Rafsanjani sends condolences to Rabbani on Masood's death

Tehran, Sept 18, IRNA -- Head of Iran's Expediency Council Ali-Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in a message Tuesday sent condolences to the President of Afghanistan's Islamic government Burhanuddin Rabbani on the death of the Afghan Vice-President and Minister of Defense Ahmad Shah Masood. "Masood shall always be remembered as a 'brave commander' and a 'tireless fighter' who dedicated his life to oust the occupiers and to defend the integrity of his country," said Rafsanjani. Masood, as a distinguished guerrilla commander, had managed to reduce the war machine of the Red Army at Panjshir during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. After the Soviet pull out from Afghanistan, Masood served as the defense minister in the Islamic government of President Burhanuddin Rabbani and led the Afghan Northern Alliance after the Taliban militia ousted President Rabbani from Kabul in September 1996. He was widely considered as the last bulwark against full Taliban control of Afghanistan, and for several times had thwarted Taliban's numerous attempts to capture northern parts of the country since 1996. Masood, 49, a freedom fighter and peace lover was assassinated in a terrorist attack by two men disguised as Arab television reporters. He succumbed to the injuries on Friday. Masood was among advocates of peace, negotiations and respect for the rights of all Afghans.