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| Afghanistan |
| Padsha Khan Vows To Fight On Despite Defeats |
| 2002-10-20 |
| Source: The New International Renegade Afghan warlord Padsha Khan on Friday vowed to continue his struggle against government forces despite a series of crushing defeats which have routed him from his prized eastern city of Khost. Of course he has to fight on. What do you expect him to do, get a job? In his latest setback Khan was driven from the district of Nadir Shah, some 22 kilometres west of Khost, by troops under the command of provincial governor Hakeem Tanewal. The retreat comes a month after Khan's men were forced from Khost city where they had seized government buildings — the warlord's boldest statement since tribal leaders prevented him from taking power earlier this year. And enough of a slap in the face for the gummint to send troops to throw him out... Khan, leader of the Pashtun Zadran tribe, told AFP he would return to reclaim his rightful position, claiming he still had popular support among the people of Khost who were victims of ethnic bias in the central government. That means they can't always have their way... Actually, it means he can't always have his way... He said the dominant ethnic Tajik faction of the current Afghan transitional leadership under President Hamid Karzai was seeking to weaken Pashtun influence in the country by targeting them with military campaigns. They do that every time the Pashtuns attack anyone, even other Pashtuns. Da noive o' dem guyz! The government of Karzai, himself a Pashtun, is struggling to exert power over much of Afghanistan where territorial disputes between heavily armed warlords continue to blight reconstruction in the war-shattered country. "This is a fight imposed on us by the central government and Karzai. We don't want to fight and it is the government of Karzai which wants to continue fighting in Afghanistan, especially in Pashtun-dominated areas." "Let us have our way and nobody gets hurt, hardly..." |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #2 Sure is... But I'd guess the money's coming from JUI and JI, across the border, ultimately originating in a combination of Saudi "charitable contributions" and Pak tax rupees. I don't think they've had time to make big money off the opium yet, and they're probably still fighting over who gets it. |
| Posted by: Fred 2002-10-21 14:15:42 |
| #1 Where do these bozos get the money for the truck, the gas, the bullets, the sandals, the rags, etc.? Is Khost in the poppy region? |
| Posted by: Jack 2002-10-21 05:32:17 |