Ahmad Massoud warn Afghan Taliban using terrorism as their Business Model
Ahmad Massoud, son of the martyred “Lion of Panjshir Valley,” Ahmad Shah Massoud, has reiterated what many Pakistani journalists also believe that the Afghan Taliban are not a religious group but rather opportunists who use Afghanistan’s land for their businesses while their families live abroad, owning real estate worth billions of dollars.
Ahmad Shah Massoud was the charismatic, French-speaking mujahideen commander who fought against the Soviets and warned against the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 before he was assassinated. He was the last bulwark against the Taliban and always maintained that the Taliban were another group of foreigners disguised in religious and Afghan clothing. He claimed that the families of all Afghan Taliban leaders lived outside Afghanistan, using the country’s land for their financial interests but having no real love for it.
His statements have proven true in many ways: the majority of Afghan Taliban leaders grew up in Pakistan or other Middle Eastern countries, were educated in religious seminaries there, and still keep their families abroad. Even 24 years after his assassination, his words remain valid for researchers exploring the roots of the Taliban. Now, his son is raising the same alarms his father once did — telling the truth about Afghanistan, even at the cost of his life.
Ahmad Massoud, who often wears a Central and South Asian style shalwar kameez, has the same deep brown eyes as his father, the “Lion of Panjshir,” still revered as a national hero more than two decades after his death. Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated on September 9, 2001, by two Arab suicide attackers posing as journalists — a “gift” from Al-Qaeda to its Taliban hosts’ just two days before the 9/11 attacks on the United States. His assassination came shortly after a press conference in Paris where he expressed fears that he might be killed, warning that the United States planned to invade Afghanistan with the covert support of the Taliban. Many Afghans still view him as a unifying figure who could have led the country toward a future free from the Taliban, Soviets, and foreign powers alike.
The younger Massoud returned to Afghanistan in 2016 after completing his education in London. Bearing a striking resemblance to his father, especially after growing a beard and donning the same beige pakol (traditional Afghan woollen hat), he continues his father’s legacy. He was only 12 when his father was assassinated. Afterward, he completed his schooling in Iran, trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England (after failing to get admission to West Point in New York), and earned two degrees in London.
Massoud believes that Afghanistan must undergo a process that distributes and decentralizes power if it is ever to solve its political and social problems. He argues that recognizing or legitimizing the Taliban’s illegal rule only strengthens them, especially as they host terrorist groups from across the world.
Son of ‘Lion of Panjshir’ reiterated father’s warning against Taliban opportunism indicating that Taliban are terrorists exploiting Afghanistan for rofit. In a recent interview, he stated categorically that the Afghan Taliban are nothing more than a group of terrorists who use extremism as a business model and as diplomatic leverage against neighboring countries. His warning echoes Pakistan’s stance — and now it is up to the global powers to decide whether to heed this alarm or repeat the mistake of ignoring the political foresight of his assassinated father.
The younger Massoud returned to Afghanistan in 2016 after completing his education in London. Bearing a striking resemblance to his father, especially after growing a beard and donning the same beige pakol (traditional Afghan woollen hat), he continues his father’s legacy. He was only 12 when his father was assassinated. Afterward, he completed his schooling in Iran, trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England (after failing to get admission to West Point in New York), and earned two degrees in London.
Massoud believes that Afghanistan must undergo a process that distributes and decentralizes power if it is ever to solve its political and social problems. He argues that recognizing or legitimizing the Taliban’s illegal rule only strengthens them, especially as they host terrorist groups from across the world.
Son of ‘Lion of Panjshir’ reiterated father’s warning against Taliban opportunism indicating that Taliban are terrorists exploiting Afghanistan for rofit. In a recent interview, he stated categorically that the Afghan Taliban are nothing more than a group of terrorists who use extremism as a business model and as diplomatic leverage against neighboring countries. His warning echoes Pakistan’s stance — and now it is up to the global powers to decide whether to heed this alarm or repeat the mistake of ignoring the political foresight of his assassinated father.
