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Afghan presidential candidate Ahmad Wali Massoud. Photo: Rudaw
KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan presidential candidate Ahmad Wali Massoud, brother of Afghanistanʼs national hero Ahmad Shah Massoud, has called for a strong government in Kabul that bridges the countryʼs ethnic divisions and achieves political consensus ahead of Saturdayʼs election.
“We really have to disperse the power to all ethnicities in Afghanistan,” Massoud told Rudaw at his home in Kabul in early September as campaigning got underway.
Afghanistan is a diverse society made up of multiple tribes and ethnicities, including the Pashto majority, Tajiks, Uzbeks, and the predominantly Shiite Hazara.
“We really have to bring some sort of consensus. We really have to bring the participation of all ethnicities into the decision making body in the name of the government. Once we do that, then of course the first thing we can do is start and enter Afghan dialogue,” Massoud said.
“Once we start the dialogue, soon we can reach a sort of vision for Afghanistan because immediately we can find a common political ground. Out of common political ground we can give a vision for Afghanistan.”
Afghanistan is holding its long-delayed presidential election just weeks after US-Taliban peace talks collapsed.
US President Donald Trump announced the Doha process was “dead” on September 9 after cancelling a controversial meeting with Taliban leaders at his Camp David retreat, scheduled just days before the 9/11 anniversary. Trump said he called off the talks after a Taliban attack in Kabul killed an American soldier.
Afghan leaders, including President Ashraf Ghani, were concerned about the terms of the US-Taliban deal, which offered no guarantees on protecting civil rights or a ceasefire. These concerns may have also influenced Trump.
Although the move cast doubt on future negotiations and plans to withdraw US troops, it also cleared the way for Afghanistanʼs presidential election. Candidates are now seeking a mandate to take the inter-Afghan dialogue forward.
The Taliban, which views the government as an American puppet, has threatened to attack polling stations on election day and warned voters to stay home.
The outcome of Saturdayʼs nationwide poll could shape the future of inter-Afghan talks and result in the Taliban sharing power. The fundamentalist group was forced out by a US-led coalition in 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
The security situation has again deteriorated with the Taliban and other Islamist groups launching suicide attacks in the capital and seizing control of roughly half the country. Even while the Doha talks took place, there was no let up in the violence.
Rudaw asked Massoud why the Taliban has refused to negotiate directly with the government.
“Well, for a very simple reason. Because the government of Afghanistan is weak. And no one talks to a weak body. And that is why they refuse,” he said.
“If only we did have a strong government, of course Taliban, branded as a terrorist group, they would never refuse to talk to a government. So because the government is weak, the Taliban feel they are stronger.”
Massoud says the failed peace negotiations with the Taliban, led by US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, were never about peace for Afghans but solely about American interests.
“The only thing which added to the advantage of the Taliban is that they have found their way into diplomatic circles, worldwide diplomatic circles,” he said.
“The violence has been up much more. Fighting erupted everywhere around a lot of cities, there is a lot of fighting. People of Afghanistan are still losing a lot of children, women, civilians, young soldiers.”
“They did not announce that they will denounce the violence. They did not say that they would not be linked to terrorism. They did not say that they will give up arms. They did not say that they will commit to the durable peace for Afghanistan. So therefore nothing has changed accept it went from bad to worse.”
‘Whole world will regret itʼ
Massoudʼs brother, Ahmad Shah Massoud, is a celebrated Tajik guerrilla leader. Often likened to Che Guevara, his face is plastered across the capital. A skilled military commander, Ahmad Shahʼs forces helped defeat Soviet invaders in the 1980s and resisted the Taliban advance in the north. He was killed by two Tunisian terrorists posing as journalists in 2001, two days before 9/11.
Massoud believes what happens in the coming months in Afghanistan could have implications for the wider world if the country is again allowed to become a safe haven for terrorists.
“We should not make the mistake of 1989 once again to leave Afghanistan by itself,” he said, referring to the suspension of US support for the Mujahideen after the Russian defeat.
“We should not make the mistake of dealing with a terrorist group. We should not … put the whole situation in Afghanistan and in the region into jeopardy here. Tomorrow we will regret it. The whole world will regret it. Exactly what my brother warned when he went to Europe, 2001, he said today itʼs our problem, tomorrow it will be your problem. Exactly thatʼs what happened.”
“So what Iʼm trying to say here, we should not make Afghanistan a safe haven for terrorists. Tomorrow it will end up world-wide, it will affect every citizen of every country.”
The Taliban has not ruled out resurrecting peace talks with the Americans and still appears open to the inter-Afghan dialogue.
But observers wonder whether the Talibanʼs fundamentalism, and the interests of the groupʼs regional backers, can be reconciled with Afghanistanʼs post-2001 constitution and democratic aspirations.
Afghans fear any compromise with the Taliban in the name of peace could come at the cost of civil liberties, particularly for women and the free press.
“We really have to disperse the power to all ethnicities in Afghanistan,” Massoud told Rudaw at his home in Kabul in early September as campaigning got underway.
Afghanistan is a diverse society made up of multiple tribes and ethnicities, including the Pashto majority, Tajiks, Uzbeks, and the predominantly Shiite Hazara.
“We really have to bring some sort of consensus. We really have to bring the participation of all ethnicities into the decision making body in the name of the government. Once we do that, then of course the first thing we can do is start and enter Afghan dialogue,” Massoud said.
“Once we start the dialogue, soon we can reach a sort of vision for Afghanistan because immediately we can find a common political ground. Out of common political ground we can give a vision for Afghanistan.”
Afghanistan is holding its long-delayed presidential election just weeks after US-Taliban peace talks collapsed.
US President Donald Trump announced the Doha process was “dead” on September 9 after cancelling a controversial meeting with Taliban leaders at his Camp David retreat, scheduled just days before the 9/11 anniversary. Trump said he called off the talks after a Taliban attack in Kabul killed an American soldier.
Afghan leaders, including President Ashraf Ghani, were concerned about the terms of the US-Taliban deal, which offered no guarantees on protecting civil rights or a ceasefire. These concerns may have also influenced Trump.
Although the move cast doubt on future negotiations and plans to withdraw US troops, it also cleared the way for Afghanistanʼs presidential election. Candidates are now seeking a mandate to take the inter-Afghan dialogue forward.
The Taliban, which views the government as an American puppet, has threatened to attack polling stations on election day and warned voters to stay home.
The outcome of Saturdayʼs nationwide poll could shape the future of inter-Afghan talks and result in the Taliban sharing power. The fundamentalist group was forced out by a US-led coalition in 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
The security situation has again deteriorated with the Taliban and other Islamist groups launching suicide attacks in the capital and seizing control of roughly half the country. Even while the Doha talks took place, there was no let up in the violence.
Rudaw asked Massoud why the Taliban has refused to negotiate directly with the government.
“Well, for a very simple reason. Because the government of Afghanistan is weak. And no one talks to a weak body. And that is why they refuse,” he said.
“If only we did have a strong government, of course Taliban, branded as a terrorist group, they would never refuse to talk to a government. So because the government is weak, the Taliban feel they are stronger.”
Massoud says the failed peace negotiations with the Taliban, led by US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, were never about peace for Afghans but solely about American interests.
“The only thing which added to the advantage of the Taliban is that they have found their way into diplomatic circles, worldwide diplomatic circles,” he said.
“The violence has been up much more. Fighting erupted everywhere around a lot of cities, there is a lot of fighting. People of Afghanistan are still losing a lot of children, women, civilians, young soldiers.”
“They did not announce that they will denounce the violence. They did not say that they would not be linked to terrorism. They did not say that they will give up arms. They did not say that they will commit to the durable peace for Afghanistan. So therefore nothing has changed accept it went from bad to worse.”
‘Whole world will regret itʼ
Massoudʼs brother, Ahmad Shah Massoud, is a celebrated Tajik guerrilla leader. Often likened to Che Guevara, his face is plastered across the capital. A skilled military commander, Ahmad Shahʼs forces helped defeat Soviet invaders in the 1980s and resisted the Taliban advance in the north. He was killed by two Tunisian terrorists posing as journalists in 2001, two days before 9/11.
Massoud believes what happens in the coming months in Afghanistan could have implications for the wider world if the country is again allowed to become a safe haven for terrorists.
“We should not make the mistake of 1989 once again to leave Afghanistan by itself,” he said, referring to the suspension of US support for the Mujahideen after the Russian defeat.
“We should not make the mistake of dealing with a terrorist group. We should not … put the whole situation in Afghanistan and in the region into jeopardy here. Tomorrow we will regret it. The whole world will regret it. Exactly what my brother warned when he went to Europe, 2001, he said today itʼs our problem, tomorrow it will be your problem. Exactly thatʼs what happened.”
“So what Iʼm trying to say here, we should not make Afghanistan a safe haven for terrorists. Tomorrow it will end up world-wide, it will affect every citizen of every country.”
The Taliban has not ruled out resurrecting peace talks with the Americans and still appears open to the inter-Afghan dialogue.
But observers wonder whether the Talibanʼs fundamentalism, and the interests of the groupʼs regional backers, can be reconciled with Afghanistanʼs post-2001 constitution and democratic aspirations.
Afghans fear any compromise with the Taliban in the name of peace could come at the cost of civil liberties, particularly for women and the free press.
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