Ahmad Shah Massoud
Born	2 September 1953(1953-09-02) Panjshir, Afghanistan
Died	9 September 2001 Takhar, Afghanistan
Occupation	Prominent Mujahideen commander during the Soviet war in Afghanistan, afterwards Minister of Defense, and later leader of the Northern Alliance
Website	http://www.ahmadshahmassoud.com

Ahmad Shah Massoud(Persian: احمد شاه مسعود Ahmad Shāh Mas'ūd) (c. September 2, 1953 –September 9, 2001) (variant transliterations include Ahmed, Masood, etc.) was an ethnic Tajik and a Kabul University engineering student turned military leader who played a leading role in driving the Soviet army out of Afghanistan, earning him the nickname "Lion of Panjshir". His supporters call him Amer Sahib e Shaheed, translating to our "Martyred Commander". Image File history File links Ahmad_shah_massoud_3. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... PanjshÄ«r or Panjshir (literally Five Lions in Persian: پنج شیر) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Takhar province is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. ... Mujahideen (Arabic: , ; Turkish: , literally strugglers) is a term for Muslims fighting in a war or involved in any other struggle. ... Combatants Soviet Union, Democratic Republic of Afghanistan Afghan and foreign Mujahideen rebels supported by United States, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, China Commanders Soviet forces only Sergei Sokolov, Boris Gromov, Valentin Varennikov Abdul Haq, Jalaluddin Haqqani, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Ismail Khan, Ahmad Shah Massoud, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq Rahimuddin Khan Akhtar Abdur... Flag flown by the UIF (Northern Alliance). ... It has been suggested that Scripts used for Persian be merged into this article or section. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Transliteration is the practice of transcribing a word or text written in one writing system into another writing system. ... Languages Persian (varieties of Dari and Tajik) Religions Islam (predominantly Sunni) Related ethnic groups Other Iranian peoples TājÄ«k (Persian: ; UniPers: Tâjik; Cyrillic: ) is a term generally applied to Persian-speaking peoples of Iranian origin living east of Iran. ... Kabul University (Persian: دانشگاه کابل) is located in Kabul, Afghanistan. ... For other organizations known as the Red Army, see Red Army (disambiguation). ... Panjshir province is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. ...

Ahmad Shah Massoud became Defence Minister of Afghanistan as early as 1992 under President Burhanuddin Rabbani. Following the collapse of Rabbani's government and the rise of the Taliban regime, Massoud became the military leader of the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan. In September 2001 Massoud was assassinated by al-Qaeda agents, allegedly with the complicity of Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, and the following year he was named "National Hero" by the order of Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Taliban (Pashto: ) (also Taleban) are a fundamentalist Sunni Muslim and ethnic Pashtun movement that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when their leaders were removed from power by a cooperative military effort between the United States and the Northern Alliance. ... Flag flown by the UIF (Northern Alliance). ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, aka Abd-i-Rab Rasoul Sayaf, is a Pashtun warlord commander of a Pashtun militia. ... Hamid Karzai (Pashto: حامد کرزي) (b. ...

Early life

Ahmad Shah Massoud was born on September 2, 1953 in Jangalak, Panjshir Valley, the son of police commander Dost Mohammad Khan. At the age of five, he started grammar school at Bazarak and stayed there until second grade. Since his father was promoted to be police chief of Herat, he attended 3rd and 4th grade at the Mowaffaq School in Herat. He also received a religious education at the "Masjed-e-Jame" mosque in Herat. Later his father was moved to Kabul so he attended intermediate and senior grades at the French lycee of Al Istiqlal in Kabul. Since his childhood, he was considered exceedingly talented; from 10th grade on, his school acknowledged him as a particularly gifted student. His native tongue was Persian (Dari), but he was also fluent in French, [2], Pashto, and Urdu. Furthermore, he had a good working knowledge of the Arabic language. Bazarak (persian: بازارک) is the capital of Panjshir Province, in Afghanistan. ... Herāt (Persian: ‎ ) is a city in western Afghanistan, in the province also known as Herāt. ... Herāt (Persian: ‎ ) is a city in western Afghanistan, in the province also known as Herāt. ... Dari is a term used to denote one of several closely related Persian dialects spoken in what used to be Greater Khorasan: The official name for the Persian language in Afghanistan; see Dari (Afghanistan) One name used by Zoroastrians (the others being Gabri and Yazdi) to refer to the Northwestern... Pashto (پښتو; also known as Afghan, Pushto, Pashto, Pashtoe, Pashtu, and Pukhto) is the language spoken by the ethnic Afghan otherwise known as the Pashtun people who inhabit Afghanistan and the Western provinces of Pakistan. ... Urdu ( , , trans. ... Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ...

When studying at Kabul, in 1972, he became involved with the sazman-i jawanan-i musalman("organisation of Muslim youth"), the student branch of the Jamiat Islami("islamic society"), whose chairman was professor Burhanuddin Rabbani. This islamist organisation opposed the rising communist influence that became especially evident after the coup d'état that brought Mohammed Daoud Khan to power in 1973: the coup was orchestrated by the Parcham faction of the PDPA, the Afghan communist party. This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... // A coup dÉtat (pronounced ), or simply coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, often through illegal means by a part of the state establishment — mostly replacing just the high-level figures. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... A communist group in Afghanistan formed in 1967 by USSRs help. ... The Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan (in Persian: حزب دموکراتيک خلق افغانستان, in Pashto: د افغانستان د خلق دموکراټیک ګوند, PDPA) was a Soviet-aligned Revisionist party that ruled Afghanistan from 1978 to 1991 with the help of 12000 Russian troops. ...

As soon as Daoud came to power, he began a crackdown against the Islamist movements, forcing those who were not arrested to flee to Pakistan. From here they organised the resistance movement, aided by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who feared Daoud's revival of the Pashtunistan issue. Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ... Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (Urdu: ذوالفقار علی بھٹو, Sindhi: ذوالفقار علي ڀُٽو) (January 5, 1928 – April 4, 1979) was a Pakistani politician who served as the President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and as the Prime Minister from 1973 to 1977. ... Pashtunistan (Pashto, Persian: پشتونستان) or Pakhtunistan (Pashto, Persian: پختونستان), is what many Pashtun nationalists call the Pashtun-dominated areas of Pakistan. ...

In July 1975, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, then a Jamiat member, organised an uprising against Daoud's government. Massoud was in charge of stirring up the Panjshir, and had some success in this area, but the revolt was a failure, due to lack of support among the people and Gulbuddin's inability to entice officers of the Afghan army to join the rebels^[1]. The ensuing repression greatly weakened the islamist movement, and forced the surviving militants back to Pakistan. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (born 1947 in Imam Saheb, Kunduz province, Afghanistan) is an Afghan warlord and former Prime Minister of Afghanistan. ... The military of Afghanistan is composed of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan Air Force. ...

In 1976, the movement split between the supporters of Rabbani, who led the Jamiat, and those of Hekmatyar, who founded the Hezbi Islami. Massoud, who blamed the failure of the insurrection on Hekmatyar, joined Rabbani's faction. Hezbi Islami (also Hezb-i-Islami, Hezbi-Islami, Hezb-e-Islami) is a military force in Afghanistan led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and established by him in Pakistan during 1975. ...

The Soviet war

The 1978 uprising

When, in 1978, the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan came to power, they began to reform the Afghan society along Marxist lines. These reforms met with an important resistance, especially as the government attempted to enforce them by arresting or simply executing those who resisted. The net result was to plunge large parts of the country, especially the rural areas, into open revolt. Islamist intellectuals such as Massoud became natural leaders for these uprisings. The Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan (in Persian: حزب دموکراتيک خلق افغانستان, in Pashto: د افغانستان د خلق دموکراټیک ګوند, PDPA) was a Soviet-aligned Revisionist party that ruled Afghanistan from 1978 to 1991 with the help of 12000 Russian troops. ... Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ...

The first instance of open rebellion occurred in Nuristan, in July 1978. Massoud joined the rebels, and was present when they wiped out an armoured battalion sent by the PDPA to suppress the revolt^[2]. Nurestan Province (also spelled Nuristan) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. ...

Having ascertained that an uprising against the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan would be backed by the people, Massoud made his way to the Panjshir, and started a new insurrection on July 6, 1979. The fight lasted 40 days, during which the whole Panjshir, Salang, and Bola Ghain were in open revolt against Kabul. After these 40 days Massoud's leg was injured and the troops under his command had no more weapons and ammunition. Despite 600 relief fighters from Nuristan, the government troops finally defeated them.^[3] Drawing the lessons from this failure, Massoud decided to avoid direct confontation with the enemy and to wage a guerrilla war. He set about creating bases and giving his men adequate training^[4]. The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was the communist governance in Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. ... For other places with the same name, see Kabul (disambiguation). ... Guerrilla warfare (also guerilla) is the unconventional warfare and combat with which small group combatants (usually civilians) use mobile tactics (ambushes, raids, etc) to combat a larger, less mobile formal army. ...

The Soviet intervention

By late 1979, various rebel groups controlled most of the country, and the communist government was nearing collapse. This led the Afghan president Hafizullah Amin to call for help from his Soviet patrons, but when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, on December 27 1979, they killed Amin and replaced him with Babrak Karmal. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Babrak Karmal (January 6, 1929 - December 3, 1996) was the third President of Afghanistan (1979 - 1986) during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. ...

Massoud devised a strategic plan for expelling the invaders and overthrowing the communist regime: The first phase, or "starting point", consisted in the establishment of a guerilla force, supported by the people. The second phase would be one of "active defense" of the Panjshir stronghold, while carrying out irregular warfare. The third phase, the "strategic offensive", would see Massoud's forces taking control of large parts of Northern Afghanistan. The fourth phase was the "general application" of Massoud's principles to the whole country, and the final demise of the Afghan communist government.

From the start of the war Massoud's mujahideen proved to be a thorn in the side for the occupying Soviet forces, by ambushing Soviet and Afghan convoys travelling through the Salang pass, causing fuel shortages in Kabul^[5]. To relieve the pressure on their supply lines the Soviets were forced to mount a series of offensives against the Panjshir. Between 1980 and 1985, these offensives were conducted twice a year, yet despite engaging more men and hardware on each occasion, the Soviets were not able to defeat Massoud's forces. When, in 1982, the Soviets began deploying major combat units in the Panjshir numbering up to 12,000 men, Massoud pulled his troops back into subsidiary valleys, where they occupied fortified positions. When the Soviet columns advanced onto these positions they fell into ambushes and suffered heavy casualties. When the Soviets withdrew, they handed over their positions to Afghan army garrisons, that the Mujahideen attacked and recaptured one by one^[6]. The Kotal-e Salang or Salang pass is the major mountain pass connecting northern Afghanistan and Kabul with further connections to Pakistan and southern Afghanistan. ... Combatants Soviet Union, Democratic Republic of Afghanistan Afghan Mujahideen Commanders Various Ahmad Shah Massoud The Panjshir offensives (Russian:Пандшерская операция - Panjsher Operations) were a series of battles between the Soviet Army and groups of Afghan Mujahideen under Ahmad Shah Massoud for the control of the strategic Panjshir Valley, during the Soviet war...

In 1983, the Soviets offered Massoud a truce, which he accepted. He put this respite to good use, extending his influence to areas outside Panjshir, mostly in Takhar and Baghlan Provinces. Takhar province is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. ... Categories: Afghanistan geography stubs | Provinces of Afghanistan ...

This expansion prompted Babrak Karmal to demand that the Red Army resume their offensives, in order to crush the Panjshir groups definitively. However, Massoud had received advanced warning of the attack through his agents in the DRA government, and he evacuated all 30,000 inhabitants out of the valley, leaving the Soviet bombings to fall on empty ground^[7]. Eventually, after 1985, no more offensives were carried out against the Panjshir.

With the end of the Soviet-Afghan attacks, Massoud was able to carry out the next phase of his strategic plan: to expand the resistance movement and liberate the northern provinces of Afghanistan. In August 1986 he captured Farkhar in Takhar Province, and in November, his forces overran the headquarters of the DRA 20th division at Nahrin in Baghlan province, scoring an important victory for the resistance^[8]. This expansion was also carried out through diplomatic means, as more mujahideen commanders were persuaded to adopt the Panjshir military system.

The Soviet army and the Afghan Army were defeated in numerous small engagements between 1984 and 1988, but many of them remain either undocumented or unknown to outside sources. However the strength of the Afghan resistance caused the last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan on February 2nd, 1989 after Mikhail Gorbachev decided to put an end to the Soviet military presence. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (Russian: ), surname more accurately romanized as Gorbachyov; (born 2 March 1931) is a Russian politician. ...

Massoud's organisation

Despite almost constant attacks by the Red army and the Afghan army, Massoud was able to increase his miltary strength. Starting in 1980 with a force of less than 1,000 ill-equipped guerillas, the Panjshir valley mujahideen grew to a 5,000-strong force by 1984^[5]. After expanding his influence outside the valley, Massoud led some 13,000 fighters in 1989^[9]. These forces were divided into different types of units: the locals (mahalli) were tasked with static defense of villages and fortified positions. The best of the mahalli were formed into units called grup-i zarbati (shock troops), semi-mobile groups that acted as reserve forces for the defense of several strongholds. The Military Reserves are an organization that is associated with the military but is not in active duty. ...

A different type of unit was the mobile group (grup-i-mutaharek), a lightly equipped commando-like formation numbering 33 men, whose mission was to carry out hit-and-run attacks outside the Panjshir, sometimes as far as 100 km from their base. These men were professional soldiers, well-paid and trained, and, from 1983, they could provide an effective strike force to attack government outposts. Uniquely among the mujahideen, these groups wore uniforms, and heir use of the pakul made this headwear emblematic of the Afghan resistance. For other uses, see Commando (disambiguation). ... Hit-and-run tactics is a tactical doctrine where the purpose of the combat involved is not to seize control of territory, but to inflict damage on a target and immediately exit the area to avoid the enemys defense and/or retaliation. ... Ahmed Shah Massoud wearing a pakul hat The pakul is a soft, round-topped Afghan mens hat, typically of wool and found in any of a variety of earthy colors: brown, black, gray, or ivory. ...

Massoud's military organisation was an effective compromise between the traditional Afghan method of warfare and the modern principles of guerilla warfare that he had learned from the works of Mao Zedong and Che Guevara. It was considered as the most effective of all the resistance movements^[10]. “Mao” redirects here. ... Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (June 14,[1] 1928 – October 9, 1967), commonly known as Che Guevara, El Che or just Che was an Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary, medical doctor , political figure, and leader of Cuban and internationalist guerrillas. ...

In July 1983, Massoud created the Shura-ye-nazar (council of supervision), a military council that would eventually coordinate the actions of 130 mujahideen commanders from seven provinces of northern Afghanistan: Parwan, Laghman, Kapisa, Kunar, Badakshan, Takhar, Baghlan and Kunduz . This council existed outside the fold of the Peshawar parties that were prone to internecine rivalry and bickering, and served to smooth out differences between resistance groups, due to political and ethnic divsions. It was the predecessor of the future "Northern alliance"^[11]. Parwān (Persian: پروان, also spelt Parvān) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. ... This article is about the province in Afghanistan. ... Kapiśa (=Kapisha) (Persian: کاپيسا) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. ... Kunar (also spelled Konar) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country and on the border with Pakistan. ... Badakhshan (Persian: بدخشان Badakhshān) is one of the provinces of Afghanistan, consisting of 29 districts. ... Categories: Afghanistan geography stubs | Provinces of Afghanistan ... Kunduz is one of the provinces of Afghanistan, centered on the city of Kunduz in Afghanistan, with an area of 7,827 km square, and a population of about 583,000. ...

Relations with the party headquarters in Peshawar were often strained, as Rabbani insisted on giving Massoud no more weapons and supplies than to other Jamiat commanders, even those who fought little. To compensate for this deficiency, Massoud could rely on the revenue drawn from exports of emeralds^[12] and lapis lazuli^[13], that are traditionally exploited in Northern Afghanistan.   (Urdu: پشاور; Pashto: پښور) literally means City on the Frontier in Persian and is known as Pekhawar in Pashto. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A block of lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli is one of the oldest of all gems, with a history of use stretching back 7,000 years. ...

To organise the support for the mujahideen, he established an administrative system that enforced law and order(nazm) in areas under his control. The Panjshir was divided into 22 bases(qarargah) that were governed by a military commander and a civilian administrator and each had a judge, a prosecutor and a public defender^[14]. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries adopting the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. ... In the United States, a public defender is a lawyer whose duty is to provide legal counsel and representation to indigent defendants in criminal cases who are unable to pay for legal assistance. ...

Massouds policies were implemented by different committees: a economic committee was charged with funding the war effort. The health committee provided health services, assisted by volunteers from foreign humanitarian non-governmental organizations, such as Aide médicale internationale. An education committee was charged with the training of military and administrative cadre. A culture and propaganda committee and a judiciary committee were also created^[15]. Humanitarian aid arriving by plane at Rinas Airport in Albania in the summer of 1999. ... A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a private institution that is independent of the government although many NGOs, particular in the global South, are funded by Northern governments. ... Aide médicale internationale is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organisation. ... Look up cadre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The Fall of Kabul, April 1992

After the departure of Soviet troops in 1989, the PDPA regime now headed by Mohammad Najibullah, proved unexpectedly capable holding its own against the mujahideen. Backed by a massive influx of weapons from the Soviet Union, the Afghan armed forces reached a level of performance they had never reached under direct Soviet tutelage, and were able to prevent all major cities from falling. Combatants Soviet Union Afghan Mujahideen Commanders Boris Gromov Various Casualties 523 killed[1] Unknown Afghanistan and Pakistan, in the Accords of 14 April 1988, signed three instruments-on principles of mutual relations, in particular noninterference and non-intervention, on the voluntary return of refugees, and on interrelationships for the settlement... Dr. Mohammad Najibullah (Pashto/Persian: ‎ ; born 1947, died September 27, 1996) was the fourth and last President of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. ...

By 1992 however, after the collapse of Soviet union, the regime began to crumble. Food and fuel shortages undermined the capacities of the Army, and a resurgence of factionalism split the regime between Khalq and Parcham supporters.^[16] Khalq (Masses) was a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan. ... A communist group in Afghanistan formed in 1967 by USSRs help. ...

A few days after it was clear that Najibullah had lost control, his army commanders and governors arranged to turn over authority to resistance commanders and local notables throughout the country. Joint councils or shuras were immediately established for local government in which civil and military officials of the former government were usually included. In many cases prior arrangements for transferring regional and local authority had been made between foes.^[16]

Collusions between military leaders quickly brought down the Kabul government. In mid-January 1992, within three weeks of the demise of the Soviet Union, Massoud was aware of conflict within the government's northern command. General Abdul Momim, in charge of the Hairatan border crossing at the northern end of Kabul's supply highway, and other non-Pashtun generals based in Mazari Sharif feared removal by Najibullah and replacement by Pashtun officers. The generals rebelled and the situation was taken over by Abdul Rashid Dostum, who held general rank as head of the Jowzjani militia, also based in Mazari Sharif. He and Massoud reached a political agreement, together with another major militia leader, Sayyed Mansour, of the Ismaili community based in Baghlan Province. These northern allies consolidated their position in Mazar-i-Sharif on March 21. Their coalition covered nine provinces in the north and northeast. As turmoil developed within the government in Kabul, there was no government force standing between the northern allies and the major air force base at Bagram, some seventy kilometers north of Kabul. By mid-April the air force command at Bagram had capitulated to Massoud. Kabul was defenseless, its army no longer reliable.^[16] Languages Pashto (plus second languages from countries of residence) Religions Islam (predominantly Sunni) An entry was temporarily removed here. ... Mazari Sharif, also known as Mazar-i Sharif or Mazār-e Sharīf (Persian: ‎ ), is the fourth largest city of Afghanistan, with population of 300,600 people (2006 official estimate). ... General Abdul Rashid Dostum (also Abdurrashid Dostum, born 1954), a powerful ethnic Uzbek warlord is the principal leader of Afghanistans Uzbek community. ... General is a military rank, in most nations the highest rank, although some nations have the higher rank of Field Marshal. ... Jowzjan is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. ... The Ismāʿīlī (Urdu: اسماعیلی Ismāʿīlī, Arabic: الإسماعيليون al-Ismāʿīliyyūn; Persian: اسماعیلیان Esmāʿīliyān) branch of Islam is the second largest part of the Shīa community, after the Twelvers (Ithnāʿashariyya). ... Bagram Airfield (ICAO: OAIX) is an airport located at the ancient city of Bagram, southeast of Charikar in Parvan, Afghanistan. ...

On March 18, Najibullah announced his willingness to resign, and on April 17, as his government fell apart, he tried to escape but was stopped at Kabul Airport by Dostum' forces. He then took refuge at the United Nations mission, where he remained until 1995. A group of Parchami generals and officials declared themselves an interim government for the purpose of handing over power to the mujahideen.^[16] Kabul International Airport (IATA: KBL, ICAO: OAKB), sometimes known as Khwaja Rawash Airport, is located 16 kilometers (9 miles) from downtown Kabul, Afghanistan. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ...

For more than a week Massoud remained poised to move his forces into the capital. He was awaiting the arrival of political leadership from Peshawar. The parties suddenly had sovereign power in their grasp, but no plan for executing it. With his principal commander prepared to occupy Kabul, Rabbani was positioned to prevail by default. Meanwhile UN mediators tried to find a political solution that would assure a transfer of power acceptable to all sides.^[16]   (Urdu: پشاور; Pashto: پښور) literally means City on the Frontier in Persian and is known as Pekhawar in Pashto. ...

Civil war

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar placed Kabul under intensive rocket bombardment in February of 1993. Some sources cite the number of up to 3,000 rockets fired on Kabul daily(http://www.massoudhero.com/English/biography.html). Many civilians were killed. After a series of negotiations in Kabul and in Peshawar, arranged by the power players of the Afghan Civil War - Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran - the warring factions failed to find a peaceful solution.^[17] For other places with the same name, see Kabul (disambiguation). ...   (Urdu: پشاور; Pashto: پښور) literally means City on the Frontier in Persian and is known as Pekhawar in Pashto. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Masood ordered a retreat from Kabul on April 7th, 1996 after another round of intense bombardment from the Taliban and its Pakistani supporters in the ISI.

Resistance against the Taliban

As the Taliban took control of around 90% of Afghanistan, the warring factions had no choice but to form an alliance called the 'United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan'. Because most factions were from the north of Afghanistan, the Western media called them the 'Northern Alliance'. The alliance consisted of warlords and tribal leaders like Haji Rahim, Commander Piram Qol, Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, General Dostum, Qazi Kabir Marzban, Commander Ata Mohammad and General Malik. From the east were Haji Abdul Qadir, Commander Hazrat Ali, Commander Jaan Daad Khan and Abdullah Wahedi. From the northeast areas, Commander Qatrah and Commander Najmuddin participated. From the southern provinces, there were Commander Qari Baba, Noorzai, and Hotak. From the western and southwest provinces came General Ismail Khan, Doctor Ibrahim, and Fazlkarim Aimaq. From central Afghanistan Commander Anwari, Said Hussein Aalemi Balkhi, Said Mustafa Kazemi, Akbari, Mohammad Ali Jawed, Karim Khaili, Commander Sher Alam, and Abdur Rassul Sayyaf were members of this union. The alliance consisted of warlords who had been ousted by the locals from all regions of Afghanistan. The alliance was supported by India because of their rivalry with Pakistan, Iran because of their opposition to a Strong Sunni Taliban government, Russia and Tajikistan because of the growing Islamic movements in Chechnya and Central Asia.^{[citation needed]} Flag flown by the UIF (Northern Alliance). ... Leader of Hizb-e-Wahdat along with Abdul Karim Khalili, the largest Shiah group comprising the main part of the current government - ie they have government of the Central Government in North and Central area of Afghanistan. ... Abdul Malik is a Uzbek warlord/politician based out of Faryab Province in northern Afghanistan. ... Hajji Abdul Qadir Arsala (c. ...

In 1998, the CIA, a long time aide of Massoud, offered Afghanistan's anti-Taliban opposition leader a substantial bounty for the capture of Osama bin Laden, dead or alive. [3] The claim was further supported by former US president Bill Clinton in an interview with New York Times in 2001. Clinton said, "At the time, we did everything we can do ... I authorised the arrest and, if necessary, the killing of Osama bin Laden, and we actually made contact with a group in Afghanistan to do it." William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

In April 2001, Nicole Fontaine invited Massoud to address the European Parliament. In his speech, he warned that the Taliban had connections with Al-Qaeda, and that an important terrorist attack was imminent. The US and European governments paid no attention to these warnings. ^[18] Nicole Fontaine (born 16 January 1942) is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Île-de-France. ... Established 1952, as the Common Assembly President Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP) Since 16 January 2007 Vice-Presidents 14 Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP) Alejo Vidal-Quadras (EPP) Gérard Onesta (Greens – EFA) Edward McMillan-Scott (ED) Mario Mauro (EPP) Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez (PES) Luigi Cocilovo (ALDE) Mechtild...

Death

A memorial for Massoud during an anti-war demonstration at the United Nations building in Geneva, Switzerland.

Massoud was the target of a suicide attack which occurred at Khvajeh Ba Odin on September 9, 2001. The attackers were two Arabs who claimed to be Belgians originally from Morocco. However their passports turned out to be stolen and their nationality Tunisian. The assassins claimed to want to interview Massoud and set off a bomb either in their video camera or in a belt worn by the cameraman while asking Massoud questions. The explosion also killed Mohammed Asim Suhail, a Northern Alliance official, while Mohammad Fahim Dashty and Massoud Khalili were injured. The assassins may have intended to attack several Northern Alliance council members simultaneously.^{[citation needed]} One of the attackers was killed by the explosion and the other was shot while trying to escape. Massuoud was rushed after the attack to the Indian Military hospital at Farkhor, Tajikistan which is now Farkhor Air Base. The news of Massoud's death was reported almost immediately, appearing in European and North American newspapers on 10 September 2001. It was quickly overshadowed by the September 11, 2001 attacks, which proved to be the terrorist attack that Massoud had warned against. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 457 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (520 × 682 pixel, file size: 139 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 457 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (520 × 682 pixel, file size: 139 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German:   //, Italian: Ginevra //, Romansh: Genevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). ... Massoud Khalili, the son of the a famous Afghan poet laureate Ustad Khalilullah Khalili, was an Afghan advisor, schoolmate and close associate of Ahmed Shah Massoud. ... Military branches: Indian Army, Indian Navy (including naval air arm), Air Force, various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, Rashtriya Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Special Frontier Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Defense Security Corps and several other units) and the Strategic Forces... Farkhor Air Base is the only Indian overseas military base, situated at Farkhor/Ayni in Tajikistan. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly...

The timing of the assassination, two days before the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, is considered significant by commentators who believe Osama bin Laden ordered the assassination to help his Taliban protectors and ensure he would have their protection and cooperation in Afghanistan. The assassins are also reported to have shown support for bin Laden in their questions of Massoud. The Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Mujahideen leader Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, an Afghan Wahhabi Islamist, have also been mentioned as a possible organizers or assisters of the assassins. ^[19] Massoud was a strong opponent of Pakistani involvement in Afghanistan. The assassins are said to have entered Northern Alliance territory under the auspices of the Abdul Rasul Sayyaf and had his assistance in bypassing "normal security procedures." ^[20] A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... Osama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden (Arabic: ‎; born March 10, 1957[1]), most often mentioned as Osama bin Laden or Usama bin Laden, is a Saudi Arabian militant Islamist and is widely believed to be one of the founders of the organization called al-Qaeda. ... The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (also Inter-Services Intelligence or ISI) is the largest and most powerful intelligence service in Pakistan. ... Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, aka Abd-i-Rab Rasoul Sayaf, is a Pashtun warlord commander of a Pashtun militia. ... Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, aka Abd-i-Rab Rasoul Sayaf, is a Pashtun warlord commander of a Pashtun militia. ...

The French secret service revealed October 16, 2003 that the camera used by Massoud's assassins had been stolen in December 2000 in Grenoble, France from a photojournalist, Jean-Pierre Vincendet, who was then working on a story on that city's Christmas store window displays. By tracing the serial number that appeared in the camera, the FBI was able to determine Vincendet as the original owner. The French secret service and the FBI then began working on tracing the route that the camera took between the time it was taken from Vincendet and the Massoud assassination.^{[citation needed]}

After death

Massoud's tomb in the Panjshir Valley.

In 2001, the Afghan Interim Government under president Hamid Karzai awarded him the title of "Hero of the Afghan Nation". Massoud is the subject of Ken Follett's Lie Down With Lions, a novel about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Many documentaries, books and movies have been made about Ahmad Shah Massoud. Image File history File linksMetadata Massoud_Tomb. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Massoud_Tomb. ... Panjshir Valley was a very big battleground in Afghanistan from 1980 to 1988. ... Hamid Karzai (Pashto: حامد کرزي) (b. ... Ken Follett (born June 5, 1949) is a British author of thrillers and historical novels. ...

Massoud was married with four daughters and a son, and the family has a great deal of prestige in the politics of Afghanistan. Of his six brothers, Ahmad Zia Massoud is the current vice-president of Afghanistan and Ahmad Wali Massoud is the ambassador to the United Kingdom. Ahmad Zia Massoud is the current vice-president of Afghanistan in the administration of President Hamid Karzai. ...

A bigger mausoleum is being built in Panjsher to replace the smaller one.

The myth of a lion

Massoud's nickname, the "Lion of Panjshir" is a rhyme and play on words in Persian, which alludes to the strength of his resistance against the Soviet Union, the mythological exaltation of the lion in Persian literature, and finally, the place name of the Panjshir Valley, where Massoud was born. The place name of "Panjshir" Valley in Persian means (Valley of the) Five Lions. Thus, the phrase "Lion of Panjshir" which in Persian is "Shir-e-Panjshir," is a rhyming play on words. It has been suggested that Scripts used for Persian be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Scripts used for Persian be merged into this article or section. ... Panjshir Valley was a very big battleground in Afghanistan from 1980 to 1988. ... It has been suggested that Scripts used for Persian be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Scripts used for Persian be merged into this article or section. ...

References

Time (whose trademark is capitalized TIME) is a weekly American newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. ... The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Massoud's Letter To The People Of America

• Jawedan.Com (A tribute to Ahmad Shah Massoud (Persian & English); at this site you find: videos, songs, articles, pictures, and anything that relates to him)

• TIME Magazine - 60 Years of Asian Heroes: Ahmad Shah Massoud

• RadioLiberty: Profile

• Ahmad Shah Mas’ud (1953-2001)

• The Last Interview with Ahmad Shah Massoud

• "Breakfast with Massoud" by Roger Plunk

• April 19, 1998 proposal for Peace, promoted by Commander Massoud, in English in Dari

• Open Directory Project - Ahmed Shah Massoud directory category

Massoud in Books and Film:

• Stephen Tanner: Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the Fall of the Taliban

• Christophe de Ponfilly: Massoud l'Afghan (in French)

• Steve Coll: Ghost Wars

• Peter Bergen: Holy War, Inc.

• A. R. Rowan: On The Trail Of A Lion: Ahmed Shah Massoud, Oil Politics and Terror

• Ken Follett: Lie Down With Lions

• Roger Plunk: The Wandering Peacemaker

• References to Masood appear in the book A Thousand Splendid Sons by Khaled Hosseini.

Massoud, l'Afghan (documentary film): Ken Follett (born June 5, 1949) is a British author of thrillers and historical novels. ... Khaled Hosseini (Persian: خالد حسینی)(IPA pronunciation: [1])(born March 4, 1965) is an Afghanistani American novelist and physician. ...

• New York Times Film Review
• rottentomatoes.com Film Review
• Theatrical Release