Mohammad Aslam Watanjar
Encyclopedia
Mohammad Aslam Watanjar (1946–2000) was an Afghan
General
and Politician
. ] He started the "Saur Revolution".
Watanjar later became a member of the politburo in the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
, playing prominent roles in the communist coup as well as the coup that overthrew the constitutional monarchy.
An Andar Ghilzai
Pashtun
from Zurmula in Paktia, Watanjar trained as a tank officer in the Soviet Union
following his graduated from the Military Academy in Kabul
.
, he initiated the march of tank forces from the motorized forces of numbers 4 and 15 near Pul-e-Charkhi against the government.
Colonel Aslam Watanjar was the Army commander on the ground during the Coup, and his troops gained control of Kabul. Colonel Abdul Qadir, the leader of the Air Force squadrons, also launched a major attack on the Royal Palace, in the course of which Mohammed Daoud Khan was killed.
Colonel Watanjar was also in charge of the announcement over Radio Kabul
, in the Pashtu language, that a Revolutionary Council of the Armed Forces had been established, with Colonel Abdul Qadir Dagarwal
at its head. The council's initial statement of principles, issued late in the evening of April 27, was a noncommittal affirmation of Islamic, democratic, and non-aligned ideals.
He was in charge of the operation until Amin took over from him in the evening. On April 30 the RC issued the first of a series of fateful decrees. The decree formally abolished the military's revolutionary council.
The Herat
uprising also set off a new round in the Afghan regime's internal power struggle. To assuage charges of weak performance in the military leadership, Taraki finally granted Watanjar the position of Minister of Defense.
Watanjar's move to take over the Defense Ministry was a demonstrable exploitation of Amin's vulnerability in the aftermath of the failings of the army. However, by July 1979, Amin took over the defense portfolio, replacing him on the grounds that he was a Taraki-sympathizer.
Aslam Watanjar joined forces with Sarwari, Gulabzoy
and others Khalq
is in a plot against then Prime Minister Hafizullah Amin
.
Except for Sarwari, who was from the province of Ghazni
, the others were from Paktia. They had influence with the army, which was officered by a considerable number of persons from Paktia.
Until their break with Amin, Sarwari was head of the Intelligence Department (AGSA), while the others were cabinet ministers. At first close friends of Amin, they later turned against him, siding with President Nur Mohammad Taraki in opposition to Amin.
When Amin overcame them, they took refuge in the Soviet embassy along with Sarwari and Gulabzoy.
After the invasion he was promoted to membership in the central committee and the Revolutionary Council
and was appointed Minister of Communications. In June 1981 he was added to the Politburo
.
Later he served successively as minister of the interior, of defense, and again of the interior
He also headed the official Afghan delegation to Baikonur
, in his position of communications minister and member of its ruling Politburo
.
From March 1990 to April 1992, he was again Secretary of Defense.
There was no resistance from government forces, most of whom had already allied themselves with Masud. Hekmatyar had gained the support of some Pashtun hardliners in the former regime, including the Minister of Internal Affairs, Raz Mohammad Paktin, and the Defence Minister, Maj.-Gen. Mohammad Aslam Watanjar.
Fighting between the two rival factions began almost immediately, with Masud's forces quickly gaining the upper hand. After the fall of Kabul
and the collapse of President Najibullah's government, he left the country.
He died on November 2000, because of cancer in the exile in the Ukrainian
city of Odessa
. He was fifty-six.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and Politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. ] He started the "Saur Revolution".
Watanjar later became a member of the politburo in the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was a government of Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. It was both ideologically close to and economically dependent on the Soviet Union, and was a major belligerent of the Afghan Civil War.- Saur Revolution :...
, playing prominent roles in the communist coup as well as the coup that overthrew the constitutional monarchy.
An Andar Ghilzai
Ghilzai
Ghilzai are the largest Pashtun tribal confederacy found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are also known historically as Ghilji, Khilji, Ghalji, Ghilzye, and possibly Gharzai...
Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
from Zurmula in Paktia, Watanjar trained as a tank officer in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
following his graduated from the Military Academy in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
.
The Saur Revolution
Watanjar's role in the communist coup of 1978 was important. Instructed by Hafizullah AminHafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin was the second President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan....
, he initiated the march of tank forces from the motorized forces of numbers 4 and 15 near Pul-e-Charkhi against the government.
Colonel Aslam Watanjar was the Army commander on the ground during the Coup, and his troops gained control of Kabul. Colonel Abdul Qadir, the leader of the Air Force squadrons, also launched a major attack on the Royal Palace, in the course of which Mohammed Daoud Khan was killed.
Colonel Watanjar was also in charge of the announcement over Radio Kabul
Radio Kabul
Radio Kabul is the official radio station of Afghanistan. The name Radio Kabul has been given to many different incarnations of the state-run radio station since the first radio transmitters were installed in Kabul in the 1920s....
, in the Pashtu language, that a Revolutionary Council of the Armed Forces had been established, with Colonel Abdul Qadir Dagarwal
Abdul Qadir Dagarwal
Abdul Qadir Dagarwal , a colonel, was the leader of the Afghan Air Force squadrons that attacked the Radio-TV Station during the 1978 Coup that started the Saur Revolution....
at its head. The council's initial statement of principles, issued late in the evening of April 27, was a noncommittal affirmation of Islamic, democratic, and non-aligned ideals.
He was in charge of the operation until Amin took over from him in the evening. On April 30 the RC issued the first of a series of fateful decrees. The decree formally abolished the military's revolutionary council.
Part of the Khalqi Government
Following the coup, Watanjar was appointed deputy prime minister and minister of communications. Later he served successively as minister of the interior, of defense, and again of the interior until he joined others in a plot against Amin.The Herat
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
uprising also set off a new round in the Afghan regime's internal power struggle. To assuage charges of weak performance in the military leadership, Taraki finally granted Watanjar the position of Minister of Defense.
Watanjar's move to take over the Defense Ministry was a demonstrable exploitation of Amin's vulnerability in the aftermath of the failings of the army. However, by July 1979, Amin took over the defense portfolio, replacing him on the grounds that he was a Taraki-sympathizer.
Aslam Watanjar joined forces with Sarwari, Gulabzoy
Sayed Mohammad Gulabzoy
Major General Sayed Muhammad Gulabzoi is an Afghan politician.An ethnic Pashtun from the Zadran tribe, Gulabzoy was born in Paktia Province. An Air Force mechanic by training, he studied at the Air Force college...
and others Khalq
Khalq
Khalq was a faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. Its historical leaders were Presidents Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin. It was also the name of the leftist newspaper produced by the same movement. It was supported by the USSR and was formed in 1965 when the PDPA was born...
is in a plot against then Prime Minister Hafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin was the second President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan....
.
Except for Sarwari, who was from the province of Ghazni
Ghazni
For the Province of Ghazni see Ghazni ProvinceGhazni is a city in central-east Afghanistan with a population of about 141,000 people...
, the others were from Paktia. They had influence with the army, which was officered by a considerable number of persons from Paktia.
Until their break with Amin, Sarwari was head of the Intelligence Department (AGSA), while the others were cabinet ministers. At first close friends of Amin, they later turned against him, siding with President Nur Mohammad Taraki in opposition to Amin.
When Amin overcame them, they took refuge in the Soviet embassy along with Sarwari and Gulabzoy.
Part of the Parchami Government
The presence in Soviet Red Army of Sarwari, Watanjar, and Gulabzoy might have influenced the officers not to respond the invasion. Along with them, he served as a guide for the Soviets.After the invasion he was promoted to membership in the central committee and the Revolutionary Council
Revolutionary Council (Afghanistan)
The Revolutionary Council of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan ruled the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1978 until its collapse in 1992. The council was the supreme state power under the communist regime and was a carbon copy of the Supreme Soviet...
and was appointed Minister of Communications. In June 1981 he was added to the Politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
.
Later he served successively as minister of the interior, of defense, and again of the interior
He also headed the official Afghan delegation to Baikonur
Baikonur
Baikonur , formerly known as Leninsk, is a city in Kyzylorda Province of Kazakhstan, rented and administered by the Russian Federation. It was constructed to service the Baikonur Cosmodrome and was officially renamed Baikonur by Russian president Boris Yeltsin on December 20, 1995.The shape of the...
, in his position of communications minister and member of its ruling Politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
.
From March 1990 to April 1992, he was again Secretary of Defense.
There was no resistance from government forces, most of whom had already allied themselves with Masud. Hekmatyar had gained the support of some Pashtun hardliners in the former regime, including the Minister of Internal Affairs, Raz Mohammad Paktin, and the Defence Minister, Maj.-Gen. Mohammad Aslam Watanjar.
Fighting between the two rival factions began almost immediately, with Masud's forces quickly gaining the upper hand. After the fall of Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
and the collapse of President Najibullah's government, he left the country.
He died on November 2000, because of cancer in the exile in the Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
city of Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
. He was fifty-six.