What’s the deal with this Northern Alliance in Afghanistan ?
Iran and Russia support them.. Is the U.S. also likely to back them ?
Has anyone run across a decent guide to the politics of the region ?
This is a request for information, not an invitation to debate.
This is a loose and fractious coalition consisting of some former ( pro-Soviet ) government forces, plus some of their former enemies in the form of various anti-Taliban mujahadeen groups. It was very roughly this coalition that took power after the Soviet withdrawal. They attempted to form a coalition government, but failed miserably. They eventually degenerated into squabbling, even warring factions - Fighting for control for Kabul and other areas in shifdting alliances in an attempt to seize power. Meanwhile Afghanistan continued to stagnate and suffer.
It was against this backdrop of incompetence and internecine struggle that the Taliban arose and began to steamroll them, promising peace and stability. As the Taliban began to make real progress, most of the warring militia’s disintegrated, large numbers defecting to the unified and seemingly less corrupt Taliban. Eventually the squabbling factions, disintegrating, defeated, and on the run, formed a new coalition to fight the Taliban, the Northern Alliance, but by then it was too late and they had their asses handed to them by the Taliban.
They’re called the Northern Alliance, because that’s where they are - They hold a sliver of northern and north-western Afghjanistan ( variously estimated at 5-10% of the country ). For the most part they draw their manpower from Afghanistan’s numerous minority groups - Shi’ite Hazaras, Tajiks, Uzbeks Turks, etc.
They are only marginally, if that, superior morally to the Taliban. The are basically a collection of bedraggled, mostly defeated warlords. And they lost the most charismatic and effective of their number when Ahmed Shah Massoud, the most effective of the anti-Soviet commanders, was assainated on Monday ( apparently in a way that implies it was bin Laden’s people who did it ).
- Tamerlane
Apparently, the northern alliance is comprised of the mujhadeen (forgive my spelling) that successfully fought the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. I don’t have any data to back this up though.
I am curious as to why Iran would oppose a fundamentalist Islamic government.
Different brands of Islam. The Iranians are Shi’ites; the Taliban are ferociously Sunni, and have persecuted the Shi’ite minority in Afghanistan.
Not to mention that even other theologically very strict Muslims think the Taliban have gone overboard with all the bans on kite flying and playing chess, the destruction of cultural monuments, and the totally savage treatment of women. The Taliban are almost a self-parody of ignorant religious fanatics, and even other Islamic fundamentalists are a bit embarassed by all their excesses.
Iran may be pro-Northern Alliance because Pakistan is pro-Taliban.
From a March 2000 report:
“Iran is playing a major role in trying to strengthen the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance in Afghanistan by increasing arms supplies to the Northern Alliance and trying to bring the disparate ethnic groups and leaders of the Northern Alliance in a common front. Iran’s efforts are in preparation for what is expected to be a summer of heavy fighting as the Taliban prepare to launch a major offensive to conquer the remaining 20% of northeastern Afghanistan controlled by the Northern Alliance. Iran is backing several peace initiatives in order to undercut Pakistan, its main rival in the region that backs the Taliban. Iran continues to distrust the military regime in Pakistan as it shows no signs of lessening support to the Taliban.”
From another thread:
I know that over the last year to year and a half, there have been small steps to normalizing relations with Iran. I wonder if this tragic situation could be a boon for US - Iran relations.
The latest I heard was that Ahmed Shah Massoud is still alive, but seriously injured.