Dostum vs Malik

WASHINGTON, August 21, 2006 (RFE/RL) — For years, northern Afghanistan has seen sporadic fighting between supporters of two long-time warlords, Abdul Rashid Dostum and General Abdul Malik. Now, though, the central government has indicated it has had enough, with Interior Minister Zarar Ahmad Moqbel calling for the two men’s political parties to be disbanded.

He argues that the two parties — Dostum’s National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan (Hizb-e Junbish-e-Melli-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan), known as Junbish, and Malik’s Freedom Party of Afghanistan (Hizb-e Azadi-ye Afghanistan) — continue to maintain military wings and that these militia are responsible for the unrest in the northern province of Faryab.

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When you invade a country like Afghanistan it’s always better to do it with inside help. Paying off such help, of course, is a crucial part if it – whether it be through financial considerations, arms, agreeing to look the other way regarding poppy production, or promises regarding positions within the country following said invasion.

When it comes to Afghanistan post 9/11, General Abdul Rashid Dostum remains one of the most troubling Northern Alliance commanders tapped by the United States during the 2001 invasion. Mistrusted by the CIA, even though he was reportedly on their payroll at the time, he would be responsible for the most egregious war crime to take place in post 9/11 Afghanistan – the Dasht-i-Leili massacre – which the Obama Administration has, eight years after the fact, ordered to be investigated. While Dostun is no longer a general in the Afghan army given his role in the kidnapping of Akbar Bai, he retains significant influence within the Afghan Uzbek community.

KABUL — A notorious Afghan warlord accused of allowing the murder of hundreds, if not thousands, of prisoners and then destroying the evidence returned to Afghanistan as part of what appears to be a political deal brokered with President Hamid Karzai.

Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum arrived from Turkey just four days before the Afghan presidential elections, in which his support could be key to Karzai’s chances of securing more than 50 percent of the vote – the threshold for avoiding a second round of elections.

Karzai has come under criticism for consolidating his position by striking deals with warlords like Dostum and those suspected of connections to the country’s opium trade.

The Afghan’s CIA President