Wanted in America for $5 Million
Haqqani's presence in the Taliban government will further extremism
Sirajuddin Haqqani was appointed Minister of Interior of Afghanistan.
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One of the terrorist bombings carried out by the "Taliban" in Kabul.
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The newly appointed Afghan Minister of Interior, Sirajuddin Haqqani, and Acting Minister for Refugees, Noor Rahman Akhali, are both placing a US$5 million bounty on either of them for their involvement in international terrorism.
Sirajuddin Haqqani and his uncle Khalil are members of the Haqqani Network, an Afghan militia organization that forms part of the Taliban, which the United States has designated a foreign terrorist organization since 2012.
The Haqqani Network has always been the deadliest and most brutal element of the Taliban, which is known for its extreme violence, and now with Sirajuddin at the helm of the group, the Taliban will become more and more extreme with time, which makes any hope of the Taliban becoming a moderate movement a matter. unlikely.
The Haqqani family began approaching power in 1970, at the hands of the family's head at the time, Jalaluddin, who is close to the Pakistani intelligence, and he was a friend of Osama bin Laden, where he formed the "Haqqani Network" to fight the Soviet Union in the eighties of the last century.
But after the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the “Haqqani Network” helped the Taliban fight the United States in Afghanistan, and in exchange for loyalty to the “Taliban,” the movement gave the “Haqqani Network” the power to make decisions, use the movement’s money, and Jalaluddin worked to prepare his son. Sirajuddin in order to play a more prominent role in the Haqqani Network, and thus within the organizational structure of the Taliban.
scary reputation
Under Haqqani's leadership, the Haqqani Network was able to develop a fearsome reputation for the resounding attacks it carried out in Kabul and used suicide bombing tactics. Al-Qaeda began its implementation in 2004.
Haqqani served as the spearhead of the so-called "Kabul Attack Network", terrorist groups responsible for planning some of the most deadly attacks in Kabul in the past two decades. The relationship between Haqqani and al-Qaeda was, and remains, strong.
Following the death of the leader of the “Taliban”, Mullah Muhammad Omar, in 2013, the group appointed Mullah Mansour as a new leader, and Sirajuddin became the military leader of the movement. In Pakistan, Sirajuddin became Akhundzada's deputy, thus giving responsibility for Taliban activities in 20 Afghan provinces, including the capital, Kabul, while the other 14 provinces were under the responsibility of Akhundzada's second deputy, Mullah Muhammad Yaqoub, and Sirajuddin became the de facto responsible for The military strategy, planning and implementation of all terrorist operations of the Taliban, and the word Sirajuddin became essential in all Taliban movements.
Sirajuddin officially succeeded his father as head of the "Haqqani Network", after his father's death in 2018, and he leads the group to this day.
The “Haqqani Network” continued to carry out complex terrorist operations, which kill large numbers of civilians, and it is believed that the “Haqqani Network” was more hostile to the United States. Haqqani” said that it influenced the “Al-Qaeda” organization, and made it see the United States as a main target for “global jihad.”
misreading
There are those who believe that there is cooperation between the “Haqqani Network” and ISIS-K, but this is a misreading of the situation, which is due to the complex relationship between the fighters of the two groups, as a number of “Haqqani Network” fighters defected and joined ISIS-K. Although some relationships exist on an individual level, there is no evidence of a strong relationship or anything resembling organizational support.
There are no strong indications of how Sirajuddin, who is in the position of Minister of Interior, acted more than his recent sponsorship of the ceremonies honoring the families of the suicide bombers in the “Taliban.” In his 33-minute speech, Sirajuddin described himself as the mastermind of all these attacks, and indicated that there would be more attacks against the Taliban's enemies, and it was clear that Sirajuddin had ambitions to maintain his position as the Taliban's chief strategist. Suicide attacks will also continue to be a feature of the movement's strategy.
control of power
As Afghanistan's interior minister, Sirajuddin holds more power in the Taliban than his ministry, for example, his ministry is involved in appointing provincial and provincial governors, although he avoids meetings and public appearances given the many rewards for His arrest, however, is his younger brother, Anas Haqqani, who represents him in meetings inside and outside Afghanistan, and as a result of Sirajuddin's relationship with foreign fighters, this makes him one of the most influential leaders in the "Taliban", and he is the person that other countries use to help deal with groups which these countries perceive as a threat.
Sirajuddin now plays a central role in mediating and negotiating between the Pakistani Taliban and the Pakistani government, for example.
This influence provides Sirajuddin with increased importance, because countries such as Pakistan need his support to help mitigate the threats posed by the many militias linked to Afghanistan.
In February 2020, Sirajuddin wrote in an opinion article published by the New York Times, in response to the fears expressed by the international community that Afghanistan would become a haven for terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, saying: “Reports that Afghanistan will become a refuge for many groups. Terrorism is just politically motivated rhetoric, and it is considered a great exaggeration by the players who are fueling this war from all sides.”
Danger
But the international community cannot simply ignore the danger posed by Serageldin, and it must begin preparing to face a stage
It is bloody in Afghanistan now, where one of the people who is the number one wanted terrorist in the world is responsible for it, and although the “Haqqani network” is an integral part of the “Taliban”, it needs special attention from the international community, and perhaps Pakistan’s relationship with The "Haqqani Network" is a potential pressure point, although Pakistan's behavior towards the conflict in Afghanistan is marked by ambivalence, which makes many skeptical about this option.
There are few options available to deal with the government led by the "Taliban", in which there are many terrorists in leadership positions, and as time progresses, other countries may seek to identify the "Taliban", including China and Russia, and if this is done, the presence of Haqqani in a position Rafi will become a foregone conclusion, and given that the United States is in a losing position in Afghanistan, it is either following in the footsteps of these two countries to mitigate its losses, thus legitimizing the Taliban government, or remaining a spectator from the outside, without having any influence. to influence the situation.
• Under Haqqani's leadership, the "Haqqani Network" was able to develop a fearsome reputation due to the resounding attacks it carried out in Kabul and used suicide bombing tactics.
• It seems clear that Sirajuddin has ambitions to maintain his position, as the main strategic planner of the "Taliban".
• Although Sirajuddin avoids public appearances, given the rewards for his arrest, his younger brother, Anas, represents him at meetings inside and outside Afghanistan.
Abdul Rahman Sayed - American politician and security researcher
Colin Clark - University Professor of Political Science
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