Jalaluddin Haqqani

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Mawlawi Jalaluddin Haqqani (جلال الدين حقاني) (born c. 1950), father of Sirajuddin Haqqani, is an Afghan military leader known for his involvement in fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s, specially during Operation Magistral, as well as for being invited by President Hamid Karzai to become Prime Minister of Afghanistan. He belongs to the Jadran, a Pashtun tribe from Paktia province.

More recently, he has led pro-Taliban militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan^[1] He has also been alleged with having introduced suicide bombing to the region^[2].

He is sometimes reported to be leader of what the western media calls the Haqqani network.

Contents 1 Mujahideen leader 2 Relations with the Taliban 3 Post-2001 4 Role in Waziristan Conflict 5 Notes 6 External links

[edit] Mujahideen leader

Originally a member of the Hezb-i Islami of Mawlawi Mohammad Yunus Khalis, Haqqani was admired by certain eastern Pashtuns during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and ensuing civil war.^[1][3]

In the 1980s, Jalaluddin Haqqani was cultivated as a "unilateral" asset of the CIA and received tens of thousands of dollars in cash for his work in fighting the Soviet Army in Afghanistan, according to an account in "The Bin Ladens," a recent book by Steve Coll. At that time, Haqqani helped and protected Osama bin Laden, who was building his own militia to fight the Soviet forces, Coll wrote.^[4]

The influential U.S. Congressman, Charlie Wilson, who helped to direct tens of millions dollars to the Afghan resistance, was so enamored of Haqqani that he referred to him as "goodness personified".^[5]

Operating against the Soviets and the Afghan government from a safe haven in North Waziristan, Haqqani is reputed to also have had strong ties with the Pakistani ISI.^[2][3] He reputedly attracted generous support from prosperous Arab countries compared to other resistance leaders.^[6]

In 1991 he was the first resistance leader to capture a city, Khost, from the Najibullah government. After the fall of Kabul to the Mujahideen in 1992, he was appointed justice minister in the first Mujahideen government.^[3]

[edit] Relations with the Taliban

Haqqani was not originally a member of the Taliban. In 1995, just prior to the Taliban's occupation of Kabul, he switched his allegiance to them. In 1996-97, he served as a Taliban military commander north of Kabul, and was accused of ethnic cleansing against local Tajik populations.^[3]

During the Taliban years in power, he served as the Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs and governor of Paktia Province.^[3][7]

[edit] Post-2001

In October, 2001, Haqqani was named the Taliban's military commander. He may have had a role in expediting the escape of Osama Bin Laden. With his base in Khost under repeated American air attack, it is believed he crossed the border into the Waziristan region of Pakistan himself in November or December.^[3]

Four Guantanamo detainees -- Abib Sarajuddin, Khan Zaman, Gul Zaman and Mohammad Gul -- were captured and held because American intelligence officials received a report that one of them had briefly hosted Haqqani shortly after the fall of the Taliban.^{[7][8][9][10]}

It is claimed Haqqani has since been offered positions of authority by President Hamid Karzai's government, including the offer of the post of Prime Minister.^[1]

In July 2008, CIA officials confronted Pakistan officials with evidence of ties between Inter-Services Intelligence and Jalaluddin Haqqani.^[11] The ISI denies these allegations.^[12]

A September 2008 airstrike which targeted Haqqani, resulted in the deaths of between ten and twenty-three people. The US missile strike hit the house of Haqqani in the village Dandi Darpa Khail in North Waziristan and a close-by seminary^[13][14]. The madrasah, however, was closed and Haqqani had previously left the area.^[14][15]

Haqqani has been accused of involvement in the 2008 Indian embassy bombing in Kabul and the February 2009 Kabul raids.^[16]

[edit] Role in Waziristan Conflict

Haqqani and his son, Sirajuddin Haqqani, are believed to be commanders of the Taliban mujahideen forces in the Pakistan agency of Waziristan.^[17] The success of the mujahideen fighters in the two-year Waziristan Conflict against the Pakistani para-military forces pressured the government to agree to the 2006 Waziristan Accord.

In the absence of political will to confront militants with regular Pakistan Army units, a cease-fire agreement (allowing Taliban fighters to operate with impunity in Waziristan as long as Pakistani law is followed and the Taliban do not launch raids into neighboring Afghanistan) was reached.

This may well be changing as there is strong indication of a Pakistan Army offensive in both North & South Waziristan after the success of a similar operation in Swat in the months of April/May 2009.

The local Taliban, identified by some as the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan^[18], appear to have been strengthened by the cease-fire agreement, as well as the release of some fighters detained by the Pakistani government at the start of hostilities.

Haqqani is also said to speak fluent Arabic.^[19]

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• "FRONTLINE: return of the taliban: militants: jalaluddin haqqani". http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/taliban/militants/haqqani.html. 
• Biography of Jalaluddin Haqqani