Gen Malik's return strengthens Afghan opposition

The News:Jang
By Behroz Khan

PESHAWAR: Afghan opposition has strengthened its ranks against Taliban Islamic Movement in Northern Afghanistan with the return of Gen Abdul Malik to Ahmad Shah Masud's controlled parts of the country.

Well-informed sources closed to the Northern Alliance in Peshawar told The News that Gen Malik has returned to Taloqan, provincial capital of Takhaar province and has joined Masud in his drive to take on the Taliban once again. "He has raised a 2000 strong fighting force. Gen Malik will open new fronts with Taliban in the near future," claimed the sources pleading anonymity. Malik, who is wanted to the religious militia in the killing of thousands of Taliban soldiers in Dasht-i-Laili in Jauzjan province in 1997, fled to the United States after Taliban captured Mazar-i-Sharif and evicted him from his native Faryab province in 1998.

The sources also said that most of the fighters in Malik's group were ethnically Uzbek and members of the Shia Hezb-i-Wahdat. Both the groups had joined hands against the Taliban after the students militia was invited to Mazar-i-Sharif to oust another warlord, Gen Abdul Rashid Dostum. Forces loyal to Gen Malik and Ustad Muhaqiq's Hezb-i-Wahdat turned against the Taliban after a brief alliance and killed more than 6000 Taliban fighters in execution-style.

Gen Dostum, who recently visited Moscow in a bid to muster Russian support against Taliban is reported to have returned to Turkey instead of coming back to Afghanistan. Former Afghan defence minister and the only active opposition commander against Taliban, Ahmad Shah Masud is believed to have once again refused to befriend Dostum due to lack of trust on both sides. However, Gen Malik still enjoys good relations with Masud, sources said.

The reports about the number of Gen Malik's force could not be confirmed from independent sources but Afghans believe that scattered soldiers from Dostum and Malik's army were either still hiding in parts of Afghanistan or have joined other groups, specially Ustad Muhaqiq's Hezb-i-Wahdat. Their stronghold at the moment is Dara-i-Sauf from where they continue to launch attacks against Taliban in Samangan province of Afghanistan. "We plan to capture as many areas from Taliban as we can during this winter," the source claimed.

It also could not be confirmed whether Gen Malik returned to Afghanistan on his own or was forced by the United States to leave the country due to mounting pressure from Taliban for providing shelter to the Uzbek warlord in what Taliban termed, violation of human rights and protecting him against the inspirations of the Afghan people. Taliban also linked the return of Gen Malik with the US demand for the surrender of the Afghanistan-based Saudi dissident, Osama bin Laden. Afghans believe that Gen Malik, due to his close association with the Shia factions of Afghanistan could also serve as the bridge between Iran and Masud-led Afghan opposition.