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Afghanistan
50 Hekmatyar backers jugged
2002-04-04
  • Afghan intelligence agents have arrested some 50 people including commanders loyal to exiled warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar after reports of a plot to sabotage the government, official media said. "These people were trying to create a state of lawlessness, according to the information that we have from the interim government," said Sultan Ahmad Baheen, head of the official Bakhtar news agency. "More than 50 were arrested. According to the information we have, district commanders from Hezb-i-Islami (Hekmatyar's party) were among those detained. There were not outstanding or prominent commanders. They were arrested by the intelligence service. Twenty-five are still being interrogated. Others have been released."

    "Some of Hekmatyar's men had been sent here to Kabul to sabotage the government," defence ministry official Mir Jan said, without giving the number or names of those arrested. Hekmatyar's party represents the dominant Pashtun group in Afghanistan, whereas most senior officials in the interim administration installed after the collapse of the Taliban regime last year are ethnic Tajiks.
    Wotta surprise. Hekmatyar sat out the war, making periodic offers to the Talibs for an alliance. Now he sees peacekeepers, some sort of order being (slowly) restored, and a Loya Jirga coming up, which lessens the likelihood of him eventually warming the Seat of All Power. His tactics have always involved dividing and conquering, so this fits right in with his modus operandi. Even the Talibs didn't like him, even though they're theological brothers.
    • Posted by:Fred Pruitt

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