Pro-Government Militias
Mohammed Qasim Fahim (semi-official) (Afghanistan)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | yes |
| PGM ID Number: | 626 |
| Country: | Afghanistan |
| Date formed: | Dec. 22, 2001 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | day |
| Details of Formation: | PGM fought against the Taliban before 2001. When the interim government was installed in December 2001 Mohammad Qasim Fahim, the commander of the militia, became defence minister. |
| Date dissolved: | Aug. 6, 2004 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | month |
| Details of Termination: | Due to international pressure, Karzai decided to remove Fahim from office. However, he kept close ties to him and we can assume that Fahim's militia stayed pro-government. The government relation changed to informal. In order to take this into account, we created another PGM (Mohammed Qasim Fahim (informal)) (cf. successor group). |
| Termination Type(s): | government defects |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | Mohammed Qasim Fahim (informal) |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group? | unclear |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | no | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no information |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; Foreign government; drugs |
| State Sponsor(s): | United States; Russia |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; former rebels |
| Primary Membership: | ethnic |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Panjshair Valley |
| Force Strength: | [10000, 20000] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | self-defense and security |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | Tajiks (Afghanistan) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | inferred |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The group is the private army of warlord Mohammed Qasim Fahim. It is based in Panjshir valley and consisted mainly of ethnic Tajiks. News sources describe the PGM as the largest and most powerful force of the Northern Alliance, which was also led by Fahim when he succeeded Masood. Prior to becoming pro-government the group worked with the CIA to fight the Taliban. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | As the private army of Fahim the group was used to fight Taliban insurgents. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The group’s leader Fahim was accused of assassinations as well as covering and cooperating with criminal gangs and drug traffickers. There are also allegations that he was involved in torture and murder in the 1990s, before his militia became pro-government. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing; torture |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | A 2001 report states that the PGM had 10,000 troops while another one in 2002 reports 20,000 forces, saying that the group is presumed to have grown in the previous months. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The group has been described as well-equipped and reported to have been in possession of substantial weapons and ammunition. According to one source, the PGM received weapons from Russia. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group was led by Mohammed Qasim Fahim, who also commanded the Northern Alliance (which the PGM was a part of) after the death of Ahmed Shah Masood. He was appointed to the position of defence minister and acted as vice president during the transitional administration from December 2001 onwards. His militia received support from the US (like others in the Northern Alliance). |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.