Amrullah Saleh

Amrullah Saleh
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Amrullah Saleh
Birth date	1972
Birth place	Panjshir Province, Afghanistan
Nationality	Afghan
Occupation	Politician, intelligence official
Known for	First Vice Presidency of Afghanistan, National Directorate of Security

Amrullah Saleh is an Afghan politician and former intelligence chief who served as First Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and as head of the National Directorate of Security. He emerged from Panjshir Province and anti-Soviet and anti-Taliban resistance networks to play roles in post-2001 Afghan politics, intelligence, and national security affairs. Saleh became a prominent opponent of the Taliban during the 2021 collapse of Kabul and later proclaimed a resistance center in the Panjshir Valley.

Early life and education

Born in Panjshir Province, Saleh grew up amid the aftermath of the Soviet–Afghan War and the Afghan Civil War, connecting him to figures from the Mujahideen era and regional leaders in Nangarhar Province and Badakhshan Province. He studied at institutions linked to Afghan exile communities and received training that later informed roles in the Northern Alliance and Afghan intelligence structures. His formative years overlapped with events including the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan and the rise of Taliban insurgency, influencing his network ties to commanders from Jalalabad and political actors connected to the 2001 Bonn Conference.

Political career

Saleh entered national politics through appointments tied to transitional and post-2004 administrations, aligning with figures from the Karzai administration and policy circles that included members of the Wolesi Jirga and Meshrano Jirga. He forged relations with the National Directorate of Security, international partners such as delegations from NATO and the CIA, and Afghan political movements including allies of Ahmad Shah Massoud and the Jamiat-e Islami. Saleh later allied with election tickets featuring leaders from Kabul and Herat Province, and participated in political negotiations mediated by actors from Islamabad and Tehran.

Role in Afghan government (2001–2021)

As head of the National Directorate of Security during multiple periods, Saleh supervised counterterrorism operations against entities like al-Qaeda and the Haqqani network, coordinating with international forces from Operation Enduring Freedom and Resolute Support Mission. His tenure intersected with legal and institutional reforms debated in the Loya Jirga and within ministries such as the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense. Under presidents from the Karzai administration to the Ashraf Ghani presidency, Saleh was central to intelligence cooperation with partners in New Delhi, Moscow, and Washington, D.C., and he engaged in dialogues with parliamentary committees in the National Assembly.

Acting presidency and resistance against the Taliban (2021)

Following the collapse of Kabul in August 2021 and the flight of President Ashraf Ghani, Saleh—then First Vice President—invoked constitutional provisions related to succession and asserted an interim authority while relocating to the Panjshir Valley. He coordinated with resistance leaders including members of the Jamiat-e Islami and commanders loyal to the Northern Alliance legacy, and sought support from regional capitals such as Tashkent and Dushanbe while appealing to the United Nations and diplomatic missions in Doha. The Panjshir resistance confronted Taliban advances and engaged with international media, nongovernmental organizations like International Crisis Group, and human rights monitors including Human Rights Watch as the standoff escalated into clashes with forces tied to the Islamic Emirate.

Political positions and ideology

Saleh has articulated positions emphasizing secular constitutionalism rooted in the 2004 Constitution, strong intelligence capacity linked to the NDS, and opposition to the Taliban and Islamist militias aligned with transnational networks like ISIS-K. He has advocated partnerships with international actors including U.S. State Department counterparts, security cooperation with NATO, and diplomatic engagement with neighboring states such as Pakistan and Iran—while frequently criticizing policies of those capitals when linked to insurgent support. His rhetoric draws on the legacy of Ahmad Shah Massoud and on political currents within Jamiat-e Islami and pan-Pashtun and Tajik political alliances in Kabul politics.

Controversies and criticism

Saleh's career has been marked by controversy over intelligence operations and allegations reported by media outlets and advocacy organizations concerning detention practices linked to the NDS and counterinsurgency campaigns in provinces like Helmand Province and Kandahar Province. Political opponents in the Wolesi Jirga and rival factions including sympathizers of the Taliban and critics aligned with the Ashraf Ghani camp have accused him of politicizing intelligence. Regional governments and international organizations, including representatives from European Union delegations and Amnesty International, have at times called for investigations into human rights allegations associated with security operations during periods when he held office.

Personal life and recognitions

Saleh hails from Panjshir Province and maintains ties to families of resistance leaders from the Soviet–Afghan War era and the Northern Alliance. He has been acknowledged by political allies in ceremonies in Kabul and by diaspora groups in London and Washington, D.C. for his role in counterterrorism and national defense debates. Honors and recognitions include commendations from Afghan institutions and acknowledgments in analyses by think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, while his public profile has been the subject of reporting in outlets like BBC News and The New York Times.

Category:Afghan politicians Category:People from Panjshir Province