Sebastian Junger on Afghanistan’s Slain Rebel Leader Ahmad Shah Massoud

National Geographic ^ | October 2001

[Shermy]

The second anniversary of 9/11 is fast coming. But tomorrow is the anniversary of the assassination of Shah Massoud too, a piece of the same puzzle.

> Italian photojournalist's Massoud tribute page

[Shermy]

Ping. 9/9 is the anniversary of Massoud's death.

[Andy from Beaverton]

Probably the only Islamist I would be proud to fight along side. He is very missed!

[Ex-Dem]

As the post mentioned, the full article (I believe it was called "The Lion In Winter") is published in his book Fire, one of the last chapters. Worth reading. The book tells quite a bit about the way he operated and the kind of man he was (had a sense of humor).

[Shermy]

NG intro to "Lion in Winter" story, FYI

[Ex-Dem]

Wow, that was a confusing post. The first "he" refers to Junger, the last two "he"s refer to Massoud. Sorry about that.

[Ex-Dem]

!!!!!

Full color photos?! I'm feeling a bit ripped off >_<. I bought the book a few years ago and it didn't have a single photo (not B&W, nothing). I might try to get my hands on that issue of National Geographic.

[Shermy]

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pw/sto/46.0010massudeng.arc.html

Interview in 2000 with Massoud. After a Taliban offensive that ultimately failed. Osama/Omar tried again in 2001. They plan terrorism well - but not war for territory.

[HAL9000]

FR Archives -

September 9, 2001 - Opposition's military chief Ahmed Shah Massood injured in bomb explosion

9/11/2001 - 3:34 AM - A lion cornered - The attack on Masood is bound to strengthen the Taleban

[IronJack]

This is the guy succeeded by Rashid Dostum, the Uzbeck warlord who recaptured Mazar-e-Sharif. Dostum wasn't nearly the unifying force Massoud would have been, and Hamid Karzai has been able to dilute Dostum's influence in the post-war Afghan government.

Massoud's assassination definitely changed the face of Afghan politics. By all accounts, he would have been the new president.

[Ex-Dem]

Whatever happened to Massoud's lieutenant? I think his name was Abdullah Adbullah or Dr. Abdullah.

[IronJack]

Wasn't he involved in the formation of the new interim government? Minister of something or other? I recall seeing his name bandied about in various accounts of the period, but don't recall whatever happened to him.

[marron]

I was saddened that the most powerful military in the world was contemplating a campaign against one of the poorest nations on Earth. The irony was that there appeared to be no Afghans among the 19 hijackers.

Annoying remark. We didn't launch a campaign against the Afghans. We helped the Afghans win their war against the Taliban.

And the fact that their weren't any Afghans among the hijackers is not irony. It is tragedy, the tragic fact that Bin Ladin hid himself among them and at least some of them willingly gave him refuge, even knowing what he did to us. Anyone who would give him refuge knowing what he did to us willingly accepted to share his fate. Thats fine.

[Ex-Dem]

You're right. I just Googled him. His title is Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Afghan Interim Government.

http://www.nato.int/multi/photos/2003/m030716a.htm

[expatpat]

Yes, he became Foreign Minisster. I found him to be an impressive man from what I saw on TV.

[CanadianLibertarian]

Abdullah Abdullah is a fantastic leader. A real professional at leadership and strategy, he has moved back permanently to Afghanistan except for regular visits back to New Delhi (where his family has been based for several years.)

The unknown fact is that the major backer of the Northern Alliance this whole time has been India - just as the Pakis were the creators and sustainers of the Taliban.

[JeepInMazar]

I was in Kabul Stadium today. Check www.NoWaxMedia.com for some low res pics. More coming soon.

[archy]

Probably the only Islamist I would be proud to fight along side. He is very missed!

The US Special Forces team operators working in Afghanistan for the last couple of years were not quite so picky, and from Robin Moore's account in The Hunt for Bin-Laden it appears that they have pretty good reason for feeling that way about some of those they've worked with to eliminate our common enemies.

There are others in *The Stan* who took a somewhat different approach that works better for me, but I am not about to sell short the abilities and dedication of those both working with us and opposing us. And they do know their own backyard exceedingly well.

[piasa]

anniversary bump

[US] Post[al] worker Ahmed Abdel Sattar may be implicated in the Sept. 9 slaying of Northern Alliance Gen. Ahmed Shah Massoud. The government has described Sattar as a “”communications center” for the blind Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman who is serving a life sentence for plotting attacks on the WTC and other NYC landmarks. 1 posted on Monday, May 13, 2002 1:46:28 AM by LarryLied

[piasa]

1995 : (NY : SHEIKH OMAR ABDEL RAHMAN IS CONVICTED OF PLOTTING TO BLOW UP THE WTC IN 1993; FROM HIS PRISON CELL IN THE U.S. HE WOULD LATER DIRECT -WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF HIS LEFTWING LAWYER, US POSTAL WORKER AHMED ABDEL SATTAR, AND EGYPTIAN YASSIR SIRRI - THE MURDER PLOT WHICH ENDED IN THE ASSASSINATION OF AFGHAN NORTHERN ALLIANCE GENERAL AHMED SHAH MASSOUD ON SEPT 9, 2001; THE ASSASSINATION TOOK PLACE JUST DAYS BEFORE THE 9/11 ATTACKS ON THE USA) — “U.S. man’s letter links to Afghan killing,” Middle East Times, 2002, http://www.metimes.com/2K2/issue2002-20/eg/us_mans_letter.htm (* My note: So much for the ‘criminal justice method of dealing with terrorists...)