English
Kabul: The Taliban taking over Afghanistan and subsequent events unfolding in the country ever since have been dominating headlines globally for the past few days. The return of the Taliban has sparked fears among citizens who are worried about their future as memories of the Taliban’s ultra-conservative Islamist rule 20 years ago still continue to haunt them. The Taliban’s previous draconian rule saw severe restrictions on women as well as public stonings and amputations before they were ousted by the U.S-led invasion following the Sept.11, 2001, terror attacks. Cut to present, the Taliban have promised to respect human rights but the ground reality appears to be different as reports of atrocities continue to surface.
Amid these tense developments, Ahmad Massoud, the son of late Ahmad Shah Massoud, has written an opinion piece for The Washington Post, asserting that he knows the time has come and he is ready to follow his father’s footsteps who in his time fought against the Taliban regime.
Writing from Panjshir Valley, Massoud has sought weapons and ammunition from the West to fight the Taliban who have occupied the country and are now in the process of finalising the structure of the government which, they said, will be based on Sharia laws.
In his piece, Massoud goes on to say, “I write from the Panjshir Valley today, ready to follow in my father’s footsteps, with mujahideen fighters who are prepared to once again take on the Taliban. We have stores of ammunition and arms that we have patiently collected since my father’s time, because we knew this day might come.”
Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, says soldiers from the Afghan regular army and the special forces are on their way to the hills to lend their support in staging resistance against the Taliban.
“We also have the weapons carried by the Afghans who, over the past 72 hours, have responded to my appeal to join the resistance in Panjshir. We have soldiers from the Afghan regular army who were disgusted by the surrender of their commanders and are now making their way to the hills of Panjshir with their equipment. Former members of the Afghan Special Forces have also joined our struggle.”
“But that is not enough. If Taliban warlords launch an assault, they will of course face staunch resistance from us. The flag of the National Resistance Front will fly over every position that they attempt to take, as the National United Front flag flew 20 years ago. Yet we know that our military forces and logistics will not be sufficient. They will be rapidly depleted unless our friends in the West can find a way to supply us without delay,” he further writes.
As he seeks international support in the fight against the Taliban, he gives voice to the sense of betrayal felt by Afghans after the US decided to withdraw its troop and leave the country to fend for itself. He quotes former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous words– “arsenal of democracy”– to put his point forth.
“The United States and its allies have left the battlefield, but America can still be a “great arsenal of democracy,” as Franklin D. Roosevelt said when coming to the aid of the beleaguered British before the U.S. entry into World War II.
“To that end, I entreat Afghanistan’s friends in the West to intercede for us in Washington and in New York, with Congress and with the Biden administration. Intercede for us in London, where I completed my studies, and in Paris, where my father’s memory was honored this spring by the naming of a pathway for him in the Champs-Élysées gardens.
“The Taliban is not a problem for the Afghan people alone. Under Taliban control, Afghanistan will, without doubt, become ground zero of radical Islamist terrorism; plots against democracies will be hatched here once again,” he further writes.
Ahmad Massoud is the son of late Afghan politician and military commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, who is known for his heroic fight against the Taliban.
The late leader was assassinated by suicide bombers on September 9, 2001, two days before the 9/11 terror attack.
