List of some of Afghanistan's leading warlords

12/01/2001

By Associated Press

Here is a list of some of Afghanistan's leading warlords, who are moving to regain control of large parts of the country after the collapse of the Taliban.

- RASHID DOSTUM: Born 1954. Uzbek. General in the communist army during which time he also led a much feared group called the Jawzjani, named for the province of Jawzjan. They were a ruthless band of men who were posted throughout Afghanistan to intimidate the population.

- YOUNUS KHALIS: Born 1919. Pashtun, leader of his own Hezb-e-Islami faction during Soviet invasion. Educated in Islamic law and theology. Considered a radical Islamist. Was close to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida movement and allowed hundreds of militants to live at his farm in Farmada, south of Jalalabad, the eastern capital of Nangarhar province.

- ISMAIL KHAN: Born 1947. Tajik, a top mujahedeen commander during the Soviet era. Received substantial amounts of money from the United States and European countries during Soviet invasion. A former communist army officer, Khan staged a mutiny in 1979 killing 350 Russian advisers in Herat. He accumulated considerable wealth and built himself a palace on a hill overlooking the city.

- ABDUL QADIR: Pashtun. Returned as governor of eastern Nangarhar province. He had been thrown out when the Taliban took power. He has business links to Germany. Nangarhar province is one of the largest opium producing provinces in Afghanistan. While governor he reduced the poppy crop by half in exchange for international money. When it was stopped the next year the poppy crop returned to its original size.

- GUL AGHA SHERZAI: Pashtun. Former governor of Kandahar. Was thrown out by the Taliban which emerged from the lawlessness in Kandahar, where commanders of competing groups set up roadside checkpoints, stopping cars and stealing from the passengers.