The Northern Alliance led by the late lamented Ahmad Shah Massoud (treacherously assassinated last week) are the muhajidin, our old friends from the anti-Soviet days of the 1980s, still recognized as the legitimate government of Afghanistan with a mission at the UN. The President is still the old Mujahidin leader Burhanuddin Rabbani.
These boys are the only hope American forces will have in negotiating the extremely rough, unfamiliar terrain in Afghanistan. They have been fighting the Taliban and Bin Ladin all this time. It was Bin Ladin’s guys who assassinated Ahmad Shah Massoud. ASM is a very hard act to follow. His second in command is Mr. Fahim who is not as dynamic and impressive a leader as ASM was. It’s very clear that the USA and what’s left of the Northern Alliance need each other now. Get to know them.
Their web site is:
http://www.afgha.com/
Jane’s takes a look at them (security analysis)