Afghanistan through the lens of Amrullah Saleh
- Arpit Shah
- Jul 31, 2021
- 9 min read
Updated: 21 hours ago
SECTION HYPERLINKS
BACKGROUND
If you had asked me a month ago what my views on Afghanistan were, I would have likely responded with: another nuisance-creating country besides my oh-so-special neighbour (I am an Indian).
I would have been hard-pressed to think of anything good that had emerged from that hostile territory—apart from the delicious dry fruits that I savour in my ice-cream. Perhaps it was decades of terrorism-related developments emanating from this perennial conflict zone that had shaped this metaphorical dust ball (tumbleweed) in my mind.
That perception was first jolted when I watched Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, struggle to respond to sharp questioning from an Afghan journalist during an interview. Lotfullah Najafizada, unlike his Pakistani counterparts, was articulate and exceptionally well-prepared—he would give many Indian primetime journalists a run for their money, in my opinion.
However, it was only a few days later, when I stumbled upon Stephen Sackur’s BBC HARDtalk interview with Amrullah Saleh, the impressive first Vice President of Afghanistan, that I truly realised my perception of the country required serious course correction.
After consuming more online content related to this striking individual, my compass has decisively shifted. So much so that I have compiled excerpts from his English speeches and interviews, which you can access at the end of this post or via the linked YouTube video.
Note: This post is a departure from the usual Mapping and Operations-themed content I publish on this professional website. My personal admiration for Amrullah Saleh notwithstanding, I believe his story—and his views on Afghanistan and the geopolitics shaping the region—deserve wider resonance, especially given the country’s plight amid the complete withdrawal of US troops and the Taliban's resurgence.
SALEH'S JOURNEY THUS FAR
Amrullah Saleh has had quite a remarkable life journey. With roots in destitution but being well-built regardless, he narrowly avoided conscription into the Soviet-backed Afghan army. Instead, he joined rebel groups and rose to prominence within the Northern Alliance, led by the legendary commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, which fiercely opposed the Taliban and its extremist ideology.
Following the Soviet withdrawal, Saleh entered mainstream Afghan governance. His intelligence work soon propelled him to become the head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS)—Afghanistan’s domestic and foreign intelligence agency—at just 32 years of age! Beyond being a spymaster, his clarity of thought and communication skills earned him respect among intelligence agencies and governments worldwide.
Resenting then-President Hamid Karzai's attempts to appease the Taliban, Saleh publicly protested and submitted his resignation three times. The United States intervened twice before reluctantly accepting it the third time.
A principled nationalist, Saleh went on to establish a grassroots movement—Afghanistan Green Trend—to advocate democratic reform and counter the Taliban’s influence.
If what others speak of you matters, then this glowing tribute from his colleague, former National Security Advisor Rangin Spanta, underscores his stature:
“With Amrullah Saleh, the Afghan people have lost a huge treasure of commitment, awareness and experience in this struggle against terrorism, Al Qaeda and the ISI. I can’t think of anyone who will be able to even slightly fill the vacuum that he leaves behind. Besides being a highly efficient chief at the N.D.S., he is a man of knowledge and research with an incredible memory and intellect. When he analyzed issues at international meetings, he exhibited tremendous ability at logical reasoning. He was head and shoulder above others. ... I had many differences in arguments with him, but I always saw his presence at the N.D.S. as a huge advantage to this country and this government. Despite my high respects for the president’s decisions, I am extremely mournful about Saleh’s departure. Extremely mournful."
Saleh later reconciled with President Ashraf Ghani, served as Interior Minister, reduced crime and corruption in urban centres, and eventually became Afghanistan’s first Vice President in February 2020 (which he continues to serve till the time of writing this post).
HIS IDEALS
While deception is often associated with intelligence operatives, Saleh’s heartfelt tribute to Ahmad Shah Massoud (Video 1) reveals much about his character.
Two aspects stand out:
a relentless thirst for intelligence and credible information
selfless negotiation for the greater cause
Saleh’s nationalism, democratic values, and uncompromising stance against the Taliban have remained constant throughout his career.
From resisting the Afghan government to becoming one of its most forceful voices, his journey has been both complex and consequential.
HIS EXPLOITS
By virtue of operating in one of the world’s most hostile intelligence theatres, Saleh’s exploits are deeply location-aware. Two stand out in particular.
1. Pinpointing Osama bin Laden's whereabouts
This was, as would be validated only later, Saleh's claim-to-fame moment. As the Head of National Directorate of Security, Saleh expanded the reach of his informants and was convinced by as early as 2005 (unheeded by the CIA) that-
Osama was not present in Afghanistan, contrary to what was widely believed
he even triangulated his location to Mansehra, Pakistan - just 15 miles from Abbottabad, where bin Laden was eventually found six years later!
Saleh also shared intelligence on Ayman al-Zawahiri (another key orchestrator of the September 2001 attacks who was traced and neutralized much later in 2022) and other Taliban leaders with the CIA. Drawing from his early training in Peshawar, deep familiarity with the terrain, and developed connections over time, Saleh maintains that Taliban leadership does not operate from Afghan caves or the Pak-Afghan border zone, but from settled areas of Pakistan—living comfortably while foot soldiers fight and die.
2. Escaping a brutal assassination attempt in 2019
Saleh’s success against the Taliban and crime syndicates made him a prime target for criminal networks, terrorist outfits, and their masters - Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence. He is a very vocal critic of Pakistan's military and intelligence establishment - as they have relentlessly exploited Afghanistan as an instrument of strategic depth in their conflict with India.
It would therefore, come as no surprise to you to know that Saleh has been subject to several assassination attempts, each more cunningly devised than the preceding one. That he has escaped unscathed so far can be attributed to preparation, agility, and a charmed existence (read: The Nine Lives of Amrullah Saleh).
These were particularly useful on 28th July 2019 when six Suicide Bombers laid siege on Saleh's office. The attack was meticulously planned - it took the terrorists just six minutes to reach Saleh - from entering the fortified street in a bomb-rigged vehicle to launching a fierce assault on the heavily-guarded office building and eventually reaching his fourth-floor office.
One can only imagine the fortitude that Saleh would have had to conjure - from being in a state of daze to regaining composure and devising a rapid risk response. Anticipating such an event, Saleh had designed the office layout with rooftop access and hidden weapons. Along with his security detail, he mounted a counter-offensive, escaped via neighbouring buildings, and survived a six-hour siege that killed over twenty people.
In Video 2, Saleh recounts the details of the harrowing incident while taking a journalist on a tour of the destroyed site - the narration is in Pashto language. A curtailed video with English subtitles can be found here and a New York Times interview on this topic can be read here - An Afghan Candidate Wrote His Will, Then Survived a Suicide Squad.
There are other episodes involving Saleh that are highly gripping. Consider these-
Incident 1: An act of incredulity in the immediate aftermath of the July 2019 assassination attempt (The New York Times)-
Incident 2: Identifying an impostor claiming to represent Taliban commander Mullah Mansour (Wikipedia) -
HIS VIEWS AND VISION FOR HIS HOMELAND
Due to substantive work at the grass-roots, deep involvement in intelligence affairs, and a strong sense of nationalism to boot, the voice of Amrullah Saleh carries considerable weight and should be a guiding light for those who want to understand the geopolitics involving and surrounding Afghanistan and its people who have been subject to one invasion after another over the last four decades.
So what are Saleh's beliefs, views and vision for his beloved country?
While I have summarized what I've gathered in the next paragraph, I'll recommend that you choose to hear from the man himself, in this video excerpts compilation that I've made from his English speeches and interviews. You will be amazed to see how accurate his assessments were, given Afghanistan's current predicament:
From his speeches and interviews, five consistent themes emerge:
A pluralistic society is the only solution for long-lasting peace in Afghanistan. Saleh maintains that negotiating a deal with the Taliban is unwise. Rather than seeking appeasement, the Taliban should choose to integrate with the society and live by its democratic values. They must not be given any leeway whatsoever to impose their beliefs on the citizens of Afghanistan.
While the USA/NATO armed forces are intending to leave Afghanistan because of war fatigue as well as shifting national interests (China), however, their mission to secure Afghanistan's transition into a stable, democratic future is still not fulfilled. Complete troop withdrawal is likely to descend Afghanistan to pre-2000 civil strife. Saleh warns that a short period of ceasefire should not be misconstrued as a sign of everlasting peace as the Taliban, at their core, remain an extremist ideological organization and will continue to spread fear and violence whenever they see a window of opportunity. That being said, Saleh is confident that the Afghans will continue to resist and will prevail eventually as they are much better equipped to deal with Taliban's threat now, drawing from the learnings from their previous experience under the rule of the very same oppressive clerical dictatorship.
Pakistan's military establishment's (ISI) continued support of the Taliban is the root-cause behind Afghanistan's perennial state of misery. Saleh claims that Pakistan, by virtue of being a major non-NATO ally, has escaped being brought to task for its misdeeds thus far. While it is openly known that Pakistan harbors the Taliban leadership and supports its nefarious activities, Saleh insists that this is not done by some rogue elements within the Pakistan military establishment as some believe, rather, it is the establishment's stated policy to keep Afghanistan in a constant state of turmoil to obtain strategic depth against India and to milk monetary aid from the West. Saleh reveals that the use of militant extremism acts as an outer ring of deterrence in Pakistan's quest to safeguard its nuclear assets.
India is a strong regional supporter of Afghanistan's cause. Saleh indicates that India has enormous goodwill in the hearts of the Afghans as it promotes development and democratic values in the country and does not have a selfish agenda as other countries do. Moreover, India and Afghanistan share a common foe in the form of Pakistan and therefore, should collaborate on security parameters to deal with the nuisance.
Afghanistan comprises a proud but an ethnically diverse group of people - a demographic reality which opportunistic countries and militant groups exploit to good effect. However, he reckons that there is not enough literature highlighting the strong national bonds of the Afghan people. The very fact that they continue to survive in such hostile conditions where anyone else would have crumbled, is a testament to the collective resilience of the citizens and the global order should acknowledge this reality as well.
CLOSING REMARKS
To me, Afghanistan today represents a battle between stubbornly violent extremists and violently stubborn defenders of democracy. The latter—Amrullah Saleh and the Afghan people—deserve far better. I hope that they continue to thwart the actions of the misguided fundamentalists in the shape of Taliban and uphold the rule of democracy and law in the country.
ABOUT US - OPERATIONS MAPPING SOLUTIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONS
Intelloc Mapping Services, Kolkata | Mapmyops.com offers a suite of Mapping and Analytics solutions that seamlessly integrate with Operations Planning, Design, and Audit workflows. Our capabilities include — but are not limited to — Drone Services, Location Analytics & GIS Applications, Satellite Imagery Analytics, Supply Chain Network Design, Subsurface Mapping and Wastewater Treatment. Projects are executed pan-India, delivering actionable insights and operational efficiency across sectors.
My firm's services can be split into two categories - Geographic Mapping and Operations Mapping. Our range of offerings are listed in the infographic below-
A majority of our Mapping for Operations-themed workflows (50+) can be accessed from this website's landing page. We respond well to documented queries/requirements. Demonstrations/PoC can be facilitated, on a paid-basis. Looking forward to being of service.
Regards,
