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| Afghanistan |
| Dostum suspended from government post |
| 2008-02-20 |
| Afghanistan’s attorney general has suspended militia leader Abdul Rashid Dostum from his government post for not cooperating with an investigation into a raid on a rival, an official said on Tuesday. Dostum, one of the most ruthless warlords to emerge from Afghanistan’s decades of conflict, holds the largely symbolic post of chief of staff to the military’s commander-in-chief, President Hamid Karzai. The leader of Afghanistan’s ethnic Uzbek minority, Dostum has been accused of assaulting, with his men, a former ally and rival, Akbar Bai, and some of the man’s relatives on February 3, said Rahmatullah Nazari, head of documentation in the attorney general’s office. The incident led dozens of police to surround Dostum’s house in a tense standoff which authorities said ended only when the general agreed to cooperate with an investigation. “Based on a petition by Akbar Bai and police reports, Dostum is accused of attacking and beating Akbar Bai,” Nazari said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 He also drinks alcohol, womanizes and AFAIK is a complete unbeliever (of course his party has the word islamic in its name but it is for the show). |
| Posted by: JFM 2008-02-20 09:29 |
| #2 This is not good, not good at all. Nothing Dostum does (or has done) should be characterized as "largely symbolic." Dostum has the personality, military skills, western contacts, and leadership abilities needed in that region. It the General delivered it, I suspect Akbar Bai might have needed a good thrashing. President Karzai may have just made a fatal wrong turn. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-02-20 06:53 |
| #1 I have a grudging respect for Dostum. He resisted the Taliban to an extent only equalled by Massoud in the Panjshir Valley. And note he is accussed of beating someone. No shooting, bombing or really nasty stuff. By the standards of the region, this was a polite warning. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2008-02-20 02:27 |