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As Kabul Backs Azerbaijan In Conflict With Armenia, Afghans Recall Fighting In Previous War

7th October, 2020 · admin 30 Comments

Mohammad Younas was among the thousands of Afghan fighters that Hezb-e Islami, a major Afghan Islamist party, sent to Azerbaijan in the 1990s to bolster Baku in its war against Armenia.

Khatir Pardes
Abubakar Siddique
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

KABUL — Mohammad Younas is nostalgic about his time fighting with Azerbaijani forces in the war against Armenians for the Nagorno-Karabakh territory in the early 1990s.

“If possible, I would again join the Muslims of Azerbaijan to defend them against non-Muslims,” he said, alluding to the predominantly Muslim country in its battle with Armenian forces, who are mainly Orthodox Christians. The conflict between the South Caucasian neighbors has never been considered a religious one.

But Younas’s real motivation was a mix of religious zeal and material gain. “My real motivation in going to Azerbaijan was participating in a jihad, but I also wanted to make some money,” he told RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan.

Younas was among the thousands of Afghan fighters that Hezb-e Islami, a major Afghan Islamist party, sent to Azerbaijan in the 1990s to bolster Baku in its war against Armenia. The conflict between the two Soviet republics mushroomed into a full-scale war after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, which preceded the demise of Afghanistan’s communist regime in April 1992.

While far from being materially involved in the current war over Nagorno-Karabakh, Kabul still supports Baku’s position, which sees Yerevan as occupying its territory — a position also recognized internationally.

Afghanistan’s declared support for Azerbaijan has prompted Armenia to push for an end to Kabul’s observer status in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russian-led regional alliance.

Sending Afghan Mujahedin

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, an anti-Soviet guerrilla and Hezb-e Islami leader, celebrated the fall of his former enemies in Afghanistan in 1992.

But soon after he plunged his country into a civil war as he joined fighting against other Afghan Islamist and ex-communist factions. He eventually became the prime minister in a deeply divided regime in 1993 but failed to establish control over the capital.

Yet Hekmatyar still celebrates sending people like Younas and thousands more of his supporters to fight for Azerbaijan after it requested help. In a speech to his supporters last week, he said that in response to an Azerbaijani request he told Afghan refugees in Iran to join the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“A sizeable number of our mujahedin went there and scored numerous victories,” he told supporters at a Kabul mosque. “They pushed back the Armenians within the initial days and captured many territories. Their advances continued until the Azerbaijani officials approached us ahead of impending talks that resulted in a cease-fire,” he said, referring to an armistice in May 1994 that ended nearly six years of fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Well-Paid To Fight

In Kabul, Younas has vivid memories of the fighting.

He crossed into neighboring Iran from Pakistan after Hezb-e Islami leaders ordered him to go to Azerbaijan. He said he joined a group of 300 Afghans on a special flight from the southeastern Iranian city of Zahedan to Baku in early 1994 from where they were soon deployed to the front lines.

“During one battle an Armenian tank column attacked us; our comrades attempted to target them with rockets,” he said of a battle in the last days of winter in 1994. “One rocket hit our comrade Bashir, who was killed instantly, but we continued fighting.”

Younas said that at the end of the battle they captured eight Armenian fighters. “We later exchanged them to free our comrades,” he said. Upon his return to Afghanistan in June, Younas was paid more than $1,500 for his participation in the fighting by his party, which confirms speculation that Afghan fighters were recruited as mercenaries by Azerbaijan.

Humayun Jarir, Hekmatyar’s son-in-law and a senior Hezb-e Islami leader, says nearly 70 Afghans among the estimated 5,000 fighters their party sent to Azerbaijan were killed in the fighting. He says Hezb-e Islami fighters ultimately contributed to forcing the Armenians to accept a cease-fire.

Beginning in late 1993, Armenian authorities protested the recruitment of Afghans by Azerbaijan. They had warned that the role of Muslim Afghan forces in Nagorno-Karabakh could turn the territorial conflict into a religious war between Muslim Azerbaijanis and the Christian Armenians.

Contrarian Kabul

Yerevan is upset by Kabul’s current diplomatic support for Baku in the latest round of hostilities, which have killed hundreds and led to charges by Armenian officials of Baku receiving material support from Turkey, who Yerevan says has also recruited Syrians to fight in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Late last month, the Afghan government called for an end to the fighting between the two countries but reiterated its support for Azerbaijan.

“Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan,” said a statement by the Afghan Foreign Ministry. “Afghanistan wants the end of the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and supports the efforts of Azerbaijan’s people and other nations.”

This prompted the Armenian parliament to call on the CSTO to move toward stripping Afghanistan of its observer status.

“In response to the statements supporting Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression by Afghanistan, the Republic of Armenia’s National Assembly has officially appealed to the CSTO parliamentary assembly secretary to start the process of depriving Afghanistan of its observer status,” Armenian parliament speaker Arat Miroyan said in a statement on October 2.

While suffering from a seemingly unending war for more than 40 years, Kabul has surprised many by adopting bold and controversial positions in faraway wars and territorial disputes.

In March 2104, Afghanistan joined Syria and Venezuela in backing Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. The United States and its European allies, major donors to Afghanistan, had opposed the move and termed it a “land grab” by Moscow. More than 100 countries voted against Russia’s takeover of Crimea in a UN General Assembly resolution.

Written by Abubakar Siddique based on reporting in Kabul by Khatir Pardes

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Posted in History, Other News, Security, Turkey-Afghanistan Relations | Tags: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Hekmatyar, Hezb-e Islami |
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30 thoughts on “As Kabul Backs Azerbaijan In Conflict With Armenia, Afghans Recall Fighting In Previous War”

  1. Samarqandi says:
    October 7, 2020 at 11:30 pm

    It
    was and is
    totally absurd and unethical
    to
    get young people
    of
    Afghanistan
    involved
    in
    foreign any wars.
    *

  2. Samarqandi says:
    October 7, 2020 at 11:57 pm

    It was
    a
    land dispute between
    the
    two
    ex-communist Soviet republic
    that
    had nothing
    to
    do with the people
    of
    Afghanistan- it was not a Jihad; for very simple reason that
    it
    was not authorized by any
    proven Islamic religious authority
    on
    Islamic affairs.
    ===
    ==
    =
    Some one was playing
    deadly tricks
    on
    seasoned fighters and pilots
    of
    Afghanistan- they wanted
    to
    get them
    killed.
    *

  3. Samarqandi says:
    October 8, 2020 at 12:11 am

    Greedy
    International war criminals
    are, almost always,
    involved
    in
    igniting dirty wars with
    anterior motives.
    .
    I am pretty sure that
    it
    was the case;
    with the ignitions
    of
    the
    Azari/Armani initial
    deadly conflicts; that
    ran
    it all, out
    of
    control !
    =========
    .=======
    =====
    IT IS S SHAME !
    *

  4. Samarqandi says:
    October 8, 2020 at 4:09 am

    Instead
    of
    recounting
    positive past ties; those goofy
    foreign-paid writers,
    ((on commands)), op and rely on
    tales
    of
    hostile
    confrontational dialogues
    and
    anecdotes— pitting one
    against another; has been always
    the
    hallmark
    of
    colonial
    EXPLOITATIVE APPROACH ‘
    ===
    ==
    =
    I guess it still spills magical
    wonders
    beyond
    expectations !
    *

  5. Samarqandi says:
    October 8, 2020 at 12:11 pm

    *Yes; they
    lure and engage
    you
    in
    extremely deadly confined conflicts
    and
    then
    blame you
    for
    it
    all, as well.
    ========
    ========
    *IT IS
    THEIR ((#1))
    HALLMARK !!!!!
    *

  6. Samarqandi says:
    October 8, 2020 at 12:52 pm

    *All for the benefits
    of
    the
    big aggressive powers.
    *

  7. Samarqandi says:
    October 8, 2020 at 1:07 pm

    LET US
    BRING, AT LEAST,
    SOME
    *CIVILITY; *RESPECT
    AND
    PEACE OF MIND
    TO
    THIS
    HIGHLY-EXPLOITED WORLD !
    .
    WAR GAMES
    PREOCCUPIES
    THE
    HEADS- OF COURSE;
    THEY ARE FED
    BY
    IT !
    *

  8. Samarqandi says:
    October 8, 2020 at 4:23 pm

    ALL
    THE SECRET
    FOREIGN
    ===========
    “THUGS AND THUG-MARS”
    ======================
    GOT
    THOSE AFGHANS INVOLVED
    IN
    THAT
    STUPID CONFLICT- ALL; WITH THE
    BLESSINGS
    OF
    THE ANGLO/US
    AND
    OTHER WESTERN
    INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES
    **

  9. Samarqandi says:
    October 8, 2020 at 4:26 pm

    ===================
    ====================
    THE COWARDS
    CREATE IMPOSED
    WAR-BONANZAS AND THEN
    SENT
    YOUNG FOLKS
    OF
    AFGHANISTAN
    TO
    GET SHOT DOWN, ((one by one))
    FROM
    THE
    INSIDE
    OF
    THE
    MEDIOCRE SOVIET-MADE AIRCRAFTS.
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    YES; IT IS ALL WELL-CALCULATED !
    ======================
    .*

  10. Samarqandi says:
    October 8, 2020 at 4:28 pm

    *STOP
    GLOBAL
    SAVAGERIES !!!!!
    *

  11. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 12:10 am

    We all
    must
    know whether; for
    what kinds of specific missions
    they were being
    dispatched
    and
    used ?????
    *

  12. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 12:22 am

    We also
    want
    to
    know whether
    who
    were conceiving the original ideas; and who were
    actually behind the schemes
    of
    recruiting; supplies and their dispatching !
    *

  13. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 12:42 am

    Ironically; the inept
    communist
    governing body
    of
    Azerbaijan was doing nothing
    to
    defend their own; so called,
    “holy motherland”- real funny; two
    goofy
    communist leaders
    of
    two
    ex-republics engage their
    troops
    in
    savage pitch battles and then before you know, young, naive and vulnerable?
    Afghans
    are sent
    to
    wage
    a; so called Jihad, on
    behalf
    of
    the
    communist leaders
    of
    Azerbaijan.
    ****
    **
    *
    Totally; ridiculous- makes no
    sense, at all !
    !!!!’
    *

  14. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 12:45 am

    The people
    of
    Afghanistan got to find out about
    the
    original nationalities
    of
    those
    coward
    schemers !
    *

  15. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 12:54 am

    Now; don’t blame
    it
    all on
    regular innocent folks
    of
    Afghanistan- just; like
    you did
    for
    the
    highly-complex events
    of
    the;
    so called, “September 11”.
    *

  16. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 2:22 am

    Now; I recently heard that
    they are
    working to cook up
    similar scenarios
    for
    the
    Syrian fighters who are against
    the
    government of Bashir Assad.

    • Samarqandi says:
      October 9, 2020 at 11:47 am

      Recused fighters
      are paid,
      by
      unknown scouts from the
      Turkish-controlled
      refuge camps,
      to
      fight
      on
      behalf
      of
      the
      same
      Azerbaijan’s
      ex-communist leadership.
      *

  17. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 2:28 am

    You are censuring
    my,
    one of the kind,
    comments !
    *

  18. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 2:33 am

    Hey; you guys !!!!!!
    ==========
    IT IS
    A
    PUBLIC FORUM- you have no
    right
    to
    censure
    my good comments !
    *

  19. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 3:21 am

    Another goofy
    Indian
    writer, Khatir Pardes,
    is used
    to
    distort facts !
    *

  20. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 3:22 am

    THE
    INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMINALS
    WILL ALWAYS
    FIND
    EXCUSES
    TO
    COMPENSATE
    FOR
    THEIR EXTREME SAVAGERIES
    INSIDE
    THE
    KILLING FIELDS
    OF
    AFGHANISTAN.
    *

  21. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 11:27 am

    *Cheap
    Indian writers are
    always
    ready
    to
    help you write distorted
    articles
    for
    the money- the
    crazy Englishman taught
    them how
    to
    read and write
    in
    English !
    *

  22. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 11:39 am

    Contrary
    to
    this
    goofy and dishonest
    writer’s claims;
    the
    Armenians managed
    to
    annex and declare the autonomy
    of
    the Nagorno-Karabakh- basically;
    they
    defeated
    the
    Azerbaijans
    and
    all of its
    foreign supporting forces.
    *

  23. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 11:41 am

    This
    goofy article
    was written
    for
    false publicity !
    .*

  24. Samarqandi says:
    October 9, 2020 at 11:49 am

    Now; it is all,
    up-to
    your
    fine judgement !
    *

  25. Samarqandi says:
    October 11, 2020 at 12:43 pm

    Afghans were, obviously,
    being
    sent
    to
    join the
    losing battles
    and, in fact, the whole war !
    *

  26. Samarqandi says:
    October 11, 2020 at 12:48 pm

    You cowards have have had
    been committing
    similar crimes
    all across
    Islamic
    countries and who ever happened
    to
    become vulnerable
    to
    your
    savage dirty schemes and bloody tricks.
    *

  27. Samarqandi says:
    October 11, 2020 at 12:51 pm

    And;
    you cowards make it look
    like
    somebody else’s
    mercenary job while, in fact, you
    are the
    real
    despicable culprit soul !
    *

  28. Samarqandi says:
    October 11, 2020 at 12:56 pm

    The funny part is that there is
    nobody,
    ((even the UN reps))
    to
    question, clarify and indict those
    sneaky hardcore
    and well-known perpetrators- because those, very same cowards, control
    those responsible inept organs as well !
    *

  29. Samarqandi says:
    October 11, 2020 at 1:07 pm

    The
    coward
    International War Criminals
    and
    their
    rich accomplices
    have devised numerous varieties
    of
    subtle
    tactical and unconventional ways
    to
    lure and implicate their
    opponents
    and/or
    any
    of
    their
    real and/or imaginary
    critics and rivals
    across
    the
    world- it must be stoped !!!!!
    *

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