General Dostum: Afghan Vice-President and former field commander

Abdul-Rashid Dostum is an Afghan politician and former field commander. Since 2014, he has served as vice president of the country. During the regime of Najibullah, Dostum had the rank of army general and fought on the side of the government. Subsequently, he repeatedly entered into various military alliances. Sometimes his former enemies became allies of Dostum, and vice versa. A protracted civil war led to the destruction of the central government in Afghanistan. General Dostum turned into the actual ruler of the territories that were under the control of his armed formations. In 2013, the former field commander officially apologized for his mistakes during the civil war.

early years

Abdul-Rashid Dostum is considered an ethnic Uzbek. He was born in the Afghan province of Jauzjan in 1954. Because of financial problems in the family, Dostum received only a basic traditional education. At a young age he began to work in the state gas industry. In 1978, Dostum enlisted in the army. He served in a detachment that was in charge of the Ministry of National Security.

Career in the Army

In the period of the presence of Soviet troops in Afghanistan, Dostum was appointed commander of the government division. Its personnel were formed mainly from ethnic Uzbeks. The division fought against the forces of the Mujahideen. Dostum obeyed directly to President Najibullah, who appropriated him the rank of general.

Soon after the withdrawal of Soviet troops, Afghan Defense Minister Tanay organized an armed insurrection with the aim of overthrowing the regime. General Dostum participated in suppressing the attempt of a military coup. At that time, he developed his own political views and began to support the idea of federalization of the country.

Civil War

After the fall of the pro-Soviet regime of President Najibullah, General Dostum concluded an alliance with the opposition forces. He became an independent field commander. The division of Dostum promoted the capture of the capital by the rebel forces. This was followed by a series of armed conflicts between opposition leaders. During the confrontation of many different factions, Dostum often switched from one alliance to another. In relation to some field commanders, he happened to be in the role of both an enemy and an ally.

Northern Alliance

The development and strengthening of the Taliban movement has become a serious threat to the rest of the Afghan military formations. General Dostum and several other influential warlords created the so-called Northern Alliance to fight the common enemy . This happened in 1996 after the capture by the Taliban of Kabul.

General Dostum received full control over a number of provinces in the north of the country. He deployed his troops in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, which became the capital of a virtually independent territory. Dostum printed his own currency, which had circulation in the provinces under his control.

The military actions of the Northern Alliance against the Taliban were proceeding with varying success. The army of Dostum failed to defend its territory. It, including the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, fell into the hands of the Taliban. Dostum was forced to emigrate from the country.

Return

In 2001, a US Army military operation under the name of "Enduring Freedom" began in Afghanistan. Its main goal was to destroy the Taliban regime. The actions of the US Armed Forces have been supported by the Northern Alliance. For several months, the Taliban were routed.

In the course of these events, General Dostum returned from exile. The biography of the independent field commander entered a new phase. Dostum was offered the post of Deputy Minister of Defense in the new Afghan government. In 2014 he was elected vice-president.

Political Views

During the reign of Dostum, relatively liberal laws operated on the territories under his jurisdiction. Women were not forced to close their faces in public places, girls were allowed to attend school, television broadcast music and films produced in India. The Taliban regime strictly forbade such things.

Dostum is the leader of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan. This is a political party, in which ethnic Uzbeks are predominant.