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| Afghanistan |
| Khost breathes a little easier with no Zadran... |
| 2002-10-03 |
| The battle began in late afternoon. By the time residents of Khost woke up the following morning Padshah Khan Zadran had fled into hiding and the run-down and dusty eastern Afghan town breathed a collective sigh of relief. The burly, moustachioed warlord who waltzed into town with a gang of hustlers and strongmen and took it over in May was hardly missed. Zadran was sent packing on September 8 by troops loyal to the central government of President Hamid Karzai, after defying Karzai's authority for months. Getting rid of this guy was in the same category as wart removal... It was a rare but welcome victory for Kabul over the warlords who still threaten his country's fragile stability. Overnight, the buildings Zadran once occupied were set on fire, the four-wheel drive cars he once drove were confiscated by the state and the power he once wielded was gone. Nothing but a lingering odor... "He had about 80 men around him that were the real opportunists and were out for their personal gain," said Haji Khair Mohammad, brother of Khost's provincial governor Hakim Taniwal. "He will never be able to sleep in our province," said Khair Mohammad. "Now people realise that with the security in their town, they can have a decent life without fear," he said, calling Zadran's men "loafers and bandits". If Khost stops being Dodge City on a Saturday night, that'll calm a good part of the Pak border area. 'Bout time Zadran moved on to join the Talibs and the other losers... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |