Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, aka Abd-i-Rab Rasoul Sayaf, is a Pashtun warlord commander of a Pashtun militia. The Pashtuns (also Pushtun, Pakhtun, ethnic Afghan, or Pathan) are an ethno-linguistic group consisting mainly of eastern Iranian stock living primarily in eastern and southern Afghanistan, and the North West Frontier Province, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Baluchistan provinces of Pakistan. ...

History of political activities

Abdul was a member of Akhwan-ul-Muslimeen (Muslim Brotherhood), founded in 1969 by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Dr. Syed Burhanuddin Rabbani, based in Afghanistan with strong links to better known Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Fluent in Arabic, Ustad (Professor) Abdul's tenure at the Shariat in Kabul ended in 1973 when he plotted with Burhanuddin Rabbani, Ahmed Shah Massoud and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar to overthrow President Daoud Khan from the Panjshir Valley. Muslim Brotherhood symbol. ... Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (born 1947 in Imam Saheb, Kunduz province, Afghanistan) is an Afghan warlord. ... Ahmed Shah Massoud (احمد شاه مسعود) (c. ... Sardar Mohammed Daoud Khan[1] (July 18, 1909 – April 28, 1978), son of Sardar Mohammed Aziz Khan and grandson of Sardar Mohammed Yusuf Khan was an Afghan statesman and President of the Republic of Afghanistan from 1973 until his assassination in 1978 as a result of a revolution led by...

Sayyaf fought against Soviet occupying forces in Afghanistan during the 1980s, forming a close relationship with Osama bin Laden during jihad against Soviets. Together in the Jalalabad area they established a training camp network, later used by Al-Qaeda personnel, with bunkers and emplacements. [1] Abdul holds a degree in religion from Kabul University and a masters from Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. Motto: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) Translation: Workers of the world, unite!) Anthem: The Internationale (1922-1944) Hymn of the Soviet Union (1944-1991) Capital (and largest city) Moscow Official languages None; Russian de facto Government Socialist Republic/Federation of Soviet Republics  - Last President Mikhail Gorbachev  - Last Premier Ivan Silayev... For other places with the same name, see Kabul (disambiguation). ... Al-Azhar University in Cairo Egypt Al-Azhar University (Arabic: الأزهر الشريف; al-Azhar al-Shareef, the Noble al-Azhar), is connected to the mosque in Cairo named to honor Fatima Az-Zahraa, the daughter of the prophet Muhammad, from whom the Fatimid Dynasty claimed descent. ... Nickname: Al Qahirah (The Triumphant City) Cairos location in Egypt Coordinates: Governor Dr. Abdul Azim Wazir Area    - City 210 km²  - Metro 1,492 km² Population (2005)  - City 7,438,376  - Density 35,420/km²  - Urban 10,834,495  - Metro 15,200,000 Time zone EET (UTC+2)  - Summer (DST...

He was backed by Saudi Arabia, and is head of the Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan, in 2001 the only Pashtun leader allied with the United Front (Northern Alliance) in its war against the governing Taliban prior to the fall of Kabul, thus wielding little clout as a military leader. He was able to pay men under his command with donations he received from wealthy Arab benefactors. Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan (Ittihad-I Islami Bara-yi Azadi) is a political party and a former faction of the Northern Alliance (United Front). ... The Northern Alliance is a term used by the western media, Taliban and Al Qaida to identify the military coalition of various Afghan groups fighting the Taliban. ... Flag flown by the Taliban. ...

9/11 Commission Report

The 9/11 Commission Report mentions on page 146 that Sayyaf was a mentor to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, chief manager of the "planes operation" which culminated in the quadruple hijackings of 2001. Somewhat ironically, the report also mentions on page 149 that "Sayyaf was close to Ahmed Shah Massoud, leader of the Afghan Northern Alliance. Therefore working with him might [have been] a problem for KSM because bin Laden was building ties to the rival Taliban." Abdul allegedly arranged the interview in which Ahmad Massoud was assassinated. The cover of the final 9/11 report, which can be purchased in bookstores across the United States and around the world The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (Arabic: خالد شيخ محمد; also transliterated as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, and other ways) (March 1, 1964 or April 14, 1965 – present) was an important figure in Osama bin Ladens al-Qaeda organization, where he... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ahmed Shah Massoud (احمد شاه مسعود) (c. ... The Northern Alliance is a term used by the western media, Taliban and Al Qaida to identify the military coalition of various Afghan groups fighting the Taliban. ... Osama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden (Arabic: ‎; born March 10, 1957[1]), most often mentioned as Osama bin Laden or Usama bin Laden, is a Saudi Arabian militant Islamist and is widely believed to be one of the founders of the organization called al-Qaeda. ... Flag flown by the Taliban. ...

Abu Sayyaf group

In Kathy Gannon's "I is for Infidel, From Holy War to Holy Terror: 18 Years in Afghanistan". Mrs. Gannon mentions the Abu Sayyaf group, a Philippine terrorist organization, "was named for him by its founder Abdurajak Janjalani. Janjalani was a student and a disciple of his who received military training from him."

Constitutional Loya Jirga

In 2003 Sayyaf was elected one of 502 representatives at the Constitutional Loya Jirga in Kabul, chairing one of the working groups. Originally wanted Loya Jirga intended to divide the 502 delegates randomly among 10 working groups, but Sayyaf objected, suggesting delegates be divided among the groups to ensure equal distribution of professional expertise, provincial origin, gender and other criteria. "Those who know the constitution, the ulema [Islamic scholars], and the lawyers should be split into different groups so that the results of the discussion and debate will be positive, and closer to each other," said Sayyaf. Loya Jirga (June 13, 2002) Loya jirga, occasionally loya jirgah, is a large meeting held in Afghanistan, originally attended by Pashtun groups but later including other ethnic groups. ...

Influence

Abdul Sayyaf's influence in the convention was felt further when his ally Fazal Hadi Shinwari was appointed by Hamid Karzai as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in violation of the constitution, as Fazal was over the age limit and trained only in religious, not secular, law. Shinwari packed the Supreme Court with sympathetic mullahs, called for Taliban-style punishments and renewed Taliban's dreaded Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, renamed the Ministry of Haj and Religious Affairs. It deployed squads to prevent public displays of "un-Islamic" behavior among Afghan women. Hamid Karzai (Pashto: حامد کرزي, Persian: حامد کرزی) (b. ...

External links

• [2] - Human Rights Watch report indicting the Ittihad forces under Sayyaf for human rights abuses.
• [3]