Afghan Biographies

Spanta, Rangin Dadfar Dr.


Name Spanta, Rangin Dadfar Dr.
Ethnic backgr. Tajik
Date of birth 1954
Function/Grade Ex NSC Chairman
History and Biodata

2. Previous Functions
Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta Adviser President Karzai 2006
Minister of Foreign Affairs (20010321-20100115)
National Security Advisor to President Hamid Karzai and Chairman National Security Council NSC  (20100116-20140930 )

3. Biodata
spanta_dadfar_raginRangin Dadfar Spanta was born in the Karokh district of Herat Province in 1954. He is a Farsiwan. A family of wealthy landowners, his father was elected to Afghanistan's National Assembly in the 1960s during the reign of King Mohammad Zaher Shah. Dr. Spanta finished his primary and secondary schooling in Herat before enrolling at Kabul University. In 1976, he went to Turkey to pursue Turkish language studies at Ankara University where he went on to receive a Bachelors degree in International Relations in 1982.

That same year, he settled in Germany where he pursued German language studies at Aachen University. He later received a PhD in Political Science, Sociology, International Relations and Cooperation in 1990 from the same university. From 1992-1994, he served as Assistant Professor at the Institute of Political Science. In 1996, he became a full Professor at this same Institute and Director of Aachen University's Third World Studies Institute. He was also director of the university's Third World Studies Institute. Aside from academics, Dr. Spanta also served as a spokesperson for the Alliance for Democracy in Afghanistan and was active in Germany's Green Party.

In January 2005, Dr. Spanta returned to teach at Kabul University, and later became Senior Advisor on International Affairs to President Hamid Karzai. The President nominated him as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Parliament approved on April 20, 2006. Dr. Spanta was sworn in by President Karzai on May 2, 2006.

As a 14-year-old, he says, his quest for "social justice" led him to support the views of a pro-Chinese weekly, "Shu'la-ye Jawed" (Eternal Flame). The publication was an organ of the Afghan New Democratic Society (Jami'at-e Demokrati-ye Nawin), generally regarded as comprising Maoist revolutionaries.

Spanta recalls that the majority of his movement's leaders paid for their early loyalties -- killed by governments led by the pro-Moscow People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), or by "extremist, fundamentalist" Afghan parties.

He says most of those still alive have espoused new ideologies, adding darkly that he has not "become a democrat through the power of American B-52s nor through the power of the [Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence] nor any other source." But he notes that many of his ideological brethren throughout the world have gone on to contribute significantly to their societies.

He notes that he was an active member of Germany's Green Party during his immigrant years there -- attracted early on to the party's support of immigrants' rights. Afghan National Security Advisor Dr Spanta strongly reacted to the claims of the former deputy Attorney-General Faqiryar who said Spanta has a file in the Attorney-General Office showing his involvement in corruption (20100831).
 

An Afghan government official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations, said that more than two months ago National Security Adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta submitted his resignation after disagreements erupted between him and Karzai over the strategic partnership document.

Spanta, who is spearheading US Afghan talks about a strategic partnership deal, wants Karzai to compromise on the two most contentious issues being negotiated — night raids and the U.S. transfer of detention facilities to Afghan government control. Karzai did not accept Spanta's resignation, but kept the letter and did not destroy it or throw it out. Spanta verbally threatened to resign on two subsequent occasions, mostly recently in the past several days, the official said.(20120308)


A three-judge panel found that a former deputy attorney general, Fazel Ahmed Faqiryar, had falsely stated that he had been forced into early retirement and that he had falsely accused Rangin Dadfar Spanta, the national security adviser, of corruption. Mr. Faqiryar was ordered to pay a modest fine, about $300. The small fine was in keeping with Mr. Spanta’s stated intent, which was to clear his name rather than to get revenge, said his lawyer, Ahmad Farid Arabzai. Spanta has been in a two-year dispute with Mr. Faqiryar, who named him in Parliament hearings and interviews with both Afghan and international news organizations, including The New York Times.(20120925)

Sparta holds dual German and Afghan citizenship.

Ahmad Wali Tahiri, brother of Rangin Dadfar Spanta was asssassinated by unknown gunmen in Karukh district of western Herat province on 20130717. He used to serve as administrative employee of Karukh attorney general for the past seven years.


Dadfar Spanta is married. His wife, brothers and some relatives are living in Aachen, Germany. He has two grown up children, one of them living in Berlin, the other one in Cologne.

 Dr. Spanta is fluent in Dari, Pashto, German, Turkish and English.

Last Modified 2022-03-09
Established 2009-07-27