Games without Rules: The Often-Interrupted History of Afghanistan

397 Pages·2012·2.16 MB·English

by  Ansary Tamim

Table of Contents
Title Page
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Introduction
PART I: AFGHANISTAN BECOMES A COUNTRY
Chapter 1 - Founding Father
Chapter 2 - Ahmad Shah’s Afghanistan
Chapter 3 - Farangis on the Horizon
Chapter 4 - Between the Lion and the Bear
Chapter 5 - Auckland’s Folly
Chapter 6 - The Second Coming of Dost Mohammed
Chapter 7 - Eight or Ten Good Years
Chapter 8 - Interrupted Again
PART II: ONE COUNTRY, TWO WORLDS
Chapter 9 - A Time of Blood and Iron
Chapter 10 - Starting Fresh
Chapter 11 - King of the Radicals
Chapter 12 - King’s Law Versus God’s Law
Chapter 13 - Things Fall Apart
PART III: KABUL RULES
Chapter 14 - After the Storm
Chapter 15 - Nonaligned Nation
Chapter 16 - Development, No Brakes
Chapter 17 - The Democracy Era
Chapter 18 - Rise of the Left
Chapter 19 - Change by Decree
Chapter 20 - The Soviet Occupation
PART IV: OLD AFGHANISTAN ERUPTS
Chapter 21 - The Mujahideen
Chapter 22 - Cold War Endgame
Chapter 23 - From Horror to Chaos
Chapter 24 - Out of the Camps
Chapter 25 - Taliban Versus Mujahideen
Chapter 26 - Al Qaeda
Chapter 27 - America Enters the Picture
PART V: THE STRUGGLE RESUMES
Chapter 28 - The Bonn Project
Chapter 29 - Kabul Spring
Chapter 30 - The Persistence of Trouble
Chapter 31 - Drugs and Corruption
Chapter 32 - Talibanism
Chapter 33 - The Tipping Point
Chapter 34 - Obama’s Surges
Chapter 35 - All That Glitters
Postscript - The Big Picture
Acknowledgments
NOTES
GLOSSARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
Copyright Page
Afghanistan
Night and day our people’s lamentations reached the skies
and no one asked “Whose voice is that, uttering those cries?”
KHALILULLAH KHALILI
FROM “HOUSE OF LAMENTATION”
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Abdul Haq Pushtoon Mujahideen leader, killed by the Taliban 2001.
Abdul Majid Zabuli Afghan entrepreneur, founded National Bank.
Abdul Rashid Dostum Uzbek leader, affiliated with both Communists and
Mujahideen.
Abdul Rasool Sayyaf Prominent Islamist, head of a major Mujahideen
party.
Abdullah Abdullah Ahmad Shah Massoud’s top aide, presidential candidate
2004, 2009.
Ahmad Shah Baba Founder of the Afghan empire, first Durrani king, head
of the Sadozai clan, “father” of Afghanistan, ruled 1747–1773.
Ahmad Shah Massoud Military commander of the Mujahideen party Jamiat
Islam, minister of defense 1994–1996.
Ahmad Zahir Influential Afghan pop singer of the 1960s and ’70s, often
called “the Elvis Presley of Afghanistan.”
Alexander Burnes Macnaghten’s political agent in Kabul, 1839–1841.
Amir Abdu’Rahman, “the Iron Amir” Dost Mohammed’s grandson, Sher
Ali’s nephew, reigned 1880–1901.
Amir Amanullah Son of Habibullah, grandson of Abdu’Rahman, ruled
Afghanistan 1919–1929.
Amir Habibullah Abdu’Rahman’s son and successor, reigned 1901–1919.
Amir Sher Ali Son and successor of Dost Mohammed, ruled twice: 1863–
1866, 1868–1879.
Babrak Karmal Afghan Communist president, 1980–1986, headed Parcham
faction of the PDPA.
Bachey Saqao (Habibullah Kalakani) Tajik bandit, deposed Amanullah,
reigned February to September 1929.
Burhanuddin Rabbani Islamist professor, founder and head of Mujahideen
party Jamiat-i-Islam, president of Afghanistan 1994–1996, assassinated 2011.
Charkhi family Staunch allies of Amanullah, crushed by the Musahibbans
after the fall of Amanullah.
Dost Mohammed the Great First king of the Mohammedzai clan, reigned
twice: 1826–1839, 1843–1863.
Durranis Ahmad Shah Baba’s tribe, Durrani monarchs ruled Afghanistan
from 1746–1978 except for the nine-month reign of Habibullah Kalakani
(Bachey Saqao).
Frederic Roberts Commanded British forces in the Second Anglo-Afghan
War, 1878–1880.
Ghilzais Major Afghan tribal confederation, long-standing rivals of the
Durranis.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Radical Islamist, founder and head of Hezb-i-Islam.
Hafizullah Amin Khalq Party leader, architect of the 1978 coup, Taraki’s
right-hand man, president of Afghanistan September to December, 1979.
Hamid Karzai President of Afghanistan, 2004–2014.
Hashim Khan Nadir Shah’s brother and prime minister, ruled Afghanistan
from behind the throne 1933–1946.
Hazrats of Shor Bazaar Revered leading members of the religious
Mujadeddi family.
Hezb-i-Islam Islamist party founded and led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
ISI (InterServices Intelligence) Pakistani military intelligence agency
through whom the United States funneled arms and money to the Mujahideen.
Ivan Vitkevich Russian agent in Kabul 1837–1838, claimed to be the czar’s
envoy.
Jalaludin Haqqani Prominent Mujahideen warlord of the 1980s, affiliated
with the Taliban after 2002.
Jamaluddin-i-Afghan Radical Islamic modernist intellectual, Sher Ali’s
tutor.
Jamiat-i-Islam Islamist party led by Burhanuddin Rabbani and Ahmad Shah
Massoud.
Khalq One faction of PDPA after the party split in 1967.
Lord (George Eden) Auckland Governor general of India 1836–1842,
launched first British invasion of Afghanistan, 1838.
Lord (Edward Bulwer) Lytton Governor general of India 1876–1880,
launched second British invasion of Afghanistan 1878.
Louis Napoleon Cavagnari Headed up British mission in Kabul, 1879.
Mahmoud Tarzi Prominent modernist intellectual at Amir Habibullah’s
court.
Malalai Iconic Afghan heroine, rallied the troops at Maiwand.
Malalai Joya Feminist activist, elected to Afghan Parliament 2004.
Massouma Esmatey-Wardak Pioneering feminist intellectual, head of
Afghan Women’s Council, 1979–1990.
Mohammedzais Dost Mohammed’s clan, the royal branch of the Durranis,
ruled Afghanistan 1826–1978.
Mujaddedis Noted religious family.
Mujahideen Islamic resistance groups who fought the Soviets in the 1980s.
Mullah Akhtar Osmani Prominent Talibanist insurgent and drug lord in
Helmand province, killed by NATO 2007.
Mullah Baradur Leading Talibanist insurgent, southern Afghanistan,
arrested and imprisoned by Pakistan in 2010.
Mullah Dadullah Insurgent leader of southern Afghanistan, associated with
Taliban, killed 2007.
Mullah Farooq Insurgent leader in Ghazni Province, active after 2002.
Mullah Omar Reclusive one-eyed cleric considered to head up the Taliban.
Musahibbans Ruling family of Afghanistan 1929–1978, descended from
Dost Mohammed’s brother.
Nadir Shah Head of the Musahibban family, king of Afghanistan 1929–
1933, won military victories against the British in the Third Anglo-Afghan War.
Najibullah, “the Ox” Member of Parcham, head of the secret police
organization KhAD, president of Afghanistan 1988–1992.
Naseerullah Babar Pakistan interior minister under Benazir Bhutto, one
architect of the Taliban.
Northern Alliance Confederation of Mujahideen parties opposed to the
Taliban; organized by Ahmad Shah Massoud.
Nur Mohammed Taraki Afghan Communist president 1978–1979, head of
Khalq faction of the PDPA.
Osama Bin Laden Radical Jihadist, founder of al-Qaeda.
Parcham One faction of the PDPA after the party split in 1967.
PDPA (People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan) Afghanistan’s main
Communist Party, founded in 1965.
Qasim Fahim Led Northern Alliance after Ahmad Shah Massoud’s death.
Queen Soraya Tarzi’s daughter, Amanullah’s wife, leading Afghan
feminist.
Quetta Shura Taliban leaders loyal to Mullah Omar, operating from Quetta,
Pakistan after 2002.
Sadozais Ahmad Shah Baba’s clan, a branch of the Durranis. Sadozai kings
ruled from 1747 to 1826.
Sardar Ayub Sher Ali’s son, beat the British at the Battle of Maiwand.
Sardar Daoud Nadir Shah’s nephew, ruled Afghanistan as prime minister
1953–1963, and then as president 1973–1978.
Sardar Na’eem Nadir Shah’s nephew, foreign minister 1953–1963.
Shah Mahmoud Nadir Shah’s brother, ruled as prime minister, 1950–1953.
Shah Shuja Ahmad Shah’s grandson, reigned twice (1803–1809, 1839–
1842). Installed by the British in 1839.
Sher Agha Mujadeddi Leading opponent of Amanullah’s reforms in the
1920s.
Siddiq Barmaq Filmmaker, directed the film Osama.
Wazir Akbar Khan Son of Dost Mohammed; leading Afghan general
during First Anglo-Afghan War, 1839–1842.
William Hay Macnaghten Headed the British mission in Kabul, 1839–
1841.
Yaqub Khan Sher Ali’s son, installed as king by the British, 1879.
Zahir Shah Nadir Shah’s son, king of Afghanistan 1929–1973.
Zalmay Khalilzad Afghan neoconservative intellectual and diplomat,
advisor to the Reagan and Bush administrations on Afghan affairs.