ALLEGED AFGHAN CONSPIRATOR DENIES COUP ATTEMPT
A Q&A with Wahidullah Sabauon
Conducted by Camelia Entekhabi-Fard: 4/8/02

On April 3, Hamid Karzai's interim government announced the arrest of 160 citizens, including Northern Alliance officials, accusing them of plotting a coup. Karzai, an ethnic Pashtun from southern Afghanistan, appears to be struggling to preserve an effective governing coalition with Northern Alliance leaders, including Tajiks and Uzbeks. By April 4, 140 of those detained the previous day were released from custody. Interior Minister Yusuf Qanooni insisted that the government had foiled a plot to kill Karzai and the former king, Mohammed Zahir Shah, who postponed a March return to Kabul amid threats on his life. But government critics grumble that the arrests were politically motivated. On April 8, a bomb exploded near a convoy carrying Defense Minister Mohammed Qasim Fahim. Many observers blamed the Hizb-i-Islami, an organization that receives the support of the notorious Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar [for background, see the Eurasia Insight archives], for the attack. Hizb-i-Islami has denied involvement. EurasiaNet correspondent Camelia Entekhabi-Fard spoke with General Wahidullah Sabauon, a former Northern Alliance Finance Minister arrested on April 3, about the chaos in his homeland.

EurasiaNet: Can you tell us the story behind the arrests?
Sabauon: We don't know either. The Interior Ministry says they have evidence. But before people were arrested, we had never heard about these strange allegations. We had many friends at the guest-house at the time. Students and Pashtun guests. Many just had a long beard and police maintained they were Taliban. But they are from Hizb-i Islami, not Talibs or criminals. I don't understand where the treason charge comes from. But they have all been arrested and some are still being questioned. I heard on the radio that they were arrested on charges of being in contact with Hekmatyar. Some of those who were arrested were freed quickly but we have up to 200 still under arrest.

Maybe some other people have been mistaken with those charged in the case. It is possible the police have made a mistake. It is also possible someone is trying to create distrust between us and Qanooni; the Taliban or al Qaeda driving a wedge between us and and the government. Or maybe the whole case has to do with [efforts to control] the Loya Jirga, because it is so important.

EurasiaNet: Do you feel your political future is seriously affected by this incident?
Sabauon: I don't think so. We are steadfast against any form of violence and enmity; we only think about unity. We stand for talking and peacefully resolving all problems. And now after this problem, we feel, we are even a more humane party than before. If the people want to support us, nobody can stop them. It doesn't mean we are thinking about chaos. We don't want anyone hurt or killed. We are surrendering to law and if the constitution says we are criminals, so be it. The courts and the constitution could say if a party is banned or not. If our friends are traitors to the country, they have to be punished.

EurasiaNet: Can you tell me about your relationship with Hekmatyar?
Sabauon: In the early days we had a close relationship with him. That was when he fought against the Russians [after the Soviet invasion of 1980]. Later, I worked with him during the time Burhannudin Rabbani was President, Hekmatyar was Prime Minister and I was the Defence Minister. After the Taliban took over, we moved to the north, and a year and a half later Hekmatyar moved to Iran. I spent five years with the mujaheddin in [the] north. I was a member of the Council of Resistance and its Finance Minister. I have to say that for the last five years, I haven't heard his voice and we haven't talked to each other. I respect him, but his problem with the mujaheddin and the US has nothing to do with me. He distorted the party. I think if the government now wants to isolate him, it has to make more friends. That is the only way.

EurasiaNet: You mentioned that the arrests may be related to the Loya Jirga. Can you explain?
Sabauon: I am just speculating about this. All we know is that, right after the Taliban, when the time came to share power, people received one or two ministries in the new government - all except us. [Uzbek warlord] Abdul Rashid Dostum, [Herat governor] Ismail Khan, [Hazara leader Karim] Khalili, Rabbani, [and his ally Abdul] Sayaf. Just us were kept from power at this stage! I don't know why. We don't have any chance in the new government. We are waiting for the Loya Jirga. If we are not counted in for the Loya Jirga, we could wait for the national elections. We just want to work for the people and for the central government.

We are Afghans. In this country, people welcome their guests. I hoped I had more respect from the government because I had around 300 guests in the guesthouse. Article 43 of the constitution says who is a criminal and why, and it discusses when a party can be banned. Everything is spelled out clearly. So for now, we are just going to wait.

Editor's Note: Camelia Entekhabi-Fard is a freelance journalist who specializes in Afghan and Iranian affairs.

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Posted April 8, 2002 © Eurasianet
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