AFGHANews. Volume 5, P.O.Box 264 GPO, Peshawar- Pakisan 41381

Transcription

1 AFGHANews Volume 5, 1989 P.O.Box 264 GPO, Peshawar- Pakisan 41381

2 Kabul regime gets new weapons Soviets have given a new weapon system to the Kabul regime to boost its shattering morale. The new weapon is BM -27, a multiple barrel rocket launcher. The rocket which weighs 300 Kg. and has a range of 40 kilometers. The Soviets have also given 80 new armored cars, both wheeled and tracked types, and some An -12 transport planes. Earlier the Soviets gave Scud medium range missile and stationed 30 Mig -27 planes in the west of Afghanistan, In his speech at the UN, Gorbachev proposed arms embargo to all sides of the conflict from January The Mujahideen rejected the proposal and called it a design to protect the puppet regime in Kabul.Soviet Union also have delivered military instalations to the regime which worth billions of Dollars.The communist regime has stockpiled enough weapons.in the case of arms embargo the Mujahideen will suffer the most. AFGHANews Vol 5, No 1, January 1, 1989, page 4 News from the battlefields tank was destroyed and all its occupants were killed. Fighting between the Mujahideen and communist forces in Adraskan district continues. The Mujahideen destroyed on armored car in Adeen area of Adraskan and killed one soldier on December 12. In a different operation on the same day the Mujahideen destroyed three trucks on Herat - Kandahar Road. The Mujahideen attacked the corn - munist security posts in Shakar Buz area of Gulran district on December 5. Twenty guns were captured and some enemy soldiers were either killed or wounded. One Mujahid was killed and one was injured. On December 9 the Mujahideen captured six armed enemy soldiers in Pushtoon -Zarghoon district. Badghis province The Mujahideen from Jami'at under the command of Naik Mohammad Khan have besieged the Kushk -e -Kuhna sub -district. Thirty militiamen defected to the Mujahideen on December 9. The Mujahideen from Jami'at under the command of Naik Mohammad Khan liberated Qadis district. Jami'at commanders meet to coordinate their actions The two-day meeting in which Jami'at commanders from the provinces of Logar, Wardak, Ghazni, Paktia, Paktika, and South of Kabul participated was held in Logar on 5 and 6 December. The meeting which was chaired by. Dr. Fazlullah, Jami'at commander in Logar, asked for the formation of an Islamic government in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the Soviet troops and rejected the idea of coalition government with the communist regime in Editorial From page (3) There is also a need to inform the world about Soviet designs. The Soviet designs against the people of Afghanistan can be foiled if the Mujahideen take practical steps towards the formation of an interim administration which is broad -based. This will end the present uncertain situation which the Soviets are exploiting. Kabul. The meeting called on all the Mujahideen to unite their ranks and take steps to form an Islamic army. According to the resolution passed in the meeting the formation of such an army is necessary for the victory against the enemy, preservation of law and order and protection of the independence of Afghanistan. The commanders participating in the meeting agreed to establish closer contacts with the Supervisory Council of the North and the Mujahideen in the West. The meeting decided to establish closer contacts with the Mujahideen from other parties, create better understanding amongst the Mujahideen and pave the road for further cooperation. This was the first meeting of the Jami'at commanders in the region. Commander Fazlullah played a vital role in convening the meeting and passing the resolutions. From page (2) In the operations one hundred enemy soldiers were killed and some others were captured. In the fighting which lasted for five days, 10 Mujahideen were martyred and 30 were wounded. The Mujahideen captured three armored cars, four trucks, and some quantities of arms and ammunition. Farah province A supply convoy of the enemy on its way to Kandahar was attacked 1j the Mujahideen from Jami'at in Farah Road District on December 15 as a result of which 10 enemy soldiers were killed. - Ghazni province The Mujahideen from Jami'at attacked Ghazni airport with heavy weapons on December 2 as a result of which a oil depot of the enemy was set on fire. Two enemy soldiers were killed in the attack. The Mujahideen fired mortar rounds into the enemy positions near the airport as a result of which two enemy soldiers were killed and three others were wounded. Two Mujahideen sustained injuries in the operation. The report adds that representatives of Jami'at Mujahideen in Ghazni participated in the regional meeting of the commanders held in Logar. They reached important decisions about the future course of action. Jawzjan province An important militia commander in Andkhoy district joined the Mujahideen from Jami'at headed by Commander Faizullah on November 28. Rahim Pahlawan, an officer of the regime militia forces, joined the Mujahideen bringing with him 70 Kalashinkov rifles, four mortars, four machine gun, one communication set, one jeep, four trucks and some quantities of food and ammunition. Ghoor province Ten Mujahideen were killed and ten others sustained injuries when their positions were bombed by the Soviet Jets in Taiwara district on December 3.

3 ; }, f3 ` t * AFGHANews Vol 5, No 5, March 1, 1989, page 2 News From the battlefields Takhar Province Jami'at scored a major victory when more than 10,000 regime militiamen and soldiers defected to the Mujahideen in Takhar and Badakhshan bringing with them big quantities of arms and ammunition. On February 16, regiment number 6, headed by Abdul Samad, regiment 543 headed by Mirza Abdur Rahim and regiment 544 headed by Abdur Rashid Tatar defected to the Mujahideen of the Supervisory Council of the North. The following weapons and equipment was delivered to the Mujahideen: 1- Tanks and armored cars Trucks Light weapons 10, Tractors and Bulldozers Light grenade launchers Heavy grenade launchers Anti- aircraft guns (23 mm.)10 8- Mortar( 82 mm.) Mortar(120 mm.) mm Howitzer PK. Machine gun Goryunov machine guns RDPs (heavy Kalashnikov) DSchk guns(12.7 mm) ZPUs guns(14.5 mm) 30 By this victory Rustaq distric, Takhar, and Shahr -i- Bozorg sub- district,badakhshan were liberated. Salang valley On Februaryl5, four officers of the regime were killed and 12 soldiers were captured when the Mujahideen attacked their post in Liwan of Salang valley. The Mujahideen seized 14 guns. On February 16, the Mujahideen destroyed five tanks, six armored cars, seven trucks, one 122 mm gun and eight oil tankers when they attacked an enemy convoy inside the Satang valley. Forty five soldiers and 15 officers were captured. The Mujahideen seized 26 Kalashnikov rifles, two rocket launchers, one mortar and two pistols. Two Mujahideen were killed and three were injured. On the same day the Mujahideen attacked Aahangaran post with heavy weapons. Four tanks and six trucks were destroyed. The enemy suffered casualties but no figures were available. In three days of fighting which started on February 14, the Mujahideen destroyed four trucks loaded with ammunition, killed or wounded 50 soldiers and destroyed two posts. Three Mujahideen killed in the operation. The Mujahideen siezed four Kalashnikov rifles, one PK machine gun and one grenade launcher. On 17 February an enemy garrison in Hejan, south of the Salang Tunnel, was captured after three days of fighting. Twenty enemy soldiers were killed, three were captured and the rest fled. The Mujahideen captured 61 Kalashnikov rifles, one mortar, seven rocket launchers, three grenade launchers and two pistols. The Mujahideen also captured six armored cars and five tanks which were set on fire because the Mujahideen could not make use of them. The Mujahideen suffered no casualties. Parwan province The Mujahideen from Jami'at attacked enemy positions along the highway in Salang valley, Jabul Seraj, Matack and Charikar on February 11. Meanwhile the Mujahideen attacked with heavy weapons the enemy bases in Qala -i -Surkh in Jabul Seraj at the mouth of the Salang valley, Charikar, the provincial capital of Parwan province, and Bagram air base. In Salang 145 enemy soldiers and ten officers were captured and 10 were killed. The Mujahideen captured nine 82mm mortars, 181 Kalashnikov rifles, One DSchK, one PK machine gun, one Dragunov sniper gun, one communication set and some ammunition. The Mujahideen lost one person and eight others were wounded. The Mujahideen control a section of the highway. In Jabul Seraj, seven enemy posts were evacuated in Mian Guzar area. Near the Matak Bridge one tank was set on fire and three soldiers were killed. The Mujahideen lost two men and two Mujahideen were wounded. In these operations the Mujahideen belonging to Dagarwal Jailani from Jabul Seraj, Padar Khan and Mawlana from Gulbahar, Haji Enayat from Charikar, Engineer Wasil from Ashaba and Shaheen from Kapisa had participated. On February 7 the Mujahideen from Bagram fired ground -to- ground rockets into Bagram air base. Several aircraft were damaged. Soviet and regime forces launched a massive offensive against the Mujahideen along the Salang highway on January 23. As a result of heavy bombing from air and rocket firing 600 people, most of them civilians, were killed and 1200 were injured.. In Panjshir a Scud missile killed 70 people in the village of Khench. Since the beginning of the offensive, Soviets and regime forces have fired 23 Scud missiles into the Panjshir Valley. The Mujahideen from Jamiat captured 21 soldiers and two officers of the regime when they attacked the enemy posts close to the city of Charikar on February 8. The Mujahideen seized 19 Kalashnikov rifles, one mortar, one DSchK machine gun, two Grenov machineguns and some ammunition. The posts were located about one kilometer from the center of the city. In the attack which was launched by Commander Haji Enayat one tank and two trucks belonging to the enemy were destroyed. Nineteen Mujahideen sustained minor injuries. The report which was written on February 15, said that bombing of the Mujahideen bases like Panjshir, Khailab and Khost -o- Fering was continuing. On February 10, six civilians were killed by bombing in Khost district pf Baghlan province. It should be added that bombing of the bases of the Supervisory Council of the North started on January 18. Turn to page (3 )

4 News From page ( 2 ) Baghlan province In a series of attacks which continued from 6 to 13 February, the Mujahideen from Jami'at in Hasantal, close to Baghlan city, destroyed two enemy posts, captured 12 enemy soldiers and killed or wounded an unknown number of the enemy soldiers. The Mujahideen seized 34 Kalashnikov rifles, three PK machine guns and three rocket launchers. One Mujahid was killed. Herat province The Mujahideen from Jami'at liberated Kushk district, close to the Soviet border, and cut Herat -Toorghondi road connecting Herat to the Soviet Union on February 18. In fighting between the Mujahideen and government forces, 15 soldiers were killed, 20 soldiers were wounded and 600 soldiers surrendered to the Mujahideen. The Mujahideen destroyed eight tanks and two trucks and set on fire two ammunition dumps of the enemy. In a separate operation, a DRA unit of about 300 men posted to protect Salma Dam, 60 kilometers east of the city of Herat, surrendered to the Mujahideen with their weapons a few days after the Soviet troops' withdrawal. No detail of the fighting is available. The above two operations were carried out by the Mujahideen under the command of Ismail Khan. Tank eats bus' share People reaching Peshawar say that the people of Kabul not only are facing food shortages but also have to walk in severe winter because of fuel shortages which has stopped public transport. Few buses are running in the streets and taxis charge too much money. According to an eyewitness, the search for conscripts in the city has intensified and night raids of the houses are carried out for this purpose. He confirmed earlier reports by the Mujahideen that the regime has imprisoned a large number of Punjshiri elders, espicially the relatives of the Mujahideen, to discourage the Mujahideen from attacking enemy targets. AFGHANews Vol 5, No 5, March 1, 1989, page 3 February 15 historic day for Afghans From page ( 1 ) Mian Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the opposition and Chief Minister of Punjab, congratulated Afghans on their victory which he called the biggest military success of Muslims in their history. The withdrawal of Soviet troops also was welcomed by the United States, the E.E.C, Organization of Islamic conference and other countries. Ironically the Resistance parties did not celebrate the victory for which they had struggled more than nine years. The reason was the parties' preoccupation with the proceedings of the Consultative Council which was facing problems. The Soviets invaded Afghanistan on December 27, The purpose of the invasion was to save the communist regime in Kabul, which was facing a civil war. Soviet involvement in Afghanistan continued for 9 years, one month and 18 days. They deployed 150,000 troops, thousands of tanks and hundreds of jets and helicopters. They lost more than 15,000 men in action. 37,000 were injured and 311 Soviets reported to be missing. The Afghans paid a dear price. About one million Afghans were killed, 7 million were displaced and 75% of all the villages and towns were destroyed. The Mujahideen were originally ill - equipped and disorganized. As time passed they gained better equipment and organized themselves better. The role of Pakistan and Iran in giving shelter to the refugees and the role of Pakistan in supporting Afghans by all possible means played pivotal part in achieving victory. Parallel to continuation of the war, proximity talks between Pakistan and the communist regime continued. The talks started in 1982 and on April 14,1988 the Geneva Accord was signed. The Mujahideen did not take part the accord. They continued to fight. Withdrawal of Soviet troops has taken the Mujahideen close to their goal, but there are still problems to overcome. The Kabul regime still controls most cities. To achieve a complete victory, the Mujahideen need to defeat the regime and install a political system in its place. Reconstruction of Afghanistan will be a major task in front of the new government. The Soviet withdrawal was not taken easily by Najibullah, head of the communist regime. Immediately after the withdrawal a state emergency was announced. Non -party ministers were replaced by party members. The Regime's foreign minister said the government would intensify security measures including search of houses. The Regime has already started capturing Mujahideen relatives to use them as hostages to discourage the Mujahideen from launching attack. Reports talk of 2,000, Panjshiris being captured by the regime for this purpose. The Regime wanted to demonstrate its power by holding a rally of 30,000 party members who were issued automatic rifles to defend the city. Only 6,000 party members attended the rally and all of them had to undergo a body search by security forces. The Regime has formed a 19- member war council which is headed by Najib. Hasan Sharq, the Prime Minister, resigned and was replaced by Sultan Ali Keshtmand, a party member who served as the prime minister of the regime from the beginning of the invasion until last year. Najib has sent messages to different world leaders informing them the Soviet withdrawal.in these messages he has accused Pakistan and the United States of violating the Geneva Accord. Najib sent a message to the Iranian leader asking him to help in persuading the Mujahideen to form a broad -based government with the communists, and observe a ceasefire. Earlier 20 Iranian prisoners were released from Kabul prisons, an attempt to improve relations with Iran. The Iranian charge d' affaires in Kabul said that releasing prisoners would not improve relations between the two countries because Iran did not recognize the Kabul regime. Najib is preparing himself for the defence of Kabul. Kabul has turned into a fortified city with curfew imposed from dawn to dusk. To boost the morale of its troops the regime claims to have discovered a Mujahideen plan of attack and to have captured large quantities of their arms and ammunition.

5 AFGHANews Vol 5, No 6, March 15, 1989, page 2 News sfr4t From the battlefields Salang The Mujahideen repulsed an enemy attack against the Mujahideen in Hayjan, a side -valley of Salang on February 26. Eleven enemy soldiers were captured and an unknown number were killed in the attack. On the same day, eight enemy soldiers joined the Mujahideen from Jami'at after killing the political commissar of their unit. The defectors were stationed in Qala -i -Surkh at the mouth of the Salang valley.they brought with them eight guns. On February 28, eight enemy soldiers based in Qala- i -Surkh defected to the Mujahideen in Salang bring with them six guns and two rocket launchers. On March 3, the Mujahideen launched simultaneous attacks against the enemy positions in Salang, Jabul Seraj, Charikar, the provincial capital of Parwan, and Bagram air base. One post in Sangak area in Salang was captured. The enemy launched three counter- attacks to recapture the post but failed. In the course of fighting, 80 enemy soldiers were killed and 40 soldiers and officers were captured. The enemy also lost two tanks. Seven Mujahideen, three persons from Salang and four from Panjshir, were killed in the fighting. The enemy garrisons in Jabul Seraj, Charikar and Bagram were pounded by the heavy weapons of the Mujahideen. The enemy losses could not be immediately estimated. On the same day, the Mujahideen from Jamiat destroyed three tanks and two trucks of the enemy in Totom Dara at the mouth of Salang valley. On March 7, the enemy attacked the Mujahideen positions in Salang. The Mujahideen had captured several posts along the road inside the valley and had brought two sections of the mad under their control. The enemy has failed to drive the Mujahideen out of their positions. On March 11, fifteen soldiers defected to the Mujahideen bringing along their weapons. J On March 6, Captain Abdul Two hundred militiamen from Hakim Wardak the commander of a unit Qadis district defected to the of a Special Guard of the regime was Mujahideen from Jami'at under Naik killed when the helicopter carrying him Mohammad, the chief commander of came under the Mujahideen attack in Badghis, on February 24. They brought Charikar, the provincial capital of with them the following weapons: Parwan. A DShK bullet passing 1. More than 200 pieces of light through the helicopter killed him. weapons In the past two weeks the areas 2. Twelve trucks and cars controlled by Jami'at in flat and mountainous parts of Parwan and around (14,5mm anti aircraft) guns. 3. Four single barrel ZPU Bagram airbase have been bombed by -4. Eight DShK guns the enemy planes. Twenty civilians By the defection of these militiamen Qadis district came under control have been killed as a result of these bombardments. of the Mujahideen. Salang is also being bombed from the air and by artillery. Balkh province More than one hundred militiamen, headed by Abdullah Padarwatan, joined the Mujahideen from Jami'at on February 23. The group brought with it more than 100 rifles, one 76mm gun, three PK machine guns, one mortar and two trucks. On March 4, the Mujahideen captured an enemy post around Mazar city. Six soldiers and one officer were killed and three soldiers were cap - tured.the Mujahideen seized nine rifles, two PK machine guns and one communication set of model R One Mujahid was killed and two Mujahideen were injured in the operation. Herat province On February 17, more than one hundred militiamen surrendered to the Mujahideen from Jam, at in Dahna -i- Zulfigar in Gulran district. Dahna -i- Zulfigar has common borders with Iran and Soviet Union. On February 25, militia corn - mander, Zia Khan, defected to the Mujahideen with his 40 men in Kariz Sufi, 2Km west of Herat city. They brought with them 50 Kalashnikov rifles and eight pistols. On February 26, the Mujahideen from Jami'at shot down an enemy jet in Shindand area with a Stinger missile. On the same day, three militiamen were killed and ten militiamen were wounded when the Mujahideen attacked their posts in the western part of the city of Herat. Three Mujahideen were martyred and one Mujahid was wounded in the operation. Badghis province Kabul province Forty enemy soldiers were captured and 5 killed when the Mujahideen from Jami'at under the command of Mullah Eat attacked an enemy post in Karaize -Mir about 10 Kilometers north of the city on March 10. The Mujahideen seizd 40 rifles, one BM-40 rocket launcher, one BM- 14 rocket launcher and four R -105 wireless sets. The Mujahideen from Jami'at destroyed two tanks and 15 trucks belonging to the enemy near Nopula of Qarabagh district on Salang high way on March 9. Jawzjan Province Ten enemy soldiers were captured, five soldiers were killed and four soldiers were injured when the Mujahideen from Jami'at attacked their post 12 Kilometer away from Shiberghan city on February 9. The Mujahideen destroyed the post and seized nine guns and one pistol. Turn to page (3 )

6 Salang More than 200 soldiers and officers of the Kabul regime stationed in the Salang joined the Mujahideen from Jami'at on March 14th. The unit which included 165 soldiers and 43 officers were stationed in Olang area about 5 Kilometers south of the tunnel. They handed over the following weapons to the Mujahideen : 1- Kalashinkov rifles 2 -Light machine guns 3 -Heavy Machine guns 4- Rocket launchers 7- Mortars 8-76mm howitzer 9- Anti aircraft cannons 10- Armored cars 11- Trucks 12- Radio set On March 26, the Mujahideen killed or wounded 26 enemy soldiers and captured 25 soldiers when they attacked their post at the mouth of the Salang valley, near Jabul Saraj. The Mujahideen seized 29 Kalashinkov rifles, one pistol, two DShK guns and three mortars. The Mujahideen also captured three tanks and some ammunition and since they were not able to take them they were set on fire. Kabul province The Mujahideen from Jami'at captured 13 soldiers and killed six when they attacked an enemy post, west of Kabul city on March 5. The post was located near Spozmai Hotel in the vicinity of Qargha Dam. The Mujahideen seized 15 Kalashnikov rifles, one pistol and one mortar. The AFGHANews Vol 5, No 7, April 1, 1989, page Q city. Among them were 300 militiamen and 10 officers who surrendered to Pahlawan Ahmad, Jami'at commander in the district. They brought with them the following items: 1- Armored cars 2 2- Trucks and jeeps 8 3- D -30 artillery pieces 2 4- Mortars 4 5- Heavy machine guns Radio sets 8 7- Light weapons Large quantities of ammunition and foodstuff. Mujahideen suffered no casualties. The operation was launched under the command of Mullah Ezat of Paghman. In another operation the Mujahideen from Jami'at captured 30 soldiers and officers of the regime on March 21 when they attacked their posts in Surkh Kotal. The posts which were parts of the security belt of the city of Kabul were destroyed. The Mujahideen seized 30 Kalashnikov rifles, four machine guns, one RPG -7 rocket launcher, one mortar and some ammunition. The attack was launched by the Mujahideen under the command of Mullah Ezat. Herat province The Mujahideen launched a coordinated attack against the enemy posts in and around the city of Herat on March 14. Ten tanks and trucks were destroyed and an unknown number of enemy soldiers were killed. The enemy retaliated by aerial bombing of the Mujahideen -controlled areas killing 28 Mujahideen and civilians and wounding 35. Herat -Kandahar and Herat - Toorghondi roads are cut and fighting still continues. The Mujahideen from Jami'at in Gulran district captured 11 soldiers, destroyed four enemy trucks and seized 30 light weapons when they attacked an enemy post in that district on March 12. Jawzjan province More than 300 militiamen joined the Mujahideen from Jami'at on March 2 bringing with them large quantities of arms and ammunition. The defecting soldiers belonged to an enemy battalion stationed in Aqcha Jalalabad A stalemate situation prevails at the fighting fronts around Jalalabad. When the.mujahideen launched their offensive to liberate Jalalabad they scored some significant victories in the initial stages of the offensive but could not keep up the momentum. The Mujahideen launched their attack on March 7. Fighting continues around the airport, 11th Division headquarters and the city itself. In the second week of the fighting, the Mujahideen cut the Jalalabad -Kabul road to stop supplies and reinforcements from reaching the besieged city. The Mujahideen make extensive use of ground -to -ground rockets against the enemy while the communists make full use of their air power against the Mujahideen. The Mujahideen belonging to different parties cooperate with each other but a single command does not exist. According to some experts this, and lack of experience in conventional fighting are the main reasons for the slow progress of the Mujahideen. The Soviet Union and the communist regime have accused Pakistan of direct involvement in attacks against Jalalabad. Pakistan has rejected the allegations. The initiative is still in the Mujahideen's hands. The communist forces are isolated further as each day passes by. It is difficult to predict when the war will end and what will be the result of it. Experts think that the regime forces can not go very long without enough supplies of food and ammunition. Although the casualties on the Mujahideen side are relatively heavy, the morale is still high.

7 Jamî'at Islami Afghanistan Vol 5, No 10 Celebrations in Shadow of war The Regime celebrated the 11th anniversary of the communist coup amid fear of Mujahideen attacks. The military parade which was planned for the occasion was held one day earlier than scheduled. The guests, mainly from East European countries were awakened before dawn to watch the parade. About 1000 people had gathered to see the parade. The Soviet Ambassador to Kabul, Yuri Vorontsov, arrived when the ceremony was halfway through. A regime official said that the change of schedule was due to security considerations. The parade took 40 minutes and the streets were deserted. The Regime had blocked the roads leading to the area where the parade was held. At least 65 rockets poured into Kabul killing 27 and injuring 60. One of the rocket hit the security perimeter of the presidential palace. May 15,1989 Tehran talks not final Negotiations between the Peshawar -based alliance and the Iranbased coalition ended with understanding that the talks will continue in Pakistan. Prof. Rabbani, Jami at leader, led a four -member delegation of the Alliance to Teheran to persuade Iran-based parties to participate in the interim government. Four rounds of talks were held during which the problem was discussed. A four -point memorandum was signed by the two sides asking for unity among the resistance forces, the continuation of armed struggle against the communist regime, need to form a permanent government based on elections and continuation of a dialogue between the two sides. A delegation of Iran -based parties will come to Pakistan to continue the NAM to discuss Afghan situation The foreign minister of Zimbabwe, Mr. Nathan Shamnyarira, visited Islamabad, Kabul and Moscow to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. He delivered the messages of Robert Mugabe, the current chairman of NAM to the leaders of Pakistan and Soviet Union and the head of the Kabul regime. He also held talks with the foreign ministers in these countries and discussed the latest situation of Afghanistan with them. He told reporters in Moscow that his country was in favor of a political solution to the Afghan problem. He said that Afghan issue will be discussed in the coming meeting of Coordination Bureau of the non -Aligned Movement in Harare. Afghanistan, a member of the non- Aligned Movement, was invaded by the Soviet Union. Successive meetings of the non -Aligned Movement demanded the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. The Movement's role remained limited to passing It could not play a key role in support of a nonaligned country invaded by a superpower because the leadership of the Movement during the nine years of occupation were in the hands of Cuba, India and Zimbabwe, all of which have close ties with Moscow. When Zimbabwe assumed the position of chairmanship of NAM, Afghans hoped for a better change but it did not happen. Robert Mugabe did not take a clear dialogue. The two sides also rejected the rumors accusing Iran -based parties of holding talks with the communist regime in Kabul. The Mujahideen delegation also met with Iranian president and foreign minister to discuss the situation with them. Prof. Rabbani also spent much time meeting with Afghan refugees and representatives of Mujahideen. Prof. Rabbani said on his return from Iran that discussion with Iran - based parties took place in a cordial atmosphere. Other members of the delegation were Qazi Najiullah (Hizb Islami Hikmatyar), Mawlawi Fazli (Harakat) and Dr. Zabihullah (Jabha). The spokesman of the eight party coalition, Jan Ali zahidi, said in an interview with BBC that the two sides had agreed to coordinate their military activities against the communist regime. stand in support of a country which was invaded by the Soviet Union. In addition, he established cordial relations with the Soviet -backed regime in Kabul while the Soviets were still present in Afghanistan. The visit by Zimbabwean foreign minister may not be good news for the Mujahideen and it will not help Afghans in their struggle for self - determination. The Harare meeting may call for a political solution in which the regime is a party. Such a solution has been rejected by the Afghan resistance. Communist leader killed Regime radio reported that the Mujahideen have killed a Central Committee member of the Communist Party. He was identified as Khalil Khusro and was buried in Kabul. He was given a posthumous bravery record.

8 AFGHANews Vol 5, No 10, May 15, 1989, page 49 itst ws From the battlefields Kabul Province The Kabul -Jalalabad road is still closed and the Mujahideen from Jami'at have frustrated repeated attempts by the enemy to open it. The Mujahideen belonging to commander Anwer Khan brought a section of the road in Tangi Abrishumi under their control on April 18. The enemy air force, artillery and repeated attacks of ground forces have not been able to push them out of their positions along the road. The enemy has lost a large number of tanks and trucks. A considerable number of the enemy soldiers have been killed, wounded or captured. Despite heavy bombing by the air force the causalities of the Mujahideen are very low. Bombing takes place day and night and in some cases the enemy planes have bombed the Mujahideen's position 20 times in 24 hours. The enemy supply convoys have concentrated in Sorobi town, halfway between Kabul and Jalalabad. This town also has been a target of the Mujahideén attacks. E4ploiting the favorable terrain, the Mujahideen mine the road, ambush convoys and fire with heavy weapon to block the road. The Mujahideen have made use of TOW wire- guided missiles effectively against enemy armored columns. A special point about the war is the introduction of militia units from Herat So far one hundred of these militiamen have been captured by the Mujahideen. This enemy tactic to use local militiamen in fighting outside their own areas is aimed at creating mistrust between people of different regions. Following are the day to day accounts of fighting along the Kabul - Jalalabad road from April 26 to May 10: On April 26, the enemy's attempt to open. the road was foiled when the Mujahideen destroyed 15 tanks and two trucks. The Mujahideen captured 25 rifles. The enemy casualties were not known and the Mujahideen suffered no casualties. On the same day, a convoy of 20 trucks which was on its way from Jalalabad to Sorobi was ambushed. Eleven trucks were destroyed and the rest managed to retreat to Jalalabad. Six soldiers were captured and an unknown number of soldiers were either killed or wounded On April 29, the enemy carried out 20 air raids in 24 hours. The Mujahideen suffered no The enemy's attempts to open the road on April 30 and first were foiled. In two days of fighting the enemy lost 17 tanks and 18 trucks laden with ammunition. The Mujahideen seized 41 guns and captured 36 soldiers. 190 soldiers were either killed or wounded. on May 2, the Mujahideen destroyed 18 trucks carrying ammunition and food to the soldiers in the besieged city of Jalalabad. Sixteen soldiers were captured and 30 killed or wounded. On May 3, eight trucks were destroyed by landmines and nine soldiers were captured. The enemy positions in Sorobi district came under the Mujahideen attack. It is believed that the enemy suffered casualties but no details are available. On May 5, the Mujahideen destroyed two tanks and frustrated an enemy attempt to open the road. The enemy air force bombed the Mujahideen positions. On May 6, the enemy launched a major attack to open the road. The Mujahideen destroyed 20 tanks and 20 trucks and oil tankers, killed or wounded 30 soldiers and captured 15 solders with their guns. Sorobi distric was pounded by Mujahideen artillery as result of which38 enemy soldiers were killed or wounded. On May 7, the enemy air force bombed the Mujahideen positions which continued all day. A recoiless rifle and a BM -12 rocket launcher of the Mujahideen were destroyed. The Mujahideen fired rockets on the enemy positions in Sorobi which set an ammunition dump on fire. On May 8, an enemy attack was repulsed. Eight tanks were destroyed with TOW wire -guided missiles and 14 trucks were captured. The enemy air force carried out several air raids which caused no casualties. On May 9, the Mujahideen fired heavy weapon into the enemy positions and the communists retaliated by aerial bombing. On May10, the enemy lost five tanks and two trucks when it launched an attack to open the road. Twelve enemy soldiers were killed and six captured. The Mujahideen seized 10 guns. The enemy BM -13 rocket launcher in Sorobi was destroyed by the Mujahideen. *Three enemy soldiers were killed and six captured when the Mujahideen from Jami'at attacked their post in Khawja Musafir area on Kabul - Paghman road on March 30. The Mujahideen seized 20 Kalashinkov rifles, one mortar, two grenov machine guns and some amount of ammunition. In the operation which was launched by the Mujahideen belonging to commander Mullah Ezat one Mujahid was injured and a number of houses were destroyed by regime shelling of the area. *On April 7, the enemy positions in Bagh-e-Daud on Paghman -Kabul road was attacked with ground -toground rockets. Three enemy tanks and one truck were set on fire, two buildings were destroyed and an unknown number of soldiers belonging a Special Guard unit were killed. In a retaliatory attack by the enemy, one Mujahid from Paghman and three civilians from Khawja Musafir were killed and several houses were destroyed. On April 26, the Mujahideen from Jami'at clashed with the enemy forces in Kariz Mir, about 10 kilometers north of the city of Kabul as a result of which 17 enemy soldiers,and officers were killed and five were captured. Two Mujahideen were killed and five wounded. They seized five Kalashnikov rifles.

9 AFGHANews Vol 5, No 10, May 15, 1989, page CO Regime may use chemical weapons against Mujahideen The Soviet Union will face. American sanctions if the communist regime in Kabul uses chemical weapons against the Mujahideen. U.S congressional leaders introduced to the house a legislation which would require the secretary of state to certify that chemical weapons are not used in Afghanistan approving pending business with the Soviet Union. If chemical weapons are used against the Mujahideen legislation will prohibit US government to issue export licenses to companies involved in business with the Soviet Union. Soviet Union has provided chemical weapons to the regime in Kabul and has control over the conditions of its use. Recent reports talk of issuing gas masks among the soldiers in Jalalabad front, a possible sign of preparation for use of chemical weapons against the Mujahideen. Strong protests against use of chemical weapons by the Soviet Union limited it use during the years of occupation. The US Congress measure can decrease the danger but cannot eliminate it. A desperate enemy may consider public opinion less important then its immediate military need. In the face of imminent evidences of preparation of the regime to use chemical weapons, the Mujahideen must prepare for the eventual situation. The Mujahideen protective gear and knowledge about the way to protect themselves and the civilian population against chemical weapons. A spokesman of the Kabul regime has said that the regime has not used chemical weapons against the Mujahideen and will not use them in the future. Informed sources say that Soviet Union has handed over to the regime stockpiles of chemical weapon after they left Afghanistan. Regime fires Scud into refugee camp in Pakistan A Scud missile fired by the Kabul regime killed two and injured 14 Afghan refugees on May 5 near the city of Bannu. The incident took place two days after Najib, the head of Kabul regime, warned Pakistan of the expansion of war to Pakistan if that country continued to support the Mujahideen. On April 7, regime had fired the first Scud missile into the border town of Torkham. The recent firing took place against Gambili refugee camp about 30 miles South of Bannu and 70 mile from Pak -Afghan border. Kabul regime in statement read out on regime -controlled radio denied firing the missile but said that it reserved the right to hit what he called "the centers used by the counter -revolutionaries" a reference to the refugee camps in Pakistan. The late incident took place after the UN Security Council ended its debate about charges made by the regime against Pakistan of violating the Geneva accords. Scud missiles have a range of more than 300 kilometers and has a war head of 1000 kilograms. A large number of these missiles have been airlifted from the Soviet Union to Kabul to boost the capabilities of the regime in the war against the Mujahideen. Regime have used this missile against the Mujahideen in Panjshir, Ningarhar and other places. Though it is not a very effective weapon against the Mujahideen positions, it can be very dangerous against the towns. Most of the victims of Scud missiles are civilians. It is believed that Soviets are still assisting the regime in firing the Scud missiles. There are an unknown number of Soviet military advisors in Afghanistan which help the regime even after completion of troops withdrawal. BM -27 rocket launcher also have been deliverd to the regime recently which a range of 40 kilometers. Nazar-i-Sharif` Commander meets with Masood ami'at chief commander in Balkh province has had a meeting with the head of the Supervisory Council of the North, Ahmad Shah Masood to evolve a joint strategy against the Soviet - backed regime. This was the first meeting between them since the death of Zabiullah, the famous Mujahideen commander in Mazar who had very close relations with Masood. Alam Khan the Chief Commander of Jami'at in the province went to one of the bases of the Supervisory Council to discuss future courses of action against the enemy with Masood. A spokesman of Balkh Mujahideen called the meeting an extremely good development. Commander Masood co- operated closely with the late Zabiullah and the Mujahideen from Jami'at in Mazar consider Masood as their elder brother who wants to help them. The Meeting will expand the role of the Supervisory Council of the North in Balkh and its neighboring provinces. Balkh and the neighboring provinces of Samangan, Jozjan and Faryab are of strategic importance to the two sides in the conflict because they are close to the Soviet border. The Kabul -Hairatan road passes through the area and gas fields are located there. If the above provinces in which Jami'at has a dominating presence are organized, the Supervisory Council of the North will be connected to Herat, the Jami'at stronghold in the west of the country. The untimely death of Zabiullah had created a gap which is about to be filled through close cooperation of Balkh Mujahideen with the Supervisory Council of the North. Persian publication after 50 years A publication in Arabic script has appeard in the Soviet Union for the first time for more than 50 years, Tass reported on Friday. A children's magazine in the Tajik language using Arabic scrip, has been put on sale at Dushanbe, the agency said. Arabic script was abolished in the Soviet Union in 1935 by Joseph Stalin.

10 Vol 5, No 12 June 15, 1989 Solidarity wins election Solidarity's victory in the elections in Poland is a source of happiness to the Afghan resistance. After a long period of suppression the Solidarity Movement was able to participate in a partially free election and gain victory. The communist party which had reserved most of the seats of the lower house for its candidates admitted the solidarity victory in these seats which it was allowed to contest. It is natural for Afghans to feel close to a movement which sympathized with the Mujahideen in their struggle for liberation. Them are good reasons for closeness between the Afghan Resistance and the Solidarity Movement. The Soviet Union is their common enemy, both are anti communist movements and are motivated by religious ideals in their struggle. Members of the Solidarity move - meet have looked with admiration at the courage and patience of the Afghans in their long and difficult struggle. a When the Soviets decided to withdraw their forces from Afghanistan, people affiliated to Solidarity celebrated the victory of Afghans by sending congratulatory messages to the Mujahideen leaders. Jami'at received several letters from solidarity workers addressed to Prof. Rabbani and Commander Masood. Masood is a known figure in Poland because the account of his struggle has been published in Polish and distributed among Poles by his admirers. The Afghans victory is not completed yet and neither is the Solidarity Movement. The initial victories of the two have happened in the same year, a happy coincidence. Imam Khomeini passes away Imam Khomeini, the spiritual leader of Iran died at the age of 86 on June 3. Ayatullah Rohullah Khomeini led the Islamic Revolution against the Shah of Iran in 1979 and founded the Islamic Republic of Iran. He had inspired millions of Iranians, including youth and women for ten years since the fall of Shah. Millions of Iranians gathered to mourn his death. A Mujahideen delegation headed by Prof. Mujaddidi participated in the funeral of the late Imam. Prof. Rabbani, Jami'at leader was included in the Mujahideen delegation. The 80- member council of experts elected Sayed Ali Khamenei, the president of Iran, the new spiritual leader of Iran. In a message to the newly -elected spiritual leader of the Islamic Republic, Professor Rabbani called the demise of the Imam a great loss for all Muslims. He called the Imam a great man who had opened a new chapter in the history of Muslims and the world. Imam Khamenei was a supporter of the Afghan Mujahideen and on different occasions praised the courage of the Afghan people in their struggle against the Soviet aggressors. The New spiritual leader of Iran has been close to the Afghan issue and he is probably better informed about the situation than his predecessori After the death of the Imam, the transfer of -power took place in a peaceful manner. A massive turn out at the funeral ceremony of Imam Khomeini, estimated at about 10 million people, showing the degree of the popularity that Imam enjoyed among the Iranians surprised the world. The Afghan Resistance was happy to see a peaceful transfer of power in Iran It is natural for Afghans to want to see Iran, an Islamic and neighboring country where more than two million Afghan refugees live, in peace. Benazir discusses Afghan issue with US leaders The Prime Minister of Pakistan paid a 6 -day official visit to the US where she discussed different- issues, including the Afghanistan problem, with the US leaders. During her tour which started on June 5, Benazir Bhutto talked to President George Bush, Foreign Secretary James Baker and other American leaders and addressed the joint session of the US Congress. She also met with the UN Secretary General and discussed with him the situation in Afghanistan. The Afghan issue was on the top of the agenda of the Prime Minister of Pakistan in her discussion with the US leaders. The two sides pledged to work for peace in Afghanistan. They emphasized on the right of Afghans to determine their future. The Pakistan Prime Minister told the joint session of Congress: "we must not abandon their (Afghans) cause; the conflict is not over." A Pakistani spokesman who briefed journalists on the talks between Benazir Bhutto and American officials said that the two sides were in full agreement that Najib's regime must go, but do not want to impose any body else on the Afghan people.

11 /: 41\ {fjfy L i AFGHANews Vol 5, No 14, July 15, 1989, page News stskt From the battlefields Balkh province Mujahideen from Jami'at shot down an enemy jet with a missile on July 6. The plane crashed near Chashma- i- Shafa. The Mujahideen set fire to the ammunition dump at Shadian garrison on July 2. No detail of the casualty is reported. Military activities in Balkh has increased recently. Jami'at commanders, Alam Khan and Khalil Khan have been busy fighting the enemy and reorganizing their forces. The Mujahideen in the areas suffer from shortages of ammunition and heavy weapons due to long transportation lines and seasonal road blocks. Ningarhar province The enemy forces recaptured some of the positions that they had lost earlier, when they launched an attack against the Mujahideen on July 8. The enemy 'forces pushed the Mujahideen 12 kilometers to the east of Jalalabad, but their advance was checked when. the Mujahideen regrouped and launched a counter attack against them. Fighting is now concentrated around Samar Khail, a garrison captured three months ago by the Mujahideen. The enemy air force daily bomb the Mujahideen positions and the regime uses Scud missiles against them. The Kabul -Jalalabad road has been cut by the Mujahideen in Sorobi area for two weeks. The regime had claimed a major victory in Jalalabad front and even said that its forces had captured Torkham border post about 65 kilometers from Jalalabad. A group of foreign journalists were taken to Jalalabad by the regime. They reported that the airport was damaged and was not useable by planes. Only helicopters could land there. One of the reasons tge regime could not advance east of Jalalabad was attack by the Mujahideen in other fronts around Jalalabad. The regime had chosen the time of the attack close to Eid when most of the Mujahideen return to the refugees camps to visit their families. As a result of fresh fighting and increased bombing and missile attacks more refugees have entered Pakistan from around Jalalabad. Kandahar province An enemy jet was shot down by the Mujahideen on July 3. The plane crashed in Kandahar airport. Hindu refugee runs herbal clinic Gophal Singh, a 68- year -old Afghan Hindu who has come to Pakistan as a refugee, says he preferred being in the service of the Mujahideen and refugees of his country to going to India. Gophal Singh, who lives with thousands of other Afghan refugees in Bati Camp of Pabbi, added that he had a herbal clinic in Kagga and whenever needed, he rode his horse with the Mujahideen to reach an ill Mujahid in remote areas of Khogyani district. lie said he treated wounded Mujahideen for free. The Afghan Hindu, who inherited the traditional means of remedy by herbs from his father, still continued treating patients in the refugee camp. "We are the only Hindu family who happily lives in a camp alongside Muslim refugees. Hindus and other minorities in Afghanistan were treated fairly by the community," he said. Hindus and Sikhs resented the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and some of them supported the resistance financially. There were several thousands Hindus and Sikhs living in the major cities of Afghanistan. They enjoyed full freedom of worship. Fighting stops natural gas export to USSR Regime officials have said that natural gas exports to the Soviet Union have been suspended since Soviet troop withdrawal on February 15, AFP reported. Regime officials have said that the decision to stop exporting natural gas to the Soviet Union has been taken on security grounds. Natural gas is produced in Jawzjan province. 97 percent of the gas was exported to Soviet Union through a 50 kilometer pipeline. There is one fertilizer factory and one power generating plant in Mazar which use natural gas. Regime officials have said that production of natural gas for domestic use continues. In late 1970 Afghanistan was sending 2..1 billion cubic meters of its natural gas to the Soviet Union which earned Afghanistan 30 million dollars. No reliable statistics are available for the years of occupation. It is believed that Soviets paid much lower than the market price for Afghan natural gas. Ex- officers of the Afghan natural gas authority say that the measuring devices for exported natural gas are situated on Soviet territory and Afghans have no control over them. It is reported that a decline has been recorded in production of natural gas. Observers believe it could be due to rapid drawing of the gas from the wells. Imam prays for Mujahideen Muslims performing the annual haj to Mecca, the holiest place in Islam, were urged on Friday to back the Palestinians drive for self determination and the cause of anti- communist Afghan Mujahideen. Sheikh Abdel Rahman Daiss, Imam of Mecca's Great Mosque, was speaking to nearly one million pilgrims from far flung countries such as the Soviet Union, China and South Africa.

12 P 0 --$ox 264, Pes AFGHANews Vol 5, No 15, August 1, 1989, page 0 z n iv war- C Sf ': Q,J{ ::;! I :... :>::;::>:;::;:.:::::>:>.:;::::>;:::::.:;»:>;:;:«<:;::>::::>:::::>::>:.::.::>:;: ::.:; >;: >:.:.: > Editorial. J a m i'a t V C ti m of organized terror Hekmatyar's Hezb Islami committed an unprecedented crime by killing 30 Jami'at Mujahideen and commanders in Takhar Province on July 9. The incident took place in a very sensitive phase of Afghanistan's struggle for liberation. Commander Ahamad Shah Masood convened a meeting of Jami'at commanders from Takhar, Kunduz, Badakhshan and Baghlan in Ferkhar district on July 4. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss strategy for launching summer attacks against the communist regime of Najibullah. The meeting ended on July 9. The commanders were returning to their own areas when some of them were ambushed in Tangi Ferkhar, a gorge between Ferkhar district and Talegan city. Mujahideen from Hezb Islami Hekmatyar under the of Sayyed Jamal carried out the attack. Commander Abdul Wadood and four Mujahideen were killed in the ambush and 25 others were taken prisoner. They were executed by Hezb the nextday. The mutilated bodies of some of those killed were returned but bodies of the rest are still missing. The incident shocked every one because nobody expected such an unprovoked action in a very important phase of the struggle. Some weeks before the Ferkhar meeting ail the Mujahideen groups in Takhar, including Hezb Islami had signed an agreement to keep the road open and cooperate with each other in providing security for the city of Talegan. Jami'at commanders passed the area under Hezb's control on their way to the meeting. There was no reason why they should not pass the area when they returned. The loss of so many commanders and Mujahideen is painful. The timing makes it even more tragic. This was the time to pay attention to military opera tions against the regime. The purpose of Jami'at commanders attending the Ferkhar meeting was to end the stalemate situation in the battlefield. After the failure of the Jalalabad operation eyes had turned towards Masood. He was prepar ing for a coordinated action against the communist regime. He spent a great deal of time organizing his army and talking to commanders in the region to evolve a strategy. Masood had just returned from Panjshir where he held meetings with commanders of the north of Kabul. After the Ferkhar meeting of Jami'at commanders he wanted to invite the commanders belonging to other parties for a similar conference so that all of them should participate in action against the enemy. The incident is not part of local friction between the Mujahideen. Without encouragement by Hezb leadership in Peshawar this incident could not have happened. Jami'at is a dominating force in the area. For Sayyed Jamal it must have been a difficult decision to do it on his own. He must have been assured of party support by Hezb leadership in Peshawar to deal with the consequences of the crime in the form of reprisal actions by the Council. The action cannot be described as an irresponsible act a frustrated commander who has been fighting for his survival against a dominating rival force. The situation was normal and Sayyed Jamal knew that the Council did not involve itself in local problems. There are clues that Hezb was preparing the ground for committing the tragedy before it happened. For two months an extensive propaganda campaign had been launched against Com. Masood and the Council to give the impression that Jami'at Mujahideen in the north were creating problem for Hezb and that Masood and the Council were a source of tension in the area. Hezb involved some Arab volunteers who did not like Masood because of his independent policies in this propaganda war. A delegation of Jamaat Islami of Pakistan who had gone to the area also returned from Afghanistan with similar stories which were spread,.?. e to sr ely. In the past, Jami'at played down problems between the Mujahideen parties. Small incidents were not made public The Ferkhar massacre changed Jami'at's view. The incident was a serious development with far reaching consequences for Jehad. Afghans and those who are interested should know about the facts. More than that the tragedy took place in such a scale and manner that no room was left to hide it. Two foreign journalists were close to the scene of the crime and a representative of the International Red Cross witnessed the delivery of mutilated bodies of Jami'at commanders killed by Hezb. Very soon they will come with an independent report about tie incident. Jami'at will try to cool down the situation and not to let the enemies of Afghanistan exploit the situation. But, it will find it tremendously difficult to check the people's emotions without bringing the criminals to justice. Those killed were not ordinary people. They were important commanders of the parties with thousands of follow - ers. Some of them were affiliated with the Islamic Movement from the start. A possible solution to defuse the situation is to hand over the criminals to a body of Ulama so that they can be tried under Islamic law. Khalis commander killed by mine Commander Matiullah of Hezb Islami (Khalis group) was killed along kith three of his Mujahideen when their jeep hit a land mine near Khost, Paktia province on July 21. T'he important Mujahideen commander was coming from Nadirshah Kot when the incident occurred. He was buried in Khost. Matiullah was born 42 years ago in Sapira district of Paktia. After graduating fromteacher Training School in Gerdiz he became a teacher for two months. He was an old member of the Islamic Movement and became a refugee in Pakistan in In his party he had served in many important posts. He served as the commander of Zadran front for some time. He became the provincial Amir of Paktia and the executive member of his party. He also served as the head of the military committee of his organization. In the cabinet of Eng. Ahmad Shah he was appointed minister of agriculture and held the post of Deputy Interior Minister of the Interim Government of the Mujahideen.

13 AFGHANews Vol 5, No 15, August 1, 1989, page Sad Eid in Ferkhar From page (6) 2:00 that afternoon (July 10), without food or water nor any medical relief for those injured. Eight men among them were then selected; Engineer Yaqoub, Sadot, two Khandabad Mujahideen, Ghulam Ali and Abdul Ahmad, a driver from Panjshir, Sarmalem Tariq and his brother. The eight men were brought back down to the river under the supervision of Hezb commander Sayyed Fakhruddin. They were led across the bridge to the roadside where the commanders ordered that Sarmalem Tariq, a major Ishkamesh commander, and his brother be shot while the others watched. Engineer Yaqoub said that Hezb commander Sayyed Fakhruddin wanted to shoot them but the Hezbi commander of another Markaz, Babur Shah, objected and positioned his men to pre, vent further shooting. Dr. Shams along with the two Khanabad commanders Ghulam Ali and Abdul Ahmad were then released while Yaqoub and Sadot were hold under the custody of Babur Shah. Yaqoub was held for three days during which time he heard on radio communication established with Eshan Mirza that many of the captured Tàkhar and Baghlan commanders had been shot. Engineer Yaqoub escapted on July 13 during evening Namaz and made it back to Farkhar where he conducted this interview. The dead bodies of executed Jami'at members, some badly mutilated, have been intermittently left by the roadside at the gorge where they have been picked up and taken to Taliqan Jami'at headquarters for identification and news then relayed to Ahmad Shah Masood. The burned body of Dr. Hussain was found as it floated down the river past Taligan. Some of the major Jami'at commanders confirmed dead: Mulla Wadood -head of Takhar province, Dr. Hussain -vice president of head of administration of Takhar, Sarmalem Tariq -head of Ishkamesh, Mawlavi Ezatullah- commander of Seyab, Payenda -commander of Ishkamesh city, Ahmad Padshah -commander of Bangi district, Jan Mohammad -head of administration of Bangi, Naqibullah- education committee delegate, Ustad Shahid- Taliqan intelligence committee. The ambush and executions present a multitude of problems for Ahmad Shah Masood. First of all, the road from Ferkhar to Taliqan has been effectively closed, making communications and transport between the two major urban areas of the northeast, Faizabad and Kunduz, extremely difficult. On the operational level he has lost several of his most gifted commanders in Takhar province who led a combined force of over 3,000 men, and who had accumulated 10 years of war experience as commanders. In addition, Masood who has always advocated the importance and necessity of Mujahideen unity, has now to divert his attention previously focused on the defeat of the Kabul regime and to deal with this unprecedented internal provocation. Note: Craig Weintraub is a freelance writer mainly interested in writing a novel with a factual setting in Afghanistan during the present time period. He has been in the general region for the past eight months, including much time in Pakistan. He is currently in the 2nd month of what he hopes is a four month summer stay in the North. UN volunteers go to liberated zones The first United Nations volunteer, a Burmese, to supervise the UN assistance programme in Afghanistan has arrived in Pakistan, VOA reported. He will supervise transportation and later distribution of food in Afghanistan. Another nine volunteers will make a brief stay in Pakistan before entering Afghanistan. In the first instance, these volunteers will be deployed in Quetta and Peshawar. About one hundred volunteers will work in Afghanistan. Beside Burma, the volunteers to be sent to Afghanistan come from Uganda, Somalia and Thailand. Six officers of the United Nations coming from Britain, Lebanon, Sudan, Liberia, Somalia and Burma, will soon join the volunteers. Twelve volunteers are being selected by the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide medical facilities in Afghanistan. These volunteers go to areas controlled by the Mujahideen. The UN has similar activities in Kabul. The weekly Moscow News carried war stories by Valery Abramov, 30, under the headline, "The whole truth has to be told about this war." Recounting "incidents that are shameful to recall," Abramov described how two Afghan prisoners suspected of being guerillas were brought into his camp. "We already had people killed and missing. Lost friends...and we unleashed all our accumulated pain on those two. We beat them all night, with short breaks. I, too tried to beat them as painfully as I could. It seemed as if they were to blame for the deaths of our soldiers. And in the morning, it turned out they were peaceful inhabitants who had never participated in any battles." Jami'at gives sewing machines to needy women Jami'at's leader distributed sewing machines to 52 refugee women who had completed a tailoring class organized by Jami'at Islami on June 22. In the meeting organized on this occasion professor Rabbani and one of the women's belonging to the Women's Branch of Jami'at spoke about the role of women in an Islamic society. Prof. Rabbani praised the efforts of the Jami'at Woman's Branch in organizing the tailoring class which was aimed at helping needy families. Ismail Khan condemns massacre Commander Islamail Khan of Herat has condemned killing of 30 Jami'at commanders and Mujahideen by Hezb (Hikmatyar) and has called a barbaric act. He has asked for the trial of those involved w Road accidents killed 47,000 Russians last year 23 May, Major General Valeriyan Ishutin of the MVD revealed that 47,000 died and 300,000 were injured in road accidents in the Soviet Union last year. New traffic regulations provides for tougher punishments for a number of offences.

14 AFGHANews Vol 5, No 15, August 1, 1989, page Mujahideen rockets hit prime minister's office Regime- controlled radio and television covered a recent meeting between some elders of Shemali ( north of Kabul) and the head of the communist regime. Both side were asking for opening of the road but for 1i.ìerent types of convoys. The elders of Shemali asked Najib to lift the blockade of their areas and alow private transportations to run between Kabul and Shemali which is controlled by the Mjahideen. Najib asked the Mujahideen through the elders to leave the road open for all sorts of convoys, military and civilian. They could not agree. It is reported that after the failure of the meeting, the regime started to bomb Shemali from air and ground causing extensive losses in life and property. When the section of Salang Road between Kabul and Bagram air base became risky for the regime convoys, it built a new dirt road connecting Bagram air base to Khawja Rawash airport. After constructing the new road the regime blocked the old road at Khair Khana pass. The people living north of Kabul depend on trade with the city. They are facing problems as a result of the road block. The people of the area are farmers who grow grapes which were sold in Kabul and in the neighboring countries of India and Pakistan. Due to road blocks they will not be able to sell fruit abroad and even selling fruit in Kabul is doubtful because Najib has connected the opening of road with an overall peace agreement between him and the Mujahideen in the area. His proposals have been rejected by the Mujahideen. Rocket attacks on Kabul have increased recently. On July 22, six rockets hit the heart of the city where the regime's administrative buildings are located. One of the rockets landed close to the prime minister's office. According to regime sources, 40 people were killed in the attack. On July 16, a powerful bomb exploded near the ministry of finance, a few hundred yards from the presidential palace. Twenty people were reportedly killed. The regime blamed the Mujahideen for the explosion. Unprecedented security measures were taken in Kabul on July 20. Tanks and armored cars guarded the strategic points in the city and house searches were carried out all over the city. The regime said the reason for the search was to locate arms and ammunition smuggled by the Mujahideen but did not announce the discovery of any arms and ammunition. Reports from Kabul say that tension between Khalqis and Perchamis have increased. The two factions which make up the PDPA are competing with each other for power. Recently Najib reconciled with supporters of Babrak and reinstated Beryalay, Babrak's brother, and made him Deputy Prime Minister. Khalqis who have majority in the army resent consolidation of the Perchamis' position. Khalqis also seems worried about the Vorontsov's policy of supporting Najib. There were rumors that General Tani, regime Defense Minister, was under house arrest because of anti-najib activities. Regime frees American journalist American journalist, Tony O'Brien, was freed by the Kabul regime on July 20 after six weeks of detention. O'Brien had entered Afghanistan with the Mujahideen to cover the war but was arrested by the security forces of the regime. Yasser Arafat, the PLO chairman, asked the Kabul regime to release O'Brien. Arafat's request came after he showed intention to mediate between the Mujahideen and the communist regime in Kabul. To arrange for his freedom a consular officer from American embassy in New Delhi visited Kabul. The US closed its embassy in Kabul on security grounds before the completion of the Soviet troop withdrawal. Mr. O 'Brien was not tried and he was only charged with illegal entry into Afghanistan. In the past the regime tried captured journalists and relief workers who travelled with the Mujahideen on charges of espionage. Informed source believe that O'Brien 's release by Najib is an attempt to improve the regime's image in theus public eye. The regime hopes that this will help its propaganda drive to put pressure on Bush Administration to stop supplying arms to the Mujahideen USSe Iran Foreign Minister, Dr. Ali Akber Velayati, concluded a two -day visit to Islamabad during which he discussed the Afghan issue with Pakistani leaders. He also met with Mujahideen leaders. Iran and Pakistan who are neighbors of Afghanistan and host to five million refugees would like to see #n end to war so that the refugees can return home. One of the issues discussed between Irani and Pakistani leaders is broadening the base of the Afghan Interim Government. The eight -party coalition of Mujahideen based in Iran has remained out of the Interim Government. The differences between Peshawar-based Mujahideen and Tehran -based Mujahideen started when the two sides did not agree on the number of seats for the Iran -based parties in the Consultative Council which formed the Interim Government in February this year. Four ministerial posts have been offered to the Iran-based parties by the Interim Government. Sources close to the Shia parties say that they want at least one important ministerial post in the Interim Government as a condition for joining. The ministries of the Interior, defence, finance, foreign affairs artd reconstruction are considered important. These ministries are distributed among the seven Peshawar-based parties forming the Interim Government. Recently the eight -party coalition, Shoora -e- Ittifaq, an independent Shia party, and three small factions headed by Qazi Amin, Mawlawi Mansoor and Mawlawi Moazin have agreed to coordinate their activities. This was interpreted by some sources as an attempt to form a parallel government based in Tehran. When Professor Rabbani visited Tehran in mid -July the leaders of those parties denied forming a parallel government. Exploiting the differences between the Mujahideen based in Iran and Pakistan, the Soviets have tried to deal with the Shia parties separately. So far they have rejected the Soviet offers for regional autonomy and a coalition government with the communists but the Soviets have not lost hope. Improvement in the Iran- Soviet relationship could increase the level contacts between the Soviets and the Iran - based parties.

15 AFGHANews Vol 5, No 16 & 17, September 1, 1989, page Glimpses into the historic background of Part (9) The Islamic Movement in Afghanistan BY: Dr. Tawana Jabha -i -Milli Nijat -i- Afghanistan (National Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan) was formed to unite all Afghan groups and personalities against the communists. This was possible by informing the people about what had happened and was happening in their country, by encouraging them to rise against the regime with available resources and by seeking the political and financial support of the Islamic countries to support the people's uprising. In the previous part, I discussed some of the things which were considered in Jabha's Executive Council. In order to bring other Afghan groups into Jabha the Central Committee of Jabha formed a committee on February 27, 1979 to work for the achievement of this aim. Three parties, Hczb Islami, Harakat Mohammadi and Mahaz Milli (Sayed Ahmad Gailani) had not participated in Jabha. The committee had three members: Mohammad Musa Tawana, Naqibullah Sahibzada, and Kifayatullah. The first thing that the committee did, was to meet with Mufti Mahmoud, the president of Jami'atul Ulama -i- Pakistan. He was interested to see the Mujahideen united. The committee members met with Mufti Mahmoud twice, once in Ghazni Khail village Bannu district, N.W.F.P and the next time in the headquarters of his party in Lahore. In the second meeting Maulawi Nabi Mohammadi who had close ties with Mufti Mahmoud's party was also present..we discussed the issue of joining Harakat to Jabha but talks did not make progress because Mufti Mahmoud was suspicious of our close ties with Jamaat Islami of Pakistan (Maulana Maududi). Our attempts to tell him that we respected him and his party did not succeed. He seemed worried about the future of Harakat after joining Jabha and was afraid that the leadership of Harakat would fall in the hands of someone else other than Maulawi Nabi. We finished the meeting with a hope to meet again but did not meet him because he died (May Allah grant him peace) and we did not meet with any of his party leader to discuss the issue with them. One of the important decisions that was made by the Central Council of Jabha was a call for a general uprising against the regime. This decision was made on March 4, Anti- government groups had been formed but a general uprising had not taken place. We thought that a general uprising was the only way of toppling the communist regime. The committee appointed the date of the uprising 12,1979. At that time all Afghans were supposed to rise against the communists with what was available so that the people rid themselves of the communist regime. We did not have any weapons in Peshawar. We bought some old weapons and ammunition and distributed them among the Mujahideen along the borders with Pakistan. We did not have cash to buy the weapons and ammunitions we got them on credit. We hoped that the money would be paid later when donation collected by Afghan friends in Saudi Arabia was sent. We did not receive the donations because it was sent to a host party to be given to the Mujahideen. It give it to the parties who were not cooperating with Jabha in its military efforts. Jabha was deprived of these donations and this caused the relation between Jabha and that host party to become sour. Some ex -officers who had defected to the Mujahideen were appointed assistants to the local commanders to help them in the general uprising but the authority rested with the local commanders. The plan was carried in Ningarhar, Paktia, Perwan Kapisa and Kabul which were not far from the border. On March 11,1979, Jabha issued a let ter, in Pushtu and Persian, asking the Afghan nation to raise against the red colonialism and its Afghan surrogates. The letter had asked other parties to direct their followers to help us in the big task that we had started. But, they did not help and confined themselves to minor actions. In the last session of Jabha's Central Committee held on March 21, 1979, a Supervisory Committee which was headed by Dr. Zabihullah Mujaddidi was formed. The purpose of setting up the committee was to supervise management work and correct some of the misconducts which was taking place. Before convening the above meeting relations between Jami'at and Prof. Mujaddidi the head of Jabha had cooled. Jami'at, without any formal announcement was distancing itself from Jabha. Finally formal separation took place and Jabha became a separate party under the leadership of Prof. Mujaddidi. Note: The series of articles under the name of glimpses into the Islamic Movement in Afghanistan written my Dr. Tawana was a translation of a series of articles published in an Arabic magazine of Al- Mujahidoon publish- by Jami'at. Although the story of the movement is not finished the translation of the published articles are completed. Our readers should not expect the remaining parts in the near future. We hope to complete the rest of the story in the future. Editorial From page ( 4 ) in making these military operations successful. The Mujahideen in the battlefields must cooperate with each other. The Interim Government and the Mujahideen leaders should not waste their time discussing secondary issues. They must support the military efforts of the commanders inside the country. Once the Mujahideen have taken the military initiative in hand and have rebuilt the confidence of the people about their inevitable victory the way for a political solution to the problem can also open. With a proper military strategy, re- organization of forces, cooperation among different groups and necessary resources the Mujahideen can take steps in the way of ending the rule of the Soviet -imposed regime in Kabul. You will read An interview with Com. Ahmad Shah Masood will be published in the comming issue of Afghanews. He will throw light on the military and political situations in Afghanistan. The Inerview was made in Talogan, the provincial capital of Takahr, in the last week of August.

16 AFGHANews Vol 5, No 16 & 17, September 1, 1989, page Q Commander Muslim's Experience in Jehad From page (3) were close to him. Despite all the tiredness and hunger we gathered our strength and fired on the Soviets. They took cover and the man found the time to distance himself from them. The man was Sofi Abdul Faqir whose wife, sister, mother and children were killed by the Soviet soldiers and his 5 -year old son was injured in the leg. He was carrying his wounded son on his back. Later in the afternoon four Soviet helicopters appeared and started to circle over the place we had hidden. They dropped 16 bombs on us which exploded some meters away from us. One of our Mujahideen was wounded and I was deafened by a close explosion. We walked all night and reached Hesarak valley. Lieutenant Shir Ahmad, a Mujahid from Hesarak and a friend of mine gave us food and shelter. We washed our clothes and started to feel better. Tahir, a Mujahid from Dara who was captured by the Soviets and later managed to escape said that four Soviet soldiers committed suicide on the mountain top because they could not carry heavy loads at a high altitude and their commanders were rude to them. Soviets attacked Hesarak. We crossed the mountain and reached Bolaghain (in Shemali), from there went to Kohistan and stayed a few days with Commander Shaheen. I learned in Kohistan that my brother who was a pilot of Su -22 jet had -been killed some days before when his plane crashed due to technical problems. Divers helped us cross the Pafjshir river but one of our guns fell into the river and was lost. At the other bank of the river, our group which by then numbered 30 men was ambushed by the Mujahideen from Hezb Islami (Hikmatyar group). Two of our Mujahideen were injured. They took our arms and imprisoned us. Later when they realized that we did not have any bad intentions against them, released us and returned our guns but five guns were missing. I spent the Holy month of Ramazan in Gulbahar. My family who lived in Kabul came to see me. I went to Salang to meet Commander Pana. He encouraged me to go back to Parandeh because the situation there was very bad. I learned that Abdul Wahid (who had an aritificial leg) was captured by the Soviets, 20 Mujahideen from Parandeh had defected to the enemy and two elders of Parandeh were sent by the Soviets to Parandeh to persuade the rest of the Mujahideen to surrender. The two men were captured and tried by the Mujahideen. After returning to Parandeh we established our base in Malaspa gorge. We resumed mining the road. We improvised mines from D -30 artillery shells. These improvised mines proved very useful. In one incident in Jangalak, three Soviet officers and 30 soldiers were killed by one of these mines. Several enemy convoys were ambushed and destroyed. We food from the enemy and the morale of our group rose. Intelligence sources reported to Masood that the enemy had lost 400 tanks and trucks during six months in the Malaspa area. I estimated the number to be 500 tanks and trucks. There are the remains of 200 tanks and trucks of the enemy in Malaspa. I participated in the annual meeting of the Council of the North held in Khailab in winter of Masood appointed me a teacher of the newly -formed Central Forces. Later he appointed me the commander of one of its units. In 1986, I and Amanullah Hashimi, who was killed later, went to F to collect information about the enemy garrison there. A few days later, I was summoned to Khailab. The area had been heavily bombed for ten days. Three days after my arrival 300 jet and helicopters of the enemy attacked Khailab valley. In the operation seven helicopters and four jets of the enemy were shot down. Some of the helicopters were destroyed by RPG fire. A considerable number of Soviet troop and the commander of the Soviet forces were killed. The Soviet made use of 152mm artillery against the Mujahideen. Forty civilians and four Mujahideen were killed and seven Mujahideen were wounded. The Soviets retreated after mining the area. Their operation lasted one week. Fifty civilians and 100 animals were killed by the Soviet landmines. The Farkhar operation was launch.f participated in the attack under the command of Pana. The Mujahideen captured Farkhar garrison. This was an important victory which set the stage for further victories of the SCN in the war against the enemy garrisons. I also participated in fighting against the enemy garrison in Nahrin. I worked as the deputy of commander Pana. The Mujahideen captured part of the garrison on the first day of fighting. From 24 people in my group, 12 were killed and 12 injured. They were killed by shells fired from an enemy tank. The next day the Mujahideen captured the whole garrison. In fighting for the capture of Kalafgan in 1987, 1 was in charge of the communication network. A few weeks after the Kalafgan operation, I was send to Salang at the head of group of fighters. The following tasks were given to us: 1. Firing at oil -tankers, going from the Soviet border to Kabul. 2. Planting time -bombs in Soviet supply convoys. 3. Cutting the pipeline carrying fuel to Bagram air base. 4. Searching buses and trucks. 5. Mining the road 6. Hunting Soviet soldiers. I remained 40 days in Salang. Because of our operation 70 tanks and trucks of the enemy were set on fire. A Soviet post along the highway collaborated with us and in some cases provided cover fire for us. A group of young Mujahideen were used to plant time bombs in the enemy convoys. These young Mujahideen could go to the road without being suspected of having a connection with the Mujahideen. khal he Salang operation was launched to divert the enemy attention from the operation against Kuran -o- Munjah. This tactic proved useful and the Kuran garrison was captured in a surprise attack. In winter of 1987, I and five other Mujahideen were travelling on jeep in the Eshkamesh area when a group of Hezb (Hikmatyar group) ambushed us. We were taken prisoner. They took our guns, money and watches. We remained in their custody for one week. An Arab brother, Marzooq Aljazairi, went to the Hezb commander, Hakimi, and pleaded for our release. They released us but did not return our guns. The Arab friend paid 360,000 Afghani ($1500) and bought my gun and gave it to me. In February 1988, I went to Farkhar to help in the training of 500 officers of the Islamic army. I was re- Jensible for the training program which lasted for three months. * **

17 Vol 5, No 18 & 19 October 1, 1989 A huge supply convoy reached Kabul regime forces at Kandahar on September 15, after covering 700 kilometers in two weeks, Mujahideen sources reported. The convoy consisted of 1000 trucks and oil tankers escorted by 200 tanks and 100 armored cars. The regime's air force also provided cover for the convoy, which brought ammunition and fuel to the besieged city of Kandahar. The convoy entered Afghanistan from the Soviet Union ar- the Toorghundi,border post. It is believed that the personnel accompanying the convoy are newly trained soldiers and officers who were given this job after completing their training in the Soviet Union. The convoy was attacked along the road in Herat, Farah and Kandahar, and several vehicles were destroyed. It veered across the desert near Kandahar to- avoid ambushes set by the Mujahideen along the highway. This is the first convoy which has reached Kandahar since the Soviet troop Ndithdrawal. A Kabul regime spokesman claimed the convoy has brought enough fuel and ammunition for six months. Afghan Interim Government press releases predicted that the Kabul regime might try to recapture Speenboldak, a town on the Pakistan border southeast of Kandahar. Previous efforts by the regime's militiamen to capture the town have not been successful. Observers see such a huge convoy as a sign of Soviet commitment to supply the regime at any cost. Some people expected the Mujahideen to stop and destroy the convoy along the way. Flat terrain, however, as well as the presence of the 200 T-62 tanks and 100 armored cars and the convoy's protection by aircraft, enabled it to reach Kandahar. US official meets with Zahir Shah Talks between the ex -king and an American diplomat has given new hope to supporters of the deposed monarch that he might return to the political life of Afghanistan. A senior American diplomat, Jon Holmes, met with Mohammad Zahir in Rome to discuss Afghan issues with him. American officials have said that meetings with Zahir Shah do not indicate a change of policy towards the Afghan resistance. They say also that it was not their first meeting with the ex -king. The Americans said that they asked the exking to render his support to the interim government but that his answer has not been positive. Prof. Sayyaf, the Prime Minister of the Interim Government, has told reporters in Peshawar that the ex -king cannot play a role in the future politics of Afghanistan. Because of the stalemate on the battlefield and the failure of the Interim Government to broaden its base, the Americans have started to look for other options. Kabul and the Soviets have always shown interest in persuading Zahir Shah to support their "national reconciliation" efforts. Soviet envoy to Kabul met with king in Rome last year and Najib has claimed that his envoys have met the ex -king "several times. It is difficult to verify Najib's claim. The ex -king who has not been active in the resistance, is considered an opponent of the Soviet occupation and the communist regime. The issue of Zahir Shah will divide Afghans further and weaken the position of the Interim Govemment. Despite American statements that their policy towards Afghanistan has not changed the meeting with Zahir Shah and open criticism of the interim government by some American official could be a signs of some sorts of change. American have made no such a commitment to the Afghan resistance to prevent them from supporting other options. They have not recognized the Interim Government. As in the past those who favor the return of the king to Afghan political scene are not clear about his role. The ex -king seems interested in some kind of role but has not been active to pave the road for his return. It seems that he is waiting for the time when all Afghans and superpowers offer him a role. No doubt Afghans want peace but introduction of a new element in the political scene may not offer a quick solution. Lack of an effective organization to support the king and his personality which try to avoid difficult decisions may disappoint those who see a solution in his return. Lack of progress in the battlefield has made the Soviet and regime more hopeful about the future of the communist regime and less compromising. Previous assumption by some circles that Gorbachev will sacrifice his communists friend in Afghanistan for the sake of good relations with the US and West proved to be wrong. Soviet commitment in support of the regime has surprised the Atnencans. In the light of these developments there is no place for great hope that Zahir Shah option even if accepted by resistance (or imposed on it) be acceptable to the Soviets and the regime. Rocket hits UN plane A UN plane was damaged when Mujahideen fired rockets into the Kabul airport on September 14. UN Secretary- General Javier Perez de Cuellar voiced concern over the incident, but said that he did not believe that the UN plane was a target of the Mujahideen attack. Benon Sevan, the General Secretary's special representative, was on the plane but was not hurt.

18 J11 gs 411 stlt t,44,1 HAN Published fortnightly by Jami`at Island Afghanistan Vol 5, No 22 November 15, 1989 Mujahideen kill regime general The Mujahideen have killed a regime general and have wounded two others, Kabul regime radio reported. General Ali Akbar, the regime's corps commander in Kandahar who was killed by the Mujahideen, was buried with full military honors in Kabul. One of the wounded officers was General Halim, head of the police force in Kandahar. MIDIA, the official news agency of AIG, has reported that the head of the regime's military intelligence in Kandahar, General Shamsuddin, was wounded in a mine explosion. The mine was planted by the Mujahideen. Twelve people were killed when a regime plane crashed in the eastern city of Jalalabad. A spokesman of the Kabul regime attributed the crash to a technical problem and ruled out the possibility an attack by the Mujahideen. Peace prevails in Taloqan Mehrabuddin, an Afghan journalist whp returned from a recent trip to Takhar, said that he was impressed by the way Taloqan, the provincial capital of Takhar, was run by the Mujahideen. He said that a young man, Dr. Mushahid, who is a member of Jami'at political party, has been appointed the governer of the province. His deputy, Engineer Omar, belongs to Harakat Inqilab Islami (Mawlawi Mohammad Nabi). The head of the traffic department is Commander Abdul Baqi from Hezb Islami (Khalis), and the police chief is Pir Mohammad from Jami'at. The law and order situation in Taloqan was extremely good. An old man told Mehrabuddin that he was not worried about the safety of his family and property and often neglected to lock the door of his house when he went to sleep. UN General Assembly calls for talks between The UN General Assembly passed a as an essential Afghans element in a political consensus resolution on Afghanistan on November 1, calling for intra- Afghan dialogue. The Afghan Interim government rejected the idea of dialogue with the Kabul regime. The consensus resolution was the product of extensive consultation between Pakistan and the Soviet Union. 159 countries voted in favour of the resolution, which was tabled without a debate. The Vice President of the General Assembly, Ousman Ahmadu Sallah of Gambia, who tabled the resolution, called it a "balanced text taking into account the interest of all parties concerned." This resolution is similar to the previous UN resolution except for some new items concerning the withdrawal of Soviet troops, and calls for infra- Afghan dialogue as a means to achieve peace. The Geneva accord was signed on April 14, 1988, between Pakistan and the Kabul regime. This agreement facilitated the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, which was completed on February 15, The Geneva accords did not bring peace to Afghanistan because the Kabul regime remained in power and the Mujahideen refused to deal with it. An important element in the new resolution, from the Mujahideen point of view, is the UN call for preservation of the Islamic character of Afghanistan solution to the problem of that country. For the first time this term appeared in the joint communique by Iran and the USSR issued at the end of President Rafsanjani's trip to Moscow after Imam Khomeini's death. The Pakistan representative called the UN resolution of "great significance". The Kabul regime representative promised the regime's full co6peration in implementing the resolution. The Kabul regime finds most of the resolutions in conformity with its policies. These parts deal with implementation of the Geneva Accord, and dialogue between different Afghan groups. A spokesman for the AIG rejected the resolution on the grounds that it was calling for dialogue between different groups in the conflict between the Mujahideen and the regime. The Mujahideen have consistently rejected any deal with the communist regime of Najibullah. Meanwhile, a high -ranking delegation of the Mujahideen was in New York to plead their case. The delegation, headed by Farooq Azam, the Education Minister of the AIG, met with the UN Secretary General, Javier Perez de Cuellar, and discussed with him the Afghanistan issue. The Mujahideen delegation called on Vice President Dan Quayle and Secretary of State James Baker. Soviet citizens protest against KGB atrocities More than 1000 people, many mourning the persecution of relatives under dictator Josef Stalin, staged a candlelight vigil outside the KGB's notorious Lubyanka headquarters on October 30, Reuter reported. As several thousand Muscovites returning home from work looked on curiously, police manned barricades to prevent anyone entering the square, and baton - charged the few who managed to break through and unfurl banners. Police held back onlookers, as the crowd stood in silence for half an hour outside the state security headquarters to honor those killed and imprisoned for their political beliefs. "The Lubyanka is despised by all freedom -loving people, let it be turned into a museum for the victims of political terrorism in the Soviet Union," said a statement issued by Memorial, the group which organized the protest.

19 AFGHANews Vol 5, No 22, November 15, 1989, page News From the battlefields Herat province The Mujahideen of Jami'at killed 25 communist soldiers and captured five when they attacked government positions in Char Sarak, in the Islam Qala area, on November 4. The Mujahideen captured the following weapons: ZPU anti aircraft guns, 3 76mm guns, 2 82mm mortar, 1 PK machine guns, 2 Kalashnikov rifles, 18 One Mujahid was killed in the operation. Kandahar province The Mujahideen in Kandahar fired 60 ground -to- ground rockets at enemy positions in Firqa -i- Kandahar on November 4. The firing resulted in setting fire to some buildings and killing and wounding 17 soldiers and officers. Two trucks were also set on fire. Jami'at Mujahideen in Arghandab district fired 55 rockets into enemy positions in the Tabeen area on November 6, killing eight officers and 31 soldiers and wounding 45 others. Two ammunition dumps were'set on fire. The enemy retaliated with aerial bombing, wounding two people. On November 4, the Mujahideen fired 50 rockets into Kandahar divisional headquarters, killing 23 soldiers and officers and wounding 15. On November 7, Jami'at Mujahideen fired 60 rockets into Kandahar divisional headquarters, killing five and wounding 12 soldiers. Two trucks were also destroyed. Firing rockets into enemy positions has continued. Jami'at Islami Mujahideen in Kandahar are led by Mullah Naqibullah. Balkh province Jami'at Mujahideen killed one officer and captured 12 soldiers on the road leading to Hairatan town on the Soviet border on October 17. They seized 12 Kalashnikov rifles and one R -108 radio set. On October 26, Jami'at Mujahideen attacked an enemy post in Kokal Dagh area, on Mazar- Shiberghan road, killing 20 soldiers and capturing two trucks, eight Kalashnikov rifles and one radio set. The enemy lost one truck and one tank in the operation. The report is silent about the casualties of the Mujahideen. Parwan province In the first week of November, Jami'at Mujahideen destroyed two enemy security posts in Jabul Serej, at the mouth of the Salang valley, killing seven enemy soldiers and wounding three. The Mujahideen captured four enemy officers. Kabul province The communist forces suffered heavy casualties when Mujahideen from Jami'at, Harakat (Mohsiny) and Ittihad (Prof. Sayyaf) attacked the enemy garrison of Tapa -e -Pajak in Paghman on October 13. The Mujahideen, so far, have been able to capture three- fourths of the garrison. Fighting against the rest of the garrison continues. The Mujahideen have captured an ammunition dump and have set several dumps on fire. In the first eight days of fighting, 85 enemy soldiers were killed and 130 wounded. The Mujahideen also have captured 30 soldiers. Three Mujahideen were killed. Seven were wounded, in addition to six civilians. A large number of houses have been destroyed by the enemy's heavy weapons fire. The Mujahideen captured 120 heavy and light weapons, six tanks and five trucks. Twenty -eight enemy vehicles were destroyed. The garrison is situated on a hill. Mullah Ezat, Jami'at commander, played a key role in the fighting. The spirit of cooperation between the three parties is the main reason for the success of the operation. Paghman is a former resort town in the west of Kabul. This area has been the sight of heroic resistance by the Mujahideen during the years of occupation. Harakat (Mohsiny) is a Shia party based in Tehran. Its commander near Kabul is Anwarf. The Mujahideen caused a huge explosion in an enemy ammunition dump in Bagh -i -Daud in Paghman on November 29. The dump burned for several hours, causing losses in men and materials. No details'of the casualties-were available. Commander Mullah Ezat from Paghman reports that Mujahideen rockets have recently hit some important enemy targets in Kabul with precision. Police Academy and the Women's Democratic Organization building were the two targets hit recently. Salang Heavy fighting along the Salang highway blocked the road for several days, delaying UN supplies bound for Kabul. Fighting along the highway at several points began in the last week of October. The Mujahideen from Jami'at attacked and blocked the road in Tangi Tashqurghan. Road blocks in North and South Salang and around Charikar city also took place. In addition to heavy material losses, the enemy suffered heavy casualties. The Kabul regime made extensive use of long -range rockets and heavy aerial bombing to push the Mujahideen out of their positions. The regime combined war efforts with propaganda against commanders along the highway, such as Sufi Payinda of Hezb and Ahmand Shah Masood, calling them bandits who create food shortages for the civilian population. Turn to page ( 7)

20 Who is in the Mujahideen Commander Khan Mohammad Commander Khan Mohammad was born 30 years ago in the village of Char Qulba in the district of Arghandab, Kandahar province. His father, Haji Dad Mohammad an Alkozai Pushtoon, was a poor farmer. Commander Khan Mohammad now a deputy of Mullah Naqeeb, the famous Jami'at commander in Kandahar, studied Holy Quran and basics of Islam in the Mosque of his village. He joined Mujahideen in 1979 and worked as an unarmed Mujahid for one AFGHANews Vol 5, No 22, November 15, 1989, page year. In 1981, he became a group commander and in 1986 was chosen the deputy of Commander Mullah Nayeeb. He has participated in many operations against the Soviets, the biggest was the operation of 1980 in which about 350 Mujahideen and civilians were killed His first base was in suburbs of Kandahar and now he has Mujahideen in Dand, Khakraiz and Maroof districts as well. He is married and has three children. Commander Ubaidullah Commander Obaidullah, 31, was born in the Panjwaee district of Kandahar province. His father, Shahbaz Khan an Alkozai Pushtoon, was a farmer working on abother's land. Obaidullah completed school in the city of Kandahar and later joined the military college in Kabul. When he was student, the communists took power. He escaped from Kabul and joined the Mujahideen in He formed his group of 50 in He established his base in the Panjwaee district of Kandahar from where he still operates. His operational targets are the security belt around the district and the supply road reaching the city of Kandahar. Among the operations in which he has participated against the Soviets and the puppet regime, the 1979 operation was the largest; the enemy lost 200 men and the Mujahideen 50 fighters. He is married and has five children. Commander Mullah Faiz Commander Mullah Faiz, 50, was born in the village of Sangsar of Maiwand district, Kandahar province. His father Haji Akhund Zada Sahib, a Noorzoy Pushtoon, was a religious scholar teaching Islamic sub - jects in Maiwand district. Mullah Faiz studied the basics of Islam in the mosque in Sangsar where his father was in 1978, Mullah Faiz was the Imam ( Prayer leader) in a mosque. He started his Jehad against the Soviets and the puppet regime from 1978 by preaching and participating in fighting. He formed his own group in 1979 with about 20 people. He established his base in Maiwand district. Later he spread his influence to Panjwaee. He is respected as a commander, as a mullah and as a spiritual man. He is married and has seven children. Commander Abdul Wahab teaching. a When the communists took power Commander Abdul Wahab, 60, was born in Chinar village of Khakraiz district, Kandahar province. His father, Mawlawi Dad an Alkozai Pushtoon, was a poor farmer working throughout his life in his own village and other areas in the district on others land. Abdul Wahab studied in the Khakraiz grand mosque the basics of Islam for a very short time and then joined his father to earn something for the survival of the family. When the communists took power in 1978, Abdul Wahab was helping his father. In late 1987 he contacted commander Mullah Naqeeb who provided him three weapons. He established his base in Khakraiz and stayed. He is still based there. He started with ten people to operate against government security posts and built his strength gradually. In the fall of 1982, Commander Abdul Wahab participated in an operation in which the enemy lost 100 men and the Mujahideen lost 35 persons He is married and has nine children. / fj %'í'(// / ' ' ; ;:i::.j /./i.í//,%/ / By: Habibur Rahman On November 7, Moscow, for the first time in 60 years, was a witness to two separate celebrations of the communist revolution. The Red Square was the scene of the official celebration with the usual military parade, while seven kilometers away 10,000 Soviet citizens got together to celebrate unofficially. They called for an end to the communist party's monopoly on power. 72 years ago the communists, under the leadership of Lenin, took power in Moscow and founded the world's first communist regime. The two separate ceremonies indicate a division among the Soviets over how the country should be run. The monopoly of the communist party has in the past been responsible for oppressive rule in Moscow. Seven decades of dictatorship under the banner of Marxism - Leninism has cost the Soviets a great deal. Not only have the Soviets suffered under the communists'' rule, but millions of people outside the Soviet Union have been affected by their policies, directly or indirectly. The tragedy of Afghanistan is a good example: four Soviet leaders were involved, and still it continues. Seven decades of dictatorial rule by the communist party could not turn the Soviet Union into a model state, in which men and women enjoyed freedom of speech, freedom to worship God, and economic liberty. Ethnic issues in the Soviet Union and unrest among workers and intellectuals make clear the need for radical changes in Soviet political, economic and social systems. The steps which Mikhail Gorbachev has already taken have not satisfied people. More change is needed. The cracks in the Berlin Wall has shaken the Red Empire from its foundation. A writer has truly called the recent developments in the Soviet camp a step towards the end of communism era. We would like to see Soviet Union become a more humane power which allows freedom for its people at home, and respects the rights of other nations to live according to their beliefs.