Engineer Mohammad Daoud

Engineer Mohammad Daoud was the governor of Helmand province in Afghanistan.cite news
url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article666611.ece
title=Sacked Afghan leader blames opium mafia
publisher=Times Online
date=2006-12-10
accessdate=2007-7-4
author=Christina Lamb and Michael Smith] Daoud was appointed in December 2005, and replaced in December 2006.

Appointment as Governor of Helmand

The "The Times" of London reported that the British government requested Daoud's appointment. 4,000 British troops were posted to Helmand, following Daoud's appointment. Daoud had requested additional British troops.

The Times report described Daoud as one of the few Governors of Afghanistan who observers were confident was honest.

"Radio Free Europe" quoted critical comments from journalist Ahmed Rashid, about extraordinary support the Hamid Karzai Presidency was providing Daoud's predecessorcite news
url=http://drupal.afgha.com/?q=node/722
date=Friday, June 16 2006
publisher=Radio Free Europe
author=Ron Synovitz
title=Plan To Recruit Militia As Police Sparks Concern
accessdate=2007-7-4] :quotation
“Sher Mohammad Akhonzada, the former governor of Helmand, has already hired 500 fighters. Mr. Akhonzada was thrown out from the governorship of Helmand on the demand of the British government before [British troops] went down into Helmand because of his involvement with the drugs, because of his involvement with the Taliban, and [because of] his very unsavory reputation, Now if a man like that is going to [remain] armed, it is going to lead to a very negative reaction by NATO, by the European Union, by the United Nations, by everyone trying to carry out a reform agenda. This is a repudiation of the whole reform agenda.”

In November 2006 a British Foreign Office official expressed frustration that Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai had appointed Daoud's predecessor Sher Mohammed Akhundzada to Afghanistan's Upper House; continued to meet with him, and appointed his brother, Amir Muhammad Akhundzada, as Daoud's deputy.

During a telephone interview with "The Times", following his firing, Daoud said:quotation
“I think in Afghanistan, particularly Helmand province, the opium business has a strong role in everything — security, administration, corruption, terrorist activities. The mafia or drug smugglers are against eradication, law enforcement, peace and stability and against me. That’s the real struggle in our area.”

The Times reported that Daoud's deputy, Amir Muhammad Akhundzada, had also been replaced. They also reported that Daoud declined an appointment to be Governor of Farah Province.

References