I know your all wondering it... and yes... I've been looking into it. What has happened to your FAVORITE AFGHANISTAN WARLORD?
(Former) President Ashraf Ghani - Afghanistan's 14th... or 2nd President depending on how you measure it, fled Kabul with four carloads of cash but sadly, reportedly had to leave five million dollars USD behind in the airport. He was rejected from entry to Tajikistan and is now in the Gulf State of Oman. He will likely return to the United States now, where he was a citizen prior to 2009 and had lived in for several decades prior to December 2001. Will he get a teaching position? Will he become a commentator on CNN? Perhaps he'll run for California Governor? Only time will tell.
KABUL: Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is in Oman after Tajikistan denied landing yesterday. He is likely to head to the US. Former NSA Mohib is also with Ghani in Oman.
keralakaumudi.com
Vice President Abdullah Abdullah - Afghanistan's Vice President and runner up in the 2019 elections, due to a power sharing agreement between him and Ghani, Abdullah Abdullah was put in charge of negotiations with the Taliban. Due to recent events, that position seems somewhat perfunctory. By all reports Abdullah Abdullah remains in Kabul and threw some shade on the departing President Ghani stating: "The former President of Afghanistan has left Afghanistan … He has left the nation in this state [for that] God will hold him to account." It's believed he is angling to work with an interim government. Fun fact: Abdullah was just his first name but due to insistence he get a surname to serve in politics he chose the name Abdullah Abdullah. What a jokester.
Former President Hamid Karzai - Afghanistans first President who was famous for rocking that sheepskin hat, by all reports, remains in Kabul and has stated he wished to oversee the transition or interim government and a desire to work with the Taliban in Making Afghanistan Great Again (my words, not his). He recently made a videotaped plea for Afghans to remain calm and in their homes which is what the Taliban already want for the Women so halfway there already. Despite his prior history, there is only a small chance of odds that he ends up hanging from a street lamp. Good luck Habibi.
Former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai has asked both government forces and the Taliban to protect the people as the terrorists, set to take over power in the country, entered the national capital Kabul.
www.ndtv.com
Gelbuddin Hekmatyar - Perhaps one of the most famous Warlords of the Soviet Era, Gelbuddin was always anti-West but also anti-Taliban and thus was exiled in Iran when the Taliban took over the country back in 1996. After the US Invasion however, from his sanctuary in Iran he played both sides, supporting some Taliban groups and then the Government until he was invited back into Afghanistan back in 2016. It's believed he is currently working with the Taliban in an effort to transition them peacefully into power and may have played a part in bringing Mohammad Ismail to surrender and defect to the Taliban during the Siege of Herat.
Marshal Rashid Dostum - Perhaps my favorite Warlord and undoubtedly yours as well, if you haven't read Doug Stanton's book
The Horse Soldiers or the 2018 War film
12 Strong then do yourself a favor and watch or read it because this affable Uzbek was a delight. During the 2021 Taliban Offensive his miltia forces were abandoned by the mass surrender of the Afghan Defense Forces and despite reports of hard fighting, General Rashid Dostum was actually in Turkey undegoing medical treatment when things went awry but briefly returned to Afghanistan before fleeing to Uzbekistan and ultimately vowed to return to Afghanistan to crush the Taliban. It's important to have life goals. Social media was filled with videos and pictures of Taliban fighters milling about his opulent palatial mansion in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Atta Noor- Another Uzbek Warlord, Atta Noor was with General Dostum when everything went tits up these past few weeks and is also reportedly in Uzbekistan after a failed attempt to head to the frontlines to shore up local militia forces. Atta Noor detailed a "conspiracy" between the Afghan Defense forces, stating how they didn't fight and simply turned over their weapons and equipment to the Taliban, leaving their militia forces in an untenable position.
Two of Afghanistan's most notorious regional strongmen fled on Saturday as the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif fell to the Taliban and security forces abandoned the city in a headlong rush up the highway to the safety of neighbouring Uzbekistan.
www.reuters.com
Taliban rebels took over Mazar-i-Sharif, and were seen feasting at the lavish palace of general and former vice president Abdul Rashid Dostum
meaww.com
Ismail Khan - A Tajik Warlord who like Dostum and Noor was a member of the OG Northern Alliance, Ismail Khan was actually a rival of General Dostum and the two had a deep antipathy for each other. Operating largely out of Western Iran in the city of Herat and with an unknown amount of Iranian backing, Ismail Khan's militia forces alongside Afghan defense forces apparently attempted a spirited defense of Herat and for some time had some success but on August 12th Herat fell and Ismail Khan was captured whilst trying to escape the city by helicopter. After negotiations he surrendered his forces and now is apparently encouraging work with the Taliban with his forces joining that of the Taliban.
The ‘Lion of Herat’ returned to the front lines in western city last month amid the growing threat from the Taliban.
www.aljazeera.com
Kamran Shah - An Oxford educated deputy-Commander of the Mujahadeen, he was instrumental in assisting British Intelligence in stopping a Heroin smuggling operation under the Soviet General Koskov during the Soviet War in Afghanistan and famously led a horse mounted assault on a Soviet Airbase. After the war he changed his name, emigrated to the West and worked in the Import-Export business, dealing in antiquities. During this time he apparently became radicalized and founded the 'The Crimson Jihad and was implicated and stopped from a terrorist operation which involved the smuggling of MIRV warheads into the United States via Florida. He was killed by a Sidewinder missile fired from a Harrier Jump Jet during a skirmish in downtown Miami.