History and Biodata |
2. Previous Functions: Governor Helmand Province during Taliban rule, Member of a seven member leadership committee in Kandahar (20070500)
3. Biodata: Abdul Bari Akhund aka Hajji Mullah Sahib was born 1953 in Helmand Province. Once a Taliban ideologue and functionary in Kandahar, he passed the time at home chatting with friends and neighbors. Both seem to go about their daily business without a care in the bustling affairs in Afghanistan. Afghanistan's woes, past and present, he argues, are the fault of malign interference by the Soviets and the Americans. Operation Enduring Freedom, he says, is a pretense for manipulating Afghan affairs. In a blink he dismisses the argument that the U.S.-led coalition aims only to eradicate al-Qaeda. "If the Arabs were terrorists, why didn't America just catch them?" he asks, instead of launching all-out war?
From his Pakistani hideout, Hajji Mullah Sahib claims that former Taliban who have been absorbed into the Kandahar government--and there are many--maintain the rage. "They still do not want America in Afghanistan," he says. "No one does. I can tell you these commanders are working against America now and always will. If all those with the government were happy with America, how could anyone be attacking the U.S. air base [in Kandahar] and getting away with it with such impunity?" he asks.
December 31, 2012 Pakistani government officials and Taliban sources say Islamabad has released former Helmand Province Governor Mullah Abdul Bari, |