Registani, Mohammad Saleh Salih

Salih Mohammad Registani
Mobile: 0700654848

2. Previous Functions:
Military attaché of the ousted-Rabbani government to Dushanbe, Tajkistan (1990),
Military attache to Moscow, Russia (till 2004),
Deputy defence minister (2005),
Wolesi Jirga Member 2005 - 2010 MP MNA Panjshir Panjsher,
Deputy campaign manager Presidential Elections 2009 for former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, Karzai's top challenger,
Failed Candidate for Wolesi Jirga Election 2010 in Kabul Province.

3. Biodata:
Saleh Regestani Salley Mohammad Rikistani Mohammed Saleh Regestani was born 1963 in Panjshir Province. He attended Istiqlal High School in Kabul, studied at a mechanical college, joined the mujahideen in 1980, and attended the Jamiat military academy in 1981. It subsequently identifies him as head of operations of Ahmad Shah Massoud's Shura-e Nazar.

He was a young boy when he joined forces with Massoud during the Jihad against the Soviets. A Tajik from the the Panjsher valley, he served as Massoud’s military attaché in Russia during the Taleban regime. Regestani was behind all the Northern Alliance’s arms deal until 200231.

An ally of Rabbani, he has always played a very silent role in the political agenda of the country although he continues to carry great influence. Registani bagged most votes in Wolesi Jirga Election 2005. He was a member of the Committee on legislative affairs in Wolesi Jirga 2005. Saleh Mohammed Regestani was voted to parliament in 2005, but quit his position before deciding to run again in this year’s election 2010 in Kabul Province.

Registani is the author of at least one book in the Dari language with the title: Massoud: Shaheed Raahe Sulh wa Azadi.

Ahmad Massoud has now named Registani commander of operations at the NRF military headquarters and instructed NRF commanders and officials to coordinate with him. 

That suggests he is not simply returning as a symbolic veteran.

In organisational terms, the title points toward responsibility for coordination of military activity across NRF formations, under the overall leadership of Ahmad Massoud. Exactly how much operational control he actually possesses on the ground cannot yet be independently determined.

At roughly 63 years old, he is also considerably older than many current NRF field commanders. His comparative value is therefore probably less as a front-line tactical commander than in his network, experience, institutional memory and relationships across the old Panjshir military establishment.(20260922)