AHMAD SHAH MASSOUD
PERHAPS THE ONLY MUJAHIDEEN COMMANDER REVERED AS A NATIONAL HERO AND PATRIOT
1953 – 2001 AFGHANISTAN
The ethnic Tajik who held the Panjshir Valley against repeated Soviet incursions is still fondly remembered by many Afghans, be they comrades-in-arms or former enemies. Having defected to join the rebels once the Soviets installed a puppet government in Kabul, Massoud and his cohort endured many bitter years waging guerrilla war against the occupiers. It was only later in the conflict that their greater numbers and improved equipment allowed them to inflict huge losses against the Soviets.
Massoud’s big mistake, however, was his utter failure to build a peaceful alliance with other mujahideen commanders, many of whom were actively plundering the country or were in league with jihadis who wanted to impose a theocracy. The years of devastation suffered by Afghanistan is a testament to this wasted opportunity.
On 9 September 2001 a team of journalists who were earlier vetted by Massoud’s security detail turned out to be assassins trained by Al Qaeda. The ‘Lion of the Panjshir’ was killed by improvised explosives triggered at close range. Undeterred by the loss of their figurehead, the Tajiks of northwest Afghanistan still allied with the United States in removing the Taliban from power.