Morghab, Afghanistan

Bala Murghab, Afghanistan Bala Murghab, Murghab District, Badghis Province
Nickname(s): The Valley of the Shadow
Motto: "Please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times."
Bala Murghab, Afghanistan Location in Afghanistan
Coordinates: 35°34′49″N 63°19′40″E / 35.58028°N 63.32778°E / 35.58028; 63.32778Coordinates: 35°34′49″N 63°19′40″E / 35.58028°N 63.32778°E / 35.58028; 63.32778
Country	Afghanistan
Province	Badghis Province
Government
- Type	Tribal
- Chief	Muhammad Lewal
Time zone	+ 4.30

Bala Murghab, Afghanistan (also called Morghab) is a village in Badghis Province in north western Afghanistan. It is the district center for the Murghab District, and home of FOB Todd.^[1]

Key Personalities

Colonel Amir Shah Naibzada, Afghan Border Patrol

One of the most controversial political figures in the province, Amir Shah Naibzada, is the commander of the ABP kandak responsible for northern Herat and Badghis. Rumored to be involved in narcotics trafficking, Amir Shah controls Tajik militias in Qades and has close relatives spread across the provincial government and in particular the security forces. His brother is the police chief of Moqur district. Another brother, Wali Shah Naibzada is a senator, and an uncle is the chief of the Criminal Information Department (CID) police unit, with another uncle heading the Ministry of Finance.

There are accounts of Naibzada committing atrocities in Pashtun communities throughout Badghis including the rape and murder of 20-40 Pashtun women in Akazai in 2002 when he was police chief. Not only is Amir Shah the commander of the Bala Murghab mafia, he is half-Pashtun on his mother’s side and he recently sponsored a benefit for the father of Mohammad Amin, the former district governor, connecting himself with the Pashtuns in Murghab District.

Murder and corruption charges were brought against Amir Shah. However, once the word of the charges reached Kabul, Amir Shah used his power and personal connections in Parliament to nullify the allegations in Badghis. Around 50 elders from Bala Murghab waited months to speak with Karzai about Amir Shah’s severe corruption. Karzai’s alleged answer was, “I can’t change him.”

Haji Mulawi Ramazan

From the Buzi tribe, the very influential Mulawi Ramazan does not openly support the Taliban. He is considered a spiritual leader in the Bala Murghab region. His village is Nowabad, of which he is the elder. He was said to have been the driving force behind the temporary peace treaty in early 2009.

Haji Mullah Ramatullah (Mullah Rahmat)

The district governor before Mohammad Amin, Mullah Ramatullah, is the spiritual leader in the Murghab River Valley and a very influential person. Mullah Ramatullah is such a powerful person, it is said that the youth will kiss his hand. Further, he has the ability to act as a facilitator between disparate groups. He is from Pa’in Panerak Village.

Zaqari Waliz

An influential spiritual and political figure in the Morghab river valley between the years 2008 and 2009. Little is known about his ethnic background or region of origin. Waliz is such a powerful person, it is said that Mullah Rahmat kisses his hand. This may be in part due to the popular idea that he lived in the wild with the Kuchi tribes of the region. It is said the Kuchi believed he was born of a great rock that fell from the sky into the Sigma Mountain, and that they revered him as a holy man and miracle worker.

Rumored to have been a coalition operative, some have speculated that his presence in the valley was a ruse on the part of coalition forces to infiltrate the Taliban infrastructure. The primary purpose behind this was allegedly to get closer to and assassinate Ghulam Dastagir (a Taliban instigator who'd been released from prison and escaped to the remote Morghab region). After Dastagir was killed in the spring of 2009 (on official record as by a coalition air strike), Waliz wasn't seen again. It is said that he lived within FOB Todd. Most believe he has since left the valley. It's said that he fathered many children during his time there.

Sharifullah Sharif

Sharif is an interpreter working in Bala Murghab. He is from an ambiguous mountain tribe of goat herders. Unable to pronounce western names, he is known to call all coalition service members in the valley "Jacques".

^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

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  View of Bala Morghab in the Murghab river valley, Afghanistan (December 2008)

References

1. ^ "NGA GeoName Database". National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 2008-06-08. http://web.archive.org/web/20080608190852/http://geonames.nga.mil/ggmagaz/geonames4.asp. Retrieved 2008-06-13. 
2. ^ http://www.stripes.com/news/afghan-coalition-forces-bridge-doubts-to-make-gains-in-bala-murghab-1.99806
3. ^ "U.S. Soldier Killed in Western Afghanistan Shooting". Fox News. 2009-12-29. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2009/12/29/soldier-killed-western-afghanistan-shooting/. 
4. ^ http://www.isaf.nato.int/article/isaf-releases/jan.-03-cooperation-clears-bala-murghab.html
5. ^ http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/taliban-in-western-afghanistan-to-cease-fire-ahead-of-election_100223526.html
6. ^ http://www.alternet.org/world/144159/did_american_commandos_slaughter_afghan_civilians_in_bala_murghab_residents_say_yes./?page=entire

External links

• Satellite map at Maplandia.com