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2021-09-08 Afghanistan
Who is who in the new government of Afghanistan
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
See also here, which lays out the four of five GITMO detainees swapped for Bowe Berghdahl who have been tapped for government posts.
by Aleksandr Kots

[KP] Noting the capture of Panjshir , the Taliban finally announced the composition of an interim government. It was assumed that it should be inclusive, that is, it should represent not only the terrorist movement banned in Russia, but also other Afghan forces, national and religious associations. However, judging by the key posts announced, ministerial portfolios went exclusively to Taliban members. All positions are still named with the prefix "acting".

Prime Minister - Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund.
Alternate spelling Hassan Akhund.
He heads the Shura (council) of Taliban leaders. Was the governor of Kandahar. Member of the High Council. The top post was received as a compromise figure who arranged all the factions of the Taliban.

First Deputy Prime Minister - Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. Warlord and leader of the Taliban's political wing. He fought with Soviet troops. During the first reign of the Taliban, he served as the head of Herat and commanded the military corps of Western Afghanistan. In 2010, he was captured by Pakistani intelligence and released three years later at the request of the Afghan government.

Second Deputy Prime Minister - Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi.
Alt. spelling Hannafi.
In the Taliban - from the day of its foundation, however, it represents the political wing of the movement. He was a key figure in the political office in Qatar. In the 90s, he served as Deputy Minister of Education in the Taliban government.

Defense Minister - Muhammad Yakub Mujahid.
Alt. Yaqoub.
Son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar. He served as the head of the military commission of the movement, was a member of its highest governing council. He is the second deputy head of the Taliban.
The Deputy Defense Minister is Mohammad Fazl, one of the GITMO detainees swapped for Bowe Berghdahl.
Interior Minister - Sirajuddin Haqqani.
Alt. Serajuddin Haqqani.
He is the son of the founder of the Haqqani Network terrorist organization, the Taliban's most radical wing. It is currently at the head. Organizer of several terrorist attacks, including the attack on the Serena Hotel in Kabul. Planned the assassination of Hamid Karzai. The US State Department has declared a particularly dangerous international terrorist. A reward of $5 million has been announced for his head.
Despite his history and that bounty, the New York Times saw fit to publish an opinion piece in February, 2020 over his signature.
The head of intelligence is Abdul Haq Wasik.
Alt. Abdul Haq Wasiq. One of the Berghdahl swap gentlemen.
Former Taliban deputy intelligence minister. In 2001, he was captured by the Americans in Afghanistan, from January 2002 to May 2014 he was held in the famous Guantanamo prison in Cuba. He was released along with four other members of the so-called five Taliban in exchange for the US Army soldier Bow Bergdahl, who was captured by the Haqqani network.

Minister of Culture and Information - Zabihullah Mujahid. He is the official spokesman for the Taliban. Before the capture of Kabul, he did not appear in public, speaking only with written or audio statements.
One of the Berghdahl swap gents, Khair Ulla Said Wali Khairkhwa, is also listed as Info and Culture minister. No doubt this will be clarified at some point.
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Foreign Minister - Mullah Amir Khan Muttaki.
Alt. Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Taliban high councilor. In the past, the movement was headed by the Ministry of Higher Education. Represented the movement in the negotiations held under the auspices of the UN.

Education Minister - Sheikh Mawlavi Nurullah Munir.
Alt. Noorullah Munir.
Taliban member.

The Economy Minister is Mohammad Hanif,
Alt. Qari Din Hanif.
a Taliban member.

The head of the Central Bank is Mullah Mohammad Idris, a Taliban member.

The top five on the government's list are under UN sanctions. Therefore, the prospects for the West to recognize the Cabinet of Ministers, whose members are also on the international wanted list, are very illusory.
Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin mentioned in his blog the Russian Federation government is waiting on moves such as these, which will decide if the government recognizes the new Afghanistan government.

This won't help.

Aleksandr Kots is a Russian military journalist

Related: Tolo News has a complete list, including the uninteresting appointments. Such as Acting Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs: Mullah Noorullah Noori, one of the Berghdahl swap gents.
Posted by badanov 2021-09-08 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ]  Top
 File under: Taliban/IEA 

#1 The Taliban’s newly-appointed interior minister - responsible for law enforcement - is on the FBI’s most-wanted list and suspected of holding an American hostage
Posted by Skidmark 2021-09-08 09:28||   2021-09-08 09:28|| Front Page Top

#2 Hah — found it! I didn’t have time for a proper search last night, but I remembered a post that turns out to be from early June that reported:

One claim noted by analysts is that Sirajuddin Haqqani, the deputy emir of the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is also a member of Al Qaeda’s leadership.

This intelligence information was cited in a footnote, which states that in addition to being a Taliban leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani "is also assessed to be a member of the wider Al Qaeda leadership, but not of the Al Qaeda core leadership (the Hattin Shura)," the Long War Journal noted.

The UN report does not make it clear what position Sirajuddin is thought to hold within Al Qaeda’s "wider" leadership, said the Long War Journal.

In 2019, the Al Qaeda leader in a message mentioned Sirajuddin Haqqani and Hibatullah Akhundzada as "our leaders from the Islamic emirate of Afghanistan" and expressed gratitude for the selection of Haqqani as the deputy leader of the Taliban


This suggests Sirajuddin is the Al Qaeda regional vice president for Afghanistan in addition to Haaqani Network #1 and Taliban #2. He clearly is responsible for both the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, though it isn’t clear to me if the Al-Qaeda-linked ethnic jihadi groups resident around the country (Uighurs and Chechens and such) report through him, through other regional VP organizations like Al Nusra in Syria, or directly to the Quetta Shura home office in Pakistan.

Nota bene: According to the Long War Journal, the Hattin Shura, named after a key battle in Islamic history, has been led by al Qaeda veterans based in Iran, including the jihadist thought to be the group’s current deputy (naib) emir, an Egyptian known as Saif al Adel. What that means about the relationship between them and the Quetta Shura in Pakistan is beyond me.

So that’s the junior analyst-in-training perspective. Any enlightenment from those who know more and understand more deeply would be gratefully appreciated.
Posted by trailing wife 2021-09-08 14:06||   2021-09-08 14:06|| Front Page Top










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