Ministry of Defense (Afghanistan)

Ministry of Defense
Dari: وزارت دفاع ملی ; Pashto: د ملي دفاع وزارت
	Emblem of the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
	; Flag of the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Department overview
Jurisdiction	Government of Afghanistan
Headquarters	Kabul; 34°31′26″N 69°11′11″E / 34.523938°N 69.186437°E
Minister responsible	Mullah Yaqoob; (Acting);
Deputy Minister responsible	Abdul Qayyum Zakir; (Acting);
Department executives	Muhammad Ali Akhund, Director of Intelligence; Qari Lutfullah "Habibi", Spokesperson;
Child Department	General Directorate of Intelligence;
Website	mod.gov.af/en

The Ministry of Defense (Dari: وزارت دفاع ملی, Wizārat-e Difā'-e Millī, Pashto: د ملي دفاع وزارت, Də Millī Difā' Wizārat) is the cabinet ministry of Afghanistan responsible for overseeing the military of Afghanistan (currently the Islamic Emirate Armed Forces). The ministry is located in Kabul.^[3]

The Democratic Republic period

From the 30th of April until 9 August 1978, Abdul Qadir succeeded the slain Ghulam Haidar Rasuli as Defense Minister of the DRA, responsible for the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, until being succeeded by General Aslam Watanjar. In 1990 forces loyal to Minister of Defense Shahnawaz Tanai and Hezbi Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar attempted a fail coup against then President Najibullah. His forces were thwarted by General Aslam Watanjar who was rewarded the post of Minister of Defence. Watanjar would be the last Minister of Defense of the DRA/ROA.^[4]^[5]^[6] The government collapsed in 1992.

Additionally, the Ministry of Defense also had their own annual publication titled “The Military Magazine” (Pashto: د اردو مجله, Dari: مجله ارتش) which began in 1967, under the Kingdom of Afghanistan. This was continued under the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.^[7]

The Islamic Republic period

During the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021), the defense minister was nominated by the President of Afghanistan and the National Assembly made the final approval.

One of the functions of the Defense Ministry during that period was the continuance of disarming insurgent groups, through programmes such as the Afghan New Beginnings Programme (which included the rehabilitation and reintegration of child soldiers). These militant groups coalesced from warlords and former army personnel after the collapse of the Najibullah government in 1992.^[8]

List of ministers

Name	Took office	Left office
Sayyid Husayn	January 1929	March 1929	Saqqawist
Purdil Khan	March 1929	October 1929	Saqqawist
Shah Mahmud Khan^[9]	1929	1947	Unknown
Amanul Mulk^[a]	c. 1944	c. 1946	Unknown
Gen. Mohammad Daoud Khan^[9]	1947	1948	Unknown
Gen. Muhammad Umar^[9]	1948	1952	Unknown
Gen. Muhammad Aref^[9]	1952	1958	Unknown
Gen. Mohammad Daoud Khan^[9]	1958	1963	Unknown
Gen. Khan Muhammad^[9]	1963	1973	Unknown
Pres. Mohammad Daoud Khan^[9]	1973	1973	Unknown
Abdul Karim Mustaghni	1973	1977	Republican (from 1974)
Ghulam Haidar Rasuli	1977	April 1978	Republican
Abdul Qadir	27 April 1978	17 August 1978	PDPA–Parcham
Nur Muhammad Taraki	17 August 1978^[10]	1 April 1979	PDPA–Khalq
Mohammad Aslam Watanjar	1 April 1979	28 July 1979	PDPA–Khalq
Hafizullah Amin	July 1979	27 December 1979^[b]	PDPA
Mohammed Rafie	28 December 1979	1982	PDPA
Abdul Qadir	1982	September 1984	PDPA–Parcham
Nazar Mohammad	September 1984	1986	PDPA–Khalq
Mohammed Rafie	December 1986	May 1988	PDPA
Shahnawaz Tanai	May 1988	March 1990^[c]	PDPA–Khalq
Mohammad Aslam Watanjar	March 1990	April 1992	PDPA–Khalq
Ahmad Shah Massoud	28 April 1992	9 September 1993	Jamiat-e Islami
Waheedullah Sabawoon	10 September 1992	15 February 1995	Hezbi Islami
Obaidullah Akhund	April 1997	9 September 2001	Taliban
Mohammed Fahim	9 September 2001	23 December 2004	Jamiat-e Islami
Abdul Rahim Wardak	23 December 2004	7 August 2012	Mahaz-e-Milli-ye Islami
Enayatullah Nazari	8 August 2012	15 September 2012	Jamiat-e Islami
Bismillah Khan Mohammadi	15 September 2012	24 May 2015	Jamiat-e Islami
Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai	24 May 2015	20 June 2016	Independent (Military)
Abdullah Habibi	20 June 2016	24 April 2017	Independent (Military)
Tariq Shah Bahramee	24 April 2017	23 December 2018	Independent (Military)
Asadullah Khalid	23 December 2018	25 July 2020	Ittehad-e Islami
Shahmahmood Miakhel	25 July 2020	19 March 2021	Independent (Military)
Yasin Zia	19 March 2021	19 June 2021	Independent (Military)
Bismillah Khan Mohammadi	19 June 2021^[12]	15 August 2021	Jamiat-e Islami
Abdul Qayyum Zakir (acting)	24 August 2021	7 September 2021	Taliban
Mullah Yaqoob (acting)	7 September 2021^[13]	Incumbent	Taliban

Notes

^ Rebel defence minister in the Eastern Province, during the 1944–47 tribal revolts.
^ Assassinated by Soviet special forces during the Operation Storm-333.^[11]
^ Dismissed following the 1990 Afghan coup attempt.

References

^ "د اسلامي امارت په تشکیلاتو کې نوي کسان پر دندو وګومارل شول". باختر خبری آژانس. 4 October 2021.
^ "سخنگوی وزارت دفاع ملی معرفی شد | وزارت دفاع ملی". mod.gov.af.
^ "Afghanistan gets 'mini-Pentagon' as troops struggle". Associated Press. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
^ Burns, John F. (10 May 1990). "Kabul Journal; in Power Still, Afghan Can Thank His 4-Star Aide". The New York Times.
^ Crossette, Barbara (21 March 1990). "Failed Kabul Coup Changes Opinions". The New York Times.
^ "Archives". Los Angeles Times.
^ Ketabton.com. د اردو مجله - 11 - 12 - 1360.
^ Bhatia, Michael; Sedra, Mark (2008). Afghanistan, Arms and Conflict: Armed groups, disarmament, and security in a postwar society. Abingdon: Routledge. pp. 122–123. ISBN 978-0-415-47734-5.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Adamec, Ludwig (1975). Historical and Political Who's Who of Afghanistan by Ludwig W. Adamec. ISBN 3201009210.
^ Bradsher, Harry (1999). Afghan Communism and Soviet Intervention. Oxford University Press. pp. 35–36. ISBN 0195790170.
^ "How Soviet troops stormed Kabul palace". BBC. 27 December 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
^ "Afghan president replaces security ministers amid Taliban advance". 19 June 2021.
^ "Taliban announce new government for Afghanistan". BBC News. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.

External links

Official site
د ملي دفاع وزارت - وزارت دفاع ملی on Twitter (English: Ministry of Defense)

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[10] Rebel defence minister in the Eastern Province, during the 1944–47 tribal revolts.

[13] Assassinated by Soviet special forces during the Operation Storm-333.^[11]

[14] Dismissed following the 1990 Afghan coup attempt.

[1] "د اسلامي امارت په تشکیلاتو کې نوي کسان پر دندو وګومارل شول". باختر خبری آژانس. 4 October 2021.

[2] "سخنگوی وزارت دفاع ملی معرفی شد | وزارت دفاع ملی". mod.gov.af.

[3] "Afghanistan gets 'mini-Pentagon' as troops struggle". Associated Press. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2016.

[4] Burns, John F. (10 May 1990). "Kabul Journal; in Power Still, Afghan Can Thank His 4-Star Aide". The New York Times.

[5] Crossette, Barbara (21 March 1990). "Failed Kabul Coup Changes Opinions". The New York Times.

[Los_Angeles_Times-6] "Archives". Los Angeles Times.

[7] Ketabton.com. د اردو مجله - 11 - 12 - 1360.

[BhatiaSedra-8] Bhatia, Michael; Sedra, Mark (2008). Afghanistan, Arms and Conflict: Armed groups, disarmament, and security in a postwar society. Abingdon: Routledge. pp. 122–123. ISBN 978-0-415-47734-5.

[afgwhoiswho-9] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Adamec, Ludwig (1975). Historical and Political Who's Who of Afghanistan by Ludwig W. Adamec. ISBN 3201009210.

[11] Bradsher, Harry (1999). Afghan Communism and Soviet Intervention. Oxford University Press. pp. 35–36. ISBN 0195790170.

[12] "How Soviet troops stormed Kabul palace". BBC. 27 December 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2021.

[aljazeera-15] "Afghan president replaces security ministers amid Taliban advance". 19 June 2021.

[BBC_Taliban_Cabinet_2.0rc1-16] "Taliban announce new government for Afghanistan". BBC News. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.

[1]

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