Alexander - The long way back: afghanistans quest for peace

Dramatis Personae
A Decade of Afghan Leaders (200111)

Abdullah, Dr. Abdullah. Born in Kabul. Foreign minister under Rabbani and Massoud, then under Karzai until 2005. Contested 2009 presidential elections, placing second.

Ahady, Anwar ul-Haq. Born in Surobi. Degrees from Beirut and Northwestern. Head of Afghan Mellat. After 2001, central bank governor, finance and commerce minister.

Akhundzada, Sher Mohammad. Scion of leading Helmand mujahidin family. Governor until 2005. Member of Meshrano Jirga. Close to Karzai.

Aloko, Mohammad Ishaq. Born in Kandahar. Served as prosecutor and intelligence officer under Daoud Khan. Author, resident in Germany. Attorney general since 2008.

Alokozay, Abdul Rahman. Head of leading Mohmand merchant family from Nangarhar, resident in Dubai. Global trading operations. Strong political role.

Anwari, Sayed Hussain. Shia Harakat-i Islami commander from Parwan. Minister of agriculture, then governor of Kabul and Herat provinces.

Arghandiwal, Abdul Hadi. From Kabul. Civil war finance minister. Reconciled in 2005, elected to Wolesi Jirga. Head of new Hezb-i Islami. Economy minister since 2010.

Arsala, Hedayat Amin. Aristocrat. PhD. Career in World Bank. Foreign minister when Karzai was deputy. After 2001, vice-president, commerce minister and senior minister.

Atmar, Mohammad Haneef. Mohmand from Laghman, with Kandahari mother. After 2001, human rights commission chair, minister of rural development, education and interior.

Atta Mohammed Noor, Ustad . Born in Balkh. Strongest Jamiat commander in the north. Displaced Dostum from Mazar after Taliban fall. Governor of Balkh since 2004.

Azimi, Abdul Salam. Born in Farah. PhD. Legal advisor to president, then chief justice starting in May 2006. Author of justice-reform and anti-corruption strategy.

Berader, Mullah Abdul Ghani . Popalzai from Deh Rawud. Taliban governor, commander. Led southern front after 2007. Arrested by ISI in 2010 after making overtures to Kabul.

Bismullah Khan Mohammadi. Tajik from Panjshir. Shomali commander under Massoud. Chief of general staff from 2003. Interior minister in 2010.

Dadullah Lang, Mullah. Kakar from Oruzgan. Scourge of Hazarajat. From Quetta, commanded Taliban southern front. Killed in Helmand on May 12, 2007.

Danesh, Mohammad Sardar. Shia with MA in Islamic jurisprudence. Born in Daikundi, first governor of new province. After 2004, minister of justice, then of higher education.

Daudzai, Mohammad Umar. Hezb-i Islami from Qarabagh. UNDP Kabul head during Taliban. Karzai chief of staff from 2003 to 2005 and 2007 to present, with interlude in Tehran.

Din Mohammad, Haji. Born in Fatehbad, Nangarhar. Elder brother of Haji Qadir and Abdul Haq. Under Karzai, governor of Nangarhar and then Kabul provinces.

Dostum, Abdul Rashid. Notorious Uzbek commander from Jawzjan. Pivotal in fall of Najib and Taliban regimes. Since 2005, despite occasional periods of exile, chief of staff to the general staff.

Ehsan Zia, Mohammad. From Kabul. MA from York. Capable NGO manager. With MRRD from 2002minister from 20062009.

Fahim, Mohammad Qasim. Military commander of United Front after Massouds death. First post-Taliban defence minister. Vice-president from 2001 to 2004 and 2009 to present.

Farhang, Mir Mohammad Amin . From prominent Kabul family. Doctorate from Cologne. Minister of three portfolios: reconstruction, economy and commerce. Impeached due to fuel corruption scandal in 2008.

Farooqi, Khalid. Former Hezb-i Islami intelligence chief from Paktika. Led return of several activists to Kabul in 2005. Member of Wolesi Jirga.

Fitrat, Abdul Qadir. From Badakhshan and Kabul. Lived in US after 1996. Central bank governor from 2007 to 2011. Resigned citing threats from Kabul Bank scandal.

Ghani (Ahmadzai), Dr. Ashraf . Born in Logar. Educated at Beirut and Columbia. World Bank official. Advisor to Brahimi on Bonn Agreement. Finance minister from 2002 to 2004. Chancellor of Kabul University. Consultant. Presidential candidate in 2009.

Gilani, Fatima . Daughter of Pir Syed Ahmad Gilani. Influential in jihad. Head of Afghan Red Crescent Society from 2004 to 2010. Married to Anwar ul-Haq Ahady.

Gilani, Pir Syed Ahmad . Born in Surkhrud. Son of Sayed Hassan Gilani, leader of Qadiriyya Sufism in Afghanistan, who came to Nangarhar from Baghdad in 1905.

Haqqani, Sirajuddin . Son of Jalaluddin Haqqani, Khalis commander in jihad. Major Taliban backer since 1996. Brutal Taliban tactician. Bases in North Waziristan.

Hekmatyar, Gulbuddin . Founder of Hezb-i Islami. Returned to Peshawar area in 2001. At ISI insistence, forged alliance with Taliban and al Qaeda. Lives semi-covertly.

Ibrahim Spinzada, Engineer Mohammed . Barakzai from Farah. Former UNHCR official in Kandahar and Quetta. Close Karzai advisor. Deputy national security chief.

Ismail Khan, Mohammad. Jamiat commander from Shindand who famously led Herat uprising against Soviets. Herat governor to 2004, then energy minister and water minister.

Jawad, Said Tayeb. Born in Kandahar. Studied in Germany and US. Karzais chief of staff from 2002 to 2003. Afghan ambassador to Washington from 2003 to 2010.

Juma Khan, Haji. Baluch from Nimruz from key drug-trafficking family. Major Taliban ally with ties to Kabul. Controlled Baramcha drug bazaar before arrest by US in 2008.

Kabir, Mullah Mohammad Abdul. Zadran from Paktia. Major Taliban commander in east, based after 2001 in Peshawar. Captured by Pakistan in 2005 and again 2010.

Karzai, Hamid . Son of Afghan senator killed by ISI in 1999. Deputy foreign minister. Pro-Western conciliator. President since 2001.

Khalid, Haji Asadullah. From Nawa in Ghazni, where he was governor from 2001 to 2005. Governor of Kandahar from 2005 to 2008. Minister of borders and tribal affairs from 2010.

Khalili, Abdul Karim. Shia from Behsud district in Wardak province. Key leader of Hezb-i Wahdat. Vice-president since 2001. Oversaw DDR and DIAG.

Khalili, Masood . Son of famous poet, and grandson of courtier and landowner. With Massoud at time of death. Ambassador to India, Turkey and Spain.

Khoram, Abdul Karim. Educated in France. Hezb-i-Islami loyalist. Controversial minister of culture, information, tourism and youth (2006 09), now Karzai chief of staff.

Lodin, Azizullah . From prominent Herat family. Academic in Germany. Feud with Ismail Khan. Led anti-corruption office, parliamentary secretariat and election commission.

Ludin, Jawed . Pashtun with strong links to UK. Karzais chief of staff from 2003 to 2005. Ambassador to Nordic countries, then Canada. Now deputy foreign minister.

Mangal, Mohammad Gulab. Educated Mangal tribesman from Gardez. Served with distinction as governor of Paktika, Laghman and (since 2008) Helmand.

Mansour, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad . Former Taliban chief of aviation. Shadow Kandahar governor who promoted suicide attacks. Imposter came to Kabul in 2010.

Massoud, Ahmad Shah. Born in Bazarak, Panjshir, in 1953. Jamiat commander starting in 1970s. Held out against Taliban onslaught until his death on September 9, 2001.