Afghan Biographies

Atash, Dr. Nadir Aatash Nader


Name Atash, Dr. Nadir Aatash Nader
Ethnic backgr. Tajik
Date of birth
Function/Grade Ex-Airana Afghan Airlines President
History and Biodata

2. Previous Functions:
Chairman and CEO of Emerald View Group,
Founding member of the Afghanistan Advocacy Group,
Consulting Company Parsa International Head of,
First Chairman of the Board of the Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) in Kabul,
Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Finance (2003-2004),
Senior Adviser to the Ministry of Transportation (2004-2005),
Airana Afghan Airlines President (2005-2007),

3. Biodata:
Dr. Atash is a U.S. citizen with a PhD and a successful business in the USA who returned to Afghanistan in 2002.  Dr. Atash received his Ph.D. (1982) in Educational Research, Statistics, and Measurement from Florida State University, where he was the recipient of a UNESCO/Afghan Ministry of Education Full Academic Scholarship and his M.A. (1973) in Science Education from Claremont Graduate School, where he was a recipient of a UNESCO/Afghan Ministry of Education Full Academic Scholarship. He received his B.S. (1970) in Chemistry from The American University of Beirut, where he was the recipient of a USAID/Kabul University Full Academic Scholarship. Dr. Atash was the youngest recipient of the first scholarship program for Afghan students to study in the United States, completing his high school degree at East High School in Madison, Wisconsin in 1962.

After years of helping rebuild schools and promoting economic development, he was invited to become an official in the post-Taliban Afghan Government, Atash was tasked to modernize Ariana Airlines, Afghanistan's national carrier, which used to be the best airline in Asia, and which had been reduced to a dismal fleet of four old planes in 2001. The airline's ups and downs had mirrored the country's tumultuous history.

The Attorney General said his office had a case against against Atash because of corruption and embezzlement allegations. People believe it is a fabricated case, because Atash tried to end corruption in Ariana, firing corrupt, but well connected people. Dr. Atash tried to neutralize the corrupt Ariana personell and fight the cases that the Attorney General’s office, led by Sabet, orchestrated. In 2006, Dr. Atash received a letter from Karzai’s office supporting the decision that he had made to remove any employees.

The Attorney General’s office ignored this letter and continued to try Dr. Atash in the court of public opinion: the media. Today, they still have not been able to produced evidence to back their false claims against Dr. Atash. Atash has a daughter, Mariam Nawabi, an attorney and diplomat who was the Commercial and Trade Counsel at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington D.C. Public Prosecution Department says a commission is to be set up to investigate corruption cases attributed to Nader Atash and others. (20100315)

Last Modified 2011-03-21
Established 2009-11-17