There is little information on the role of Commander Anwar Dangar in his association with the Jamiat-e-Islami in Kabul, and subsequently in the Taliban, in the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

What follows is a brief summary of the few reports found.

A 17 June 1994 AFP report refers to Anwar Dangar as commander of Shakar-Darrah (Shakar Dara), which is located approximately 25 kilometres north of Kabul, and an ally of Burhanuddin Rabbani's Jamiat-e-Islami.

Anwar Dangar, a Pashtu-speaking commander under Tajik Ahmad Shah Mas'ud, also an ally of Rabbani (Reuters 18 Oct. 1996; IRNA 21 Oct. 1996; Afghanistan News Service 2 Aug. 1997), reportedly joined the Taliban in Shakar-Darrah on 17 October 1996, bringing "valuable forces in key areas of the frontline" with him (Reuters 18 Oct. 1996).). However, Dangar deserted the Taliban and recaptured Shakar-Darrah on Mas'ud's orders within a few days (Afghanistan News Service 2 Aug. 1997; IRNA 21 Oct. 1996). This "change of loyalties" by Dangar and others has been a "general trend throughout the 18-year old Afghan civil war with fighters offering their services to the highest bidder" (Afghanistan News Service 2 Aug. 1997). A report in August 1997 claims that the Taliban "primarily" blamed their military "setbacks" north of Kabul on the betrayal of Dangar, whom they claimed had let Mas'ud's fighters into Charikar, and other commanders (Afghanistan News Service 2 Aug. 1997).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Afghanistan News Service. 2 August 1997. "Has the Taliban Decline Begun?" [Internet] [Accessed 21 Apr. 1998]

Agence France Presse (AFP). 17 June 1994. Ismael Iraqi. "Afghan Prisoners Tortured to Death in Civil War Jails, Inmates Say." (NEXIS)

IRNA News Agency [Tehran, in Persian]. 21 October 1996. "Former Government Forces Claim to Hold Hills Overlooking Kabul." (BBC Summary 23 Oct. 1996/NEXIS)

Reuters. 18 October 1996. BC Cycle. Laurent Hamida. "Masood Says Taleban Must Cede Kabul to U.N. Force." (NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

The Afghanistan Forum [NY]. May 1997. Occasional Paper #35. Rameen Moshref. "The Taliban."
Amnesty International. February 1995.

Afghanistan: The Human Rights Crisis and Refugees.

Asian Survey [Berkeley, Calif.]. Monthly. January 1993-present.
Barnett R. Rubin, Barnett R. December 1996.

Afghanistan: The Forgotten Crisis - Update March-November 1996.

_____. February 1996.

Afghanistan: The Forgotten Crisis.

_____. 1995.

The Fragmentation of Afghanistan: State Formation and Collapse in the International System.

Critique: Review of the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1995. 1996.

DIRB. February 1997. Afghanistan: Chronology of Events, January 1995-February 1997.
ODR. February 1996

. Feuilles d'information sur les pays: Afghanistan: État en: fevrier 1996.

Online Concise Encyclopedia of Afghanistan.

Rais, Rasul, Bakhsh. 1994.

War of Winners: Afghanistan's Uncertain Transition After the Cold War.

Resource Centre. "Afghanistan" country file. September 1996-present.

_____. "Afghanistan: Amnesty International" country file. September 1996-present.
Roy, Olivier. 1995.

Afghanistan: From Holy War to Civil War.

Electronic sources: IRB Databases, LEXIS/NEXIS, WNC.

Information from 1992-1996 on whether the sons of Burhanuddin Rabbani were involved in politics with their father and participated in rallies, fund-raising, propaganda, and/or held public office or a military position could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

However, the following information may be of interest.

Xinhua and UPI of 10 September 1995 state that Rabbani's wife and other family members live in Pakistan. Neither article provides further information on the family members.

According to a 28 September 1996 AFP article, family members of Rabbani, Hikmatyar and other Afghan leaders were living in Peshawar, Pakistan. The article did not indicate which of Rabbani's family members resided there nor their length of stay there.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 28 September 1996. Shah Alam. "Deposed Afghan Rulers Vow to Continue Fight Against Taliban." (NEXIS)

United Press International (UPI). 10 September 1995. BC Cycle. "Pakistan Demands Apology from Kabul." (NEXIS)

Xinhua. 10 September 1995. "Pakistan Demands Kabul's Compensation for Attack." (NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Asian Survey [Berkeley, Calif.]. Monthly. January 1994-November 1997.

The International Who's Who 1997-1998. 1997.

Jane's Intelligence Review [Surrey]. Monthly. December 1995-present.

Mondes rebelles: acteurs, conflits et violences politiques: Asie, Maghreb, Proche et Moyen-Orient, Europe. 1996.
Office of Asylum Affairs (OAA), Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, United States. January 1995.

Afghanistan: Profile of Asylum Claims and Country Conditions.

Rais, Rasul Bakhsh. 1994.

War Without Winners: Afghanistan's Uncertain Transition After the Cold War.

Resource Centre. "Afghanistan: Amnesty International" file. October 1996-present.

Electronic sources: Internet, IRB Databases, LEXIS/NEXIS.

Oral sources:

Unsuccessful attempts to contact four oral sources.