Anas Haqqani (R) with a former Afghan government official at a meeting on the new Afghan regime
Kabul:
Top Taliban leaders are meeting in Kabul to discuss the formation of a new Afghan government, including a representative of the Haqqani Network, the country’s most feared terrorists.
The Haqqanis are responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in recent years, which have claimed the lives of civilians, government officials and foreign troops.
Despite their reputation, they are expected to become powerful players in the new regime following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan last week.
Who are the Haqqanis?
The shadowy group was formed by Jalaluddin Haqqani, who rose to fame in the 1980s as a hero of anti-Soviet jihad. At the time, he was a valuable asset to the CIA, as the United States and its allies, such as Pakistan, funneled weapons and money to the mujahideen.
During that conflict and after the withdrawal of the Soviet Union, Jalaluddin Haqqani maintained close ties with foreign jihadists, including Osama bin Laden.
He later allied with the Taliban who took over Afghanistan in 1996, and served as minister to the Islamic regime until it was overthrown in 2001 by US-led forces.
The death of Jalaluddin Haqqani after a long illness was announced by the Taliban in 2018, and his son Sirajuddin formally became the head of the network.
Thanks to their financial and military strength – and a reputation for ruthlessness – the Haqqani network is considered semi-autonomous, while remaining within the Taliban group.
The group, based mainly in eastern Afghanistan — with alleged bases across the border in northwestern Pakistan — has become more visible in the Taliban leadership in recent years, and Sirajuddin Haqqani was named deputy leader in 2015.
His younger brother Anas, once imprisoned and sentenced to death by the previous Afghan government, has been in talks with former President Hamid Karzai and ex-top executive Abdullah Abdullah since the fall of Kabul last weekend.
Why are they so widely feared?
The Haqqani Network is blamed for some of the deadliest and most shocking attacks in Afghanistan in the past two decades.
They have been designated a foreign terrorist group by the United States and are also under United Nations sanctions.
The Haqqanis have a reputation for frequently deploying suicide bombers – including drivers in cars and trucks carrying massive amounts of explosives – and have demonstrated their ability to carry out complex, high casualty attacks on key targets, including military installations and embassies.
In October 2013, Afghan forces intercepted a Haqqani truck in eastern Afghanistan that contained nearly 28 tons (61,500 pounds) of explosives, according to the US National Counterterrorism Center.
The Haqqanis have been charged with murders – including an attempt against then-President Karzai in 2008 – and kidnapping of officials and Western citizens, for ransom and forcing prisoner exchanges.
They have also long been suspected of ties to the Pakistani military establishment — US Admiral Mike Mullen described them in 2011 as a “real arm” of Islamabad’s intelligence.
Pakistan denies the allegation.
The Haqqanis have also contributed immensely to the Taliban’s forces and are the “most combative of the group,” UN observers said in a June report.
The observers also described the network as the “primary link” between the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
What is their role in the new Taliban regime?
The Haqqanis have emerged as serious players in the Taliban’s political project with at least two of their leaders in Kabul as talks begin to form the next government.
The formal elevation of Sirajuddin Haqqani to the position of deputy leader six years ago confirmed that role, analysts say.
And the release of his brother Anas from Afghan custody in 2019 was seen as a move to initiate direct talks between the US and the Taliban that eventually led to the withdrawal of the troops.
Sirajuddin Haqqani even wrote an op-ed in NewsMadura last year, outlining the Taliban’s stance on US talks and the conflict in Afghanistan, albeit in a diplomatic tone that belied the network’s violent reputation.
While Anas Haqqani held talks with Karzai, his uncle Khalil Haqqani was seen leading prayers in Kabul on Friday.
Sirajuddin and Khalil are both still listed as wanted by the United States, with millions of dollars in bounties on offer.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NewsMadura staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)
