Tag: Mohammad Hanif Atmar

He is stepping out from the shadowy world of espionage that shaped him from a young age, and into the messy field of Afghan politics in the hopes of becoming president. In recent weeks, he marshaled crowds of mostly young supporters at a rally in Kabul, the Afghan capital, and in Khost, in the southeast, to mark the creation of a political party that he hopes can become a factor in the presidential election next spring. The incumbent, Mr. Ghani, has declared that he will seek re-election, but his struggle on every front, from deteriorating security to the disintegration of the coalition that got him elected, has given hope to his potential opponents. But many members of Mr. Ghani’s coalition are already positioning to rally behind others or throw their own hats in the ring. Several of the potential first-time contenders are, like Mr. Khalid, former security ministers. “In the provinces, the governor is the overall in charge,” Mr. Khalid said. “Man,” Mr. Khalid asked with a smile, “if Mr. Karzai comes, then what will be left for you and me?” Mr. Khalid is a product of Afghanistan’s history of turmoil over the past four decades, thrust into a life of weapons, money and secretive missions from a young age. Soon after his release, Mr. Khalid joined the Islamist resistance, which operated out of Pakistan. In the early 1990s, after the mujahedeen overran the Communist government and took charge in Kabul, Mr. Khalid had a brief taste of normalcy. Mr. Khalid is aware that his years working with Mr. Sayyaf are a legacy that must be overcome, if he is to seek office.