Jalaluddin Haqqani he pronounced the words in a thunderous voice to make himself heard amidst a cloud of bullets whistling from all sides: “Are you afraid?” he said, making fun of us journalists who were flat on the ground looking for shelter. «Not me, because I am protected by Allah!».
In 1983, during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Jalaluddin he was already a legendary leader of the mujahideenthe Islamic partisans who fought against the Red Army. Fifteen years later he will be minister of the first Taliban emirate and the Bornduring the long mission at the crossroads of Asia, will hunt him down, considering him one of the most dangerous terrorists in the country. Since the time of the Soviet invasion, the son Sirajuddinhe was raised with a Koran and a musket as demonstrated by the time-faded photos of a child in an Afghan tunic with a Kalashnikov on his knees. Today the “young” Haqqani he is Minister of the Interior of Kabulwith a price on the head of theFBI of 10 million dollars for having led the infamous terror “network” founded by his father, which specialized in devastating suicide attacks. The standard black Islamic poodle, black turban, dressed in dark looks incredibly like his father, who passed away in 2018, when he was photographed like a star next to the white war flag of the Taliban with the writings of the Koran.
Recently the New York Times published an in-depth investigation about him with a surprising title: «Sirajuddin Haqqani. Is Afghanistan’s most wanted militant the best hope for change?” The friend and protector of Al Qaeda45 years old, is on a collision course with the old Taliban guard ofAmeer-ul-momineenthe “commander of the faithful” Haibatullah Akhundzadathe supreme leader of the emirate, heir to Mullah Omar. An Islamic praetor who outlawed women with absurd interpretations of Sharia causing the outcry of Haqqani.
«It is true that within the Taliban world there are two opposing lines: on the one hand Haibatullah and on the other the son of Haqqanibut the real change could come from the new administration Trump» explains to PanoramaAdi Shokourformer Kabul diplomat in exile in Geneva. «The next National Security Advisor, Mike Waltzfought in Afghanistan. They will try to fully enforce the Doha agreements (which brought the Taliban to power, ed.) on terrorism, but also for the national coalition government, not just the Taliban”. New York Times Of Christina Goldbaumwho met him for a long time, is from a Haqqani conciliatory on women’s rights, open to the world and between the lines ready to reach out to the Americans. “Twenty years of jihadist struggle have brought us victory” he declares. “Now we have opened a new chapter of positive engagement with the world and closed that of violence and war.”
Sirajuddin had soon taken his father’s place by organizing a phalanx of aspiring suicide bombers, who carried out the bloodiest and most sensational attacks in the 20 years of his presence Born. To finance the network Haqqanidesignated a terrorist group by the US in 2012, had tentacles in the drug, hostage and extortion markets across half of the Arab world. And an always close relationship with Al Qaeda. Haqqani senior had fought with Osama bin Laden in Khowst province against the Soviets in the 1980s. After the Afghan Caporetto of the Born and the return to power of the Taliban Haqqani settles in Kabul and the Taliban leader Haibatullah in Kandahar, the Pasthun “capital”, as Mullah Omar had done. His circle is the old guard starting with the mullah Abdul Ghani Baradarwho had been Minister of Defense in the first emirate. The rebellious “young people” are represented by Haqqani and from Muhammad Yaqoobthe son of the founder Omar. Zaki Kohistaniformer military attaché to the Afghan embassy in Rome before the Taliban returned to power and lieutenant colonel of the special forces, has no doubts about the internal conflict. «Haqqani he is taking on the role of the “good guy” against the bad guy Haibatullahbut in reality they are both made of the same stuff” comments the officer. «No one has recognized the Emirate, not even Qatar and Türkiye, the closest countries. On the contrary, they have just declared that this regime is not acceptable. Haqqani perhaps he is putting his hands forward to prepare his people and the population for a change or fall of the government.” In reality the Taliban seem firmly in power and Haqqanisince he arrived in Kabul, he has tried to recycle himself as a “pragmatic statesman”, writes the Times “reliable diplomat and a voice of relative moderation in a government steeped in religious extremism.”
The first battleground concerns the increasingly heavy restrictions against women, promulgated by Haibatullah. Several Taliban representatives such as Haqqani I absolutely disagree. Last year the Interior Minister said in a public speech that the Taliban leadership was “monopolizing power” and “damaging the reputation” of the government. While always denying internal divisions, the fringe is evident. Not only that: if the supreme leader of the Taliban has declared war on Western ideals, Haqqani it offers itself as a “bridge” with the rest of the world. Personally or through emissaries he has established ties with Islamic countries, Russia, China and also aims to recover the relationship with the USA. Since June the UN has suspended the travel ban for Haqqani and he immediately had himself immortalized while shaking hands with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyanwho leads the United Arab Emirates, in front of his palace in Abu Dhabi. In confidential contacts with Westerners Haqqani it used the lever of “control” of terrorism. Ayman al Zawahirithe successor of Bin Laden driving Al Qaedawas incinerated by a drone in Kabul in a detached house of the Ministry of the Interior. The terrorist organization has recruited new followers and maintains its bases in Afghanistan, but Haqqani guarantees that there is no danger of new attacks in the West like September 11th.
Haibatullah reacted to the frond by reassigning battalions that responded to the dissident Taliban and forming a personal guard. «He would also have ordered Haqqani and Mullah Omar’s son to stay out of the military management of the country” he observes Shokour. AND Kohistani reveals: “We have information from inside that Taliban bigwigs are buying houses abroad as a possible escape route.” In October the new Italian ambassador for Afghanistan was appointed, Sabrina Ugoliniwhich currently operates from Doha. On November 7 he met Muhammad Suhail Shaheenthe head of the Taliban political office in Qatar, a kind of embassy, to discuss “health, humanitarian assistance, agriculture”. A week later, another meeting Shaheen with Rossella Micciopresident of Emergency, present in Afghanistan for decades.
On the ground, the armed resistance has increased attacks. In the third quarter of the year, 124 were recorded, the bulk in Kabul and Herat. As many as 94 were claimed by the National Front (No) Of Ahmad Massoud19 from the former general’s Freedom Front Mohammad Yasin Zia and only five would be of theIsis Khorasan. «The resistance has direct contact with the entourage of Trump as Mike Waltz and also the new secretary indicated for the Pentagon. We expect the three billion dollars that have arrived so far in Afghanistan disguised as humanitarian assistance to be cut” reiterates the former special forces officer linked to Massoud. A large section of the diaspora is aiming for a deal, he reveals Shokour: «There are organized groups like the one led by the former Foreign Minister, Hanif Atmarwho want to bring Afghanistan out of the black hole by resuming negotiations for a coalition government.”
