Afghan Mujahedeen veteran tells Russia to stay out

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - An alliance of former Afghan Mujahedeen leaders and veteran politicians Monday warned Russia not to repeat the mistakes of the former Soviet Union by interfering in Afghanistan.

“There is not a single family in Afghanistan which you [Russia] do not owe, so don’t hand yourself over again,” Abdul Rab Rassule Sayaf, a prominent figure in the Afghan jihad against the Red Army, told a gathering of charged supporters in Kabul.

The Afghans have not forgotten the Soviet Army’s atrocities, the iconic figure of the U.S.- and Muslim-backed jihad told the gathering, marking the 25th anniversary of the fall of the pro-Soviet regime, and 1992 founding of the Mujahedeen government in Kabul.

The gathering was organized by the Afghanistan Salvation and Stability Council, a group mostly made up of ex-ministers and high-ranking officials who served under former President Hamid Karzai.

Karzai himself has taken a rather different tone towards Russia of late, hailing Moscow’s role towards peace in Afghanistan. Visiting Moscow last week, Karzai held meetings with top Russian officials.