Sher Mohammed Akhundzada

Sher Mohammed Akhundzada was the governor of Helmand province in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban in 2001 until December 2005 when he was appointed as a MP in the National Assembly of Afghanistan by President Hamid Karzai. The appointment of Sher Mohammed to Parliament was reportedly influenced by NATO forces, who believe Sher Mohammed to be a major opium smuggler.cite news
url=http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0413-05.htm
title=US Secrets for Sale Outside Bagram Airbase
date=April 13, 2006
publisher=The Independent
author=Tom Coghlan, Tahir Luddin
accessdate=2007-04-30]

In early 2005, Sher Mohammed's offices were raided by counter-narcotics agents who found 9 metric tons of opium.cite news
url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/050808/8spotlight.htm
title=A Stash to Beat All: In Afghanistan, tons and tons of opium
date=July 31, 2005
publisher=US News and World Report
accessdate=2007-04-30] As of Summer 2006, Sher Mohammed has formed a paramilitary group, ostensibly to fight insurgents in Helmand province.cite news
url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B8D44F2D-489A-4EEA-B738-48D2021EA967.htm
title=British soldier killed in Afghanistan
date= June 13, 2006
publisher=Al Jazeera
accessdate=2007-04-30] This action is very controversial in light of Afghanistan's violent factional history, Sher Mohammed's alleged drug activities and the disarmament process taking place elsewhere in the country.

Haji Bismullah, a Guantanamo captive captured in late 2002, or early 2003, testified before his Combatant Status Review Tribunal and Administrative Review Board hearing that, prior to his detention by American forces, he had served as Sher Mohammed's Minister of Transportation. [http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt/Set_41_2665-2727.pdf#54 Summarized transcripts (.pdf)] , from Haji Bismullah's "Combatant Status Review Tribunal" - pages 54-60]

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