Afghanistan (2 page)

Peshawar: Capital and largest city of NWFP, on traditional trade routes from the subcontinent to Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass. Headquarters of the Sunni Afghan resistance parties in 1978–92.

Peshawar Seven: The seven Sunni Afghan resistance parties supported by Pakistan during the 1978–92 conflict with headquarters in Peshawar. All except JIA were led by and predominantly composed of ethnic Pushtuns.

PIB: Pakistan Intelligence Bureau. Pakistan’s civilian-based intelligence agency (CIA equivalent). Secondary to ISI under military governments, has been emphasized by some elected governments but has never been allowed to control Afghanistan policy.

Pir: Saint in human form, holy man. Important in traditional Afghan Islam as a focus of devotion. Can be hereditary. Considered unIslamic by Deobandi and especially Wahabi influenced Islam.

PRC: People’s Republic of China.

Purdah: Literally “veil,” the practice of female separation from non-family members in the private sphere of life.

Qawm (also quam): Afghan affinity group, a building block of Afghan society. Based on blood ties, ethnicity, locality, religious practice, or other bonds.

Qazi: Alim learned in Sharia law.

Salafi: Fundamentalist Islamic movement that aims to recreate the practices of the first generation of Muslim believers.

Sardar: Hereditary Baluch tribal leader, having much stronger and more unitary authority than a Pushtun tribal chief.

Sayid: Descendant of the Prophet Mohammed.

Sipah-e-Sahaba: Pakistani terrorist group with roots in violence against Shia landlords in south Punjab. Participated in conflicts in Kashmir, Afghanistan (where they committed atrocities against Afghan Shias), and the FATA.

Sharia: The body of Islamic religious law, Sunni and Shia. The legal framework within which the public and private aspects of life are regulated.

Shomali Plain: Fertile agricultural area to the north of Kabul, subjected to ethnic cleansing and scorched-earth policies by Al Qaeda-inspired Taliban in the late 1990s.

Shura: Body for collective decision-making and dispute resolution. Usually comprised of a number of local elder males with a claim to some legitimate authority.

Shura-e-Nazar: Council of the North, organization Shah Massoud in 1980s. Became part of Northern Alliance, founded by Ahmad.

SSG: Special Security Group, Pakistan Army special operations forces.

Sufi (Sufic): The inner, mystical dimension of Islam, applicable to Sunni and Shia Islam. As a mystic in direct personal communion with the infinite, there is tension between the Sufi and the alim, who has an intervening role between the two.

Tablighi Jamaat: Deobandi-influenced Muslim organization, publically eschewing political violence. Believed to operate worldwide and have tens of millions of members.

Takfir: Muslims that are worse than infidels. The Al Qaeda-Taliban definition of these individuals is shared by few genuine theologians, who dispute whether this is a valid categorization.

TNSM: Tehrik-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammed. Founded by Sufi Mohammed and son-in-law “radio mullah” Fazlullah. Operates in Bajaur, Swat, and NWFP.

Transport Mafia: Colloquial name used to describe many predominantly Pushtun firms that handle Pakistan’s inter-city and international truck traffic.

TTP: Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. Coalition of Pakistan Islamic radical insurgent movements, under Behtullah Mehsud.

Wahabi: Islamic movement originating in Saudi Arabia, aiming to implement a “pure” Islam free from local or traditional accretions.

Westphalia: Treaty of 1648 often cited as creating the modern nation-state system.

1709: Kandahar revolts under Ghilzay chief Mir Wais Hotaki, secedes from Persian Empire.

1747: Pushtun chief Ahmad Shah Durrani conquers Kandahar, Ghazni and Kabul, establishes a kingdom and dynasty.

1776: Capital moves to Kabul from Kandahar.

1839–42: First Anglo-Afghan War.

1849: Second Sikh War ends. British annexation of Peshawar and most of what is now NWFP.

1857: Indian Mutiny. End of HEIC, British imperial rule established in India, replacing Mughal Empire, leads to crisis in Islamic politics in the subcontinent.

1878–80: Second Anglo-Afghan War. War ends with Afghan acceptance of most terms of the Treaty of Gandamack. Afghanistan gives Britain control of foreign policy in return for support for Kabul government, but retains sovereignty.

1880–1901: Reign of King Abdur Rahman, “the iron amir” who created the institution of Afghanistan nationhood, consolidating rule from Kabul by force of arms.

1893: Durand Line created.

1919: Third Afghanistan War. Kabul tries to raise tribes on British side of the Durand Line.

1919–29: Reign of King Amanullah in Afghanistan, identified with nationalism, reform, and modernization.

1919: Amritsar massacre in the Punjab. Start of popular movement for decolonization in the subcontinent.

1921: Anglo-Afghan Treaty. Afghanistan regains control over foreign affairs from New Delhi.

1926: Treaty of Neutrality and Friendship with the Soviet Union.

1928–31: Civil wars in Afghanistan. Following a revolt against the modernizer King Amanullah in 1927, he abdicated in 1929 in favor of his brother Enyatullah. He was succeeded by as king by Habibullah Kalakani (executed 1929) and Mohammed Nadir, who repeals most of Amanullah’s reforms (assassinated 1933).

1929: Tajik leader Habibullah Kalakani (also known as Bacha-e-Saqao) seizes power for nine months.

1933: Zahir crowned king of Afghanistan, reigns until 1973.

1944–46: Safi Revolt. Kunar valley ethnically cleansed of Safi Pushtuns.

1947: Partition of Indian Empire.

1947–49: First conflict in Kashmir. Pakistan recruits
lashkars of Pushtuns from both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

1949: Golden Age starts in Afghanistan, with experimental reform, democratic measures, foreign aid from Soviet Union and US.

1961–63: Years of deteriorating relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghanistan’s claims to Pushtunistan lead Pakistan to close the border to trade.

1965: Indo-Pakistani war. Afghanistan remains neutral.

1970: First year rains fail in Afghanistan. Leads to widespread crop failures in 1970–73; hardship in rural Afghanistan hurts Kabul’s legitimacy.

1971: Pakistan loses war with India, resulting in secession of East Pakistan as Bangladesh. Afghanistan remains neutral. Pakistan starts looking at countering India through “strategic depth” and Islamic approaches that would provide international strength and threaten India; both affect Afghanistan.

17 July 1973: King Zahir overthrown in bloodless coup by his cousin, former Prime Minister Prince Mohammed Daoud. End of Golden Age. Afghanistan declared a republic.

July 1975: “Panjshir revolt” by Pakistan-trained Islamists. Religious leaders also lead uprisings in Badakhshan, Jalalabad, Laghman, and Paktia.

28 April 1978: Military putsch by Communist Khalqi army officers in Kabul. Daoud and many others in his family and leadership—secular and religious—murdered. People’s Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (PDRA) established.

May 1978: Start of widespread arrests and executions.

Summer 1978: Start of largest national rising of the twentieth century in Afghanistan.

21 March 1979: Herat uprising against Soviets leads to increased military intervention, use of firepower.

1979: Start of external aid, largely routed via Government of Pakistan (especially ISI) for the Afghan resistance. US, China, Saudi Arabia, many other countries supply funding but Pakistan
insists on a monopoly on resource allocation.

27 December 1979: Soviet invasion, new Parcham-dominated Afghan government put in place under Babrak Karmal.

1986: Najibullah (Parcham former secret police chief and ethnic but detribalized Pushtun) put into place as head of pro-Soviet Republic of Afghanistan, replacing Babrak Karmal.

February 1989: Soviet combat forces withdraw from Afghanistan.

April 1992: Collapse of Najibullah regime in Kabul, fighting between Afghan groups over city.

August 1992: Resumed fighting—HiH rocket attacks on Kabul.

5 November 1994: Taliban occupy Kandahar.

10 May 1996: Bin Laden arrives in Jalalabad as guest of ISA’s Nangarhar Shura, who remember him from the anti-Soviet war.

27 September 1996: Kabul falls to Taliban.

2000: ISI dissatisfaction with Taliban, leads to study to plan “Taliban light” as replacement.

21 March 2001: Destruction of Bamiyan Buddhas by Taliban demonstrates radicalization, Al Qaeda influence.

9 September 2001: Assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud by Al Qaeda.

11 September 2001: Multiple terrorist attacks in US by Al Qaeda.

19 September 2001: First US intelligence and special operations forces enter Afghanistan.

7 October 2001: First US airstrikes in Afghanistan.

9 November 2001: Mazar-e-Sharif entered by ISA forces.

13 November 2001: Kabul entered by ISA forces, ignoring US appeal to stay out.

14–24 November 2001: “Airlift of evil,” Pakistan permitted to airlift ISI and other forces fighting the ISA from Kunduz before Taliban surrender.

10 December 2001: Kandahar abandoned by Afghan Taliban; last major city held by them in Afghanistan.

22 December 2001: Bonn agreement. Hamid Karzai becomes president of Afghan Interim Government, later Transitional government.

23 December 2001: Terrorist attack on Indian Parliament.

January 2002: Operation Anaconda. Al Qaeda and Taliban forces retreat from Afghanistan into Pakistan.

20–28 January 2002: Tokyo Conference.

March 2002: Initial ISAF deployment to Kabul begins.

21 March 2002: State schools reopen in Afghanistan on a nationwide basis.

15 April 2002: Former king Zahir returns to Afghanistan, later appears at Emergency and Constitutional Loya Jirgas, receives title of “Father of the Nation.”

June 2002: Emergency Loya Jirga in Afghanistan; 1,500 delegates selected through indirect UN-supervised elections select head of state (Karzai) and other key officials.

10 October 2002: Provincial elections in Pakistan. Rise of MMA seen as reaction to defeat of Taliban.

July 2003: ISAF “NATO-ized,” first ground forces commitment in history of alliance.

September 2003: National Solidarity Program (NSP) established.

November 2003: US Ambassador Zalmay Khailzad arrives in Kabul.

December 2003 —Janaury 2004: Constitutional Loya Jirga in Afghanistan. 500 delegates and 50 appointed member debate and approve Afghan constitution. Islamic Republic of Afghanistan established. Hamid Karzai is president of transitional government.

December 2003: Assassination attempts against Musharraf (two).

11 March 2004: Madrid train station bombings.

April 2004: South Waziristan peace accord with insurgents.

9 October 2004: Presidential elections in Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai elected president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

February 2005: Second South Waziristan peace accord.

June 2005: US Ambassador Zalmay Khailzad departs Kabul.

7 July 2005: London transport bombings.

18 September 2005: Parliamentary elections in Afghanistan.

October 2005: Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) drafted as roadmap for Afghan and international efforts.

8 October—December 2005: Earthquake in northern Pakistan and subsequent relief efforts. Pakistan Army relief efforts widely perceived as inadequate.

31 January 2005: London Conference, initial draft of Afghanistan Compact approved, Initial Afghan National Development Strategy introduced.

7 August 2006: Transatlantic airline bombing plot by Al Qaeda exposed.

September 2006: Waziristan Peace accord signed at Miranshah.

April 2007: Musharraf attempted removal of Chief Justice Iftikhar. Mohammed Chaudry starts crisis.

17 July 2007: Former King Zahir Shah dies.

29 July 2007: Lal Masjid incident in Islamabad. Pakistan security forces move against radical mosque associated with insurgents.

9–13 August 2007: First peace jirga in Kabul with Musharraf and Karzai.

6 October 2007: Musharraf reelected by national and provincial assemblies, oppositions boycott elections.

3 November 2007: Musharraf declares state of emergency.

December 2007: Pakistan Taliban unites under TTP umbrella organization.

27 December 2007: Assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

18 February 2008: Election in Pakistan. PPP wins largest share of vote.

12 June 2008: Paris conference on Afghanistan.

18 August 2008: Resignation of Pakistan’s President Musharraf.

26–27 November 2008: Mumbai is site of apparent Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist attack, evidence points to it being launched from Pakistan.

16 February 2009: NWFP government makes agreement with TNSM giving them effective control of Swat valley.

February 2009: Pakistan military launches offensive in South Waziristan, withdraws after inflicting heavy casualties on insurgents.

March 2009: Political crisis in Pakistan as Supreme Court blocks former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz from holding office. Resolved, followed by return to office of Chief Justice Chaudry.

27 March 2009: US Obama administration announces strategic review, appointment of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke as special envoy of Afghanistan and Pakistan (“AfPak”).

25 April—June 2009: Pakistan military launches two-division operation to reclaim Swat from TNSM.

5 August 2009: Death of TTP leader Behtullah Mehsud in US UAV attack.

20 August 2009: Afghan presidential elections lead to widespread accusations of fraud.

August 2009: McChrystal report. Assessment of situation in Afghanistan leaked to press, leads to prolonged public consideration of request for more US military personnel to deploy to Afghanistan.

17 October 2009: Pakistan military launches offensive into South Waziristan.

1 November 2009: Afghan presidential election runoff prevented by concession of Dr. Abdullah.