Abdullah Wardak

Infobox_Governor
name= Abdullah Wardak


imagesize=200px
caption=Abdullah Wardak speaks to the newest police graduates during a graduation ceremony. ( 21 February 2008 forward operating base Shank, Afghanistan.)
order=
office= Governor of Logar Province, Afghanistan
term_start= 19 July 2007
term_end= 13 September 2008
lieutenant=
predecessor= Sayed Abdul Karim Hashimi
successor=
birth_date= 1954 or 1955cite web |url=http://www.pajhwak.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=61948 |title=Taliban claim killing Wardak |accessdate=2008-09-19 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-09-13 |work=Pajhwok Afghan News |publisher=]
birth_place= Saydabad District, Wardak Province
death_date= 13 September 2008
death_place= Paghman
spouse=
profession=
party=
religion= Muslim
order2=
term_start2=
term_end2=
predecessor2=
successor2=

Mohammad Jan Abdullah Wardak (1954 or 1955 – 13 September 2008) was an Afghan politician and former Mujahideen commander. He served as a government Minister and Governor of Logar Province.cite web |url=http://www.nps.edu/Programs/CCS/Docs/Executive%20Summaries/Logar.pdf |title=Program for Culture and Conflict Studies (pdf) |accessdate=2008-09-16 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=Naval Postgraduate School] cite web |url=http://www.kuwait-info.com/a_news/NewsDetails1.asp?id=91202&dt=9/14/2008&ntype=World |title=Afghan governor assassinated in bomb blast: officials |accessdate=2008-09-16 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work=kuwait-info.com |publisher=]

Biography

Abdullah Wardak, an ethnic Pashtun, was born in the Wardak Province of Aghanistan.
During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan he fought as a Mujahideen. He was aligned with Abdul Rasul Sayyaf's Islamic Union for the liberation of Afghanistan party. When the Taliban came to power he fought against them as part of the Northern Alliance. He fought alongside the American forces in 2001, helping to overthrow the Taliban regime.cite web |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7613888.stm|title=Afghan provincial governor killed |accessdate=2008-09-16 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-09-13 |work= |publisher=bbc.co.uk]

In December 2001, following the Bonn Agreement, Abdullah Wardak was appointed Minister of Martyrs and Disabled in the Afghan Transitional Administration of Hamid Karzai.cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1693412.stm |title=Afghanistan's interim cabinet
accessdate=2008-09-16 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2001-12-27 |work= |publisher=bbc.co.uk] A position he held until a new Cabinet was selected in December 2004 following the presidential election. [cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2004-12-23-afghan_x.htm |title=Afghanistan's new cabinet sworn in |accessdate=2008-09-21 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2004-2-12-23 |work=USA Today |publisher=] In July 2007 he was appointed Governor of Logar Province, replacing Sayed Abdul Karim Hashimi, who was perceived as being ineffective on counter-insurgency measures.

In January 2005 Abdullah Wardak visited Evansville, Indiana and spoke at the Bethel Temple Community Church. He spoke about the war in Afghanistan and how he was helping the church to open a school, an orphanage and a home for widows in Kabul. [cite web |url=http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/sep/17/assassinated-afghan-governor-had-evansville-connec/ |title=Assassinated Afghan governor had Evansville connection
accessdate=2008-09-19 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-09-17 |work=Evansville Courier & Press |publisher=] He received the key to the city from Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel. [cite web |url=http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/sep/18/slain-afghan-once-was-honored-here/?partner=RSS |title= Slain Afghan once was honored here|accessdate=2008-09-19 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-09-18 |work=Evansville Courier & Press |publisher=]

Assassination

On the morning of 13 September 2008 Abdullah Wardak left his residence in Paghman and was being driven to his office. It was whilst his vehicle was crossing a dry river bed that a remote control mine was detonated. The car was destroyed and Abdullah Wardak, his driver and two bodyguards were killed. The attack happened at around 08:00 local time, approximately 300 yards from Abdullah Wardak's home. [cite web |url=http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7012282726 |title=Afghan Governor Assassinated By A Roadside Bomb, Taliban Claimed |accessdate=2008-09-19 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-09-13 |work= |publisher=All Headline News] Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the bomb had been remotely detonated by two Taliban insurgents.cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/13/afghan.governor/ |title=Taliban claims it killed Afghan governor, bodyguards |accessdate=2008-09-16 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-09-13 |work= |publisher=cnn.com]
Abdullah Wardak is the second provincial Governor to be assassinated by the Taliban. The first was the Governor of Paktia Province, Hakim Taniwal in September 2006.
President Hamid Karzai condemned the assassination by "terrorists" and was said to be "deeply saddened" he described Abdullah Wardak as a "true son of Afghanistan". Zemarai Bashary a spokesman for the Interior ministry said "The Governor has been martyred".

On 14 September 2008 Abdullah Wardak's funeral was held at the mosque in Pajak village, Paghman District, he was buried in the grounds of his home. The funeral was held amid tight security and attended by government officials and members of the United National Front. [cite web |url=http://www.pajhwak.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=62010 |title=Wardak laid to rest |accessdate=2008-09-19 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-09-14 |work=Pajhwok Afghan News |publisher=]

References

External links

* [http://isn-search.ethz.ch/cgi-bin/nato.cgi?q=Abdullah+Wardak&gr=off&x=40&y=17 Abdullah Wardak at ISN]

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
before=Sayed Abdul Karim Hashimi
title=Governor of Logar Province, Afghanistan
years=July 2007 – September 2008
after=TBA