Editing Gulbuddin Hekmatyar

Biography of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar with Emphasis on CIA Connections
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, born on August 1, 1949, in Kunduz, Afghanistan, is a polarizing figure in Afghan history, known for his roles as a mujahideen leader, politician, and head of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin, a militant and political organization. A Pashtun of the Ghilzai tribe, Hekmatyar emerged as a significant player in Afghanistan’s tumultuous political landscape, particularly during the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989), the subsequent civil war, and later insurgencies. His complex and often controversial career is marked by his strategic alliance with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the 1980s, which significantly shaped his rise to prominence and his enduring legacy.
Early Life and Political Beginnings
Hekmatyar grew up in a relatively modest family in northern Afghanistan. He studied engineering at Kabul University in the early 1970s, where he became involved in Islamist student movements, influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood. His early activism leaned toward anti-communist and anti-Soviet ideologies, aligning him with other Islamist factions opposing Afghanistan’s secular government. In 1975, he founded Hezb-e-Islami, a splinter group from the broader Islamist movement, advocating for an Islamic state. His radical views and willingness to use violence quickly set him apart, leading to his arrest by the Afghan government in 1972 and later exile to Pakistan after a failed coup attempt in 1975.
CIA Connections During the Soviet-Afghan War
Hekmatyar’s most significant international connection came during the Soviet-Afghan War, when the CIA, as part of Operation Cyclone, funneled extensive support to Afghan mujahideen to counter Soviet occupation. Operating through Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the CIA provided weapons, funding, and training to various resistance groups. Hekmatyar’s Hezb-e-Islami became one of the largest beneficiaries of this aid, reportedly receiving a disproportionate share—estimated at up to 20–30% of the total U.S. aid, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons, including Stinger missiles, and financial support.
The CIA’s preference for Hekmatyar stemmed from his group’s organizational discipline, his anti-Soviet zeal, and his alignment with Pakistan’s ISI, which favored him due to his Pashtun background and Islamist ideology. Based in Peshawar, Pakistan, Hekmatyar used CIA-supplied resources to build a formidable fighting force, establishing training camps and launching attacks against Soviet and Afghan communist forces. His charisma and strategic acumen made him a key U.S. ally during this period, with the CIA viewing him as a reliable partner in their Cold War proxy conflict. However, reports indicate that Hekmatyar’s group also engaged in brutal tactics, including attacks on rival mujahideen factions, which raised concerns among some U.S. and Pakistani officials.
Post-Soviet Fallout and Strained CIA Relations
After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, Hekmatyar’s relationship with the CIA and the U.S. deteriorated. The end of the Cold War reduced his strategic value, and his involvement in Afghanistan’s civil war (1992–1996) further complicated matters. As prime minister of Afghanistan in 1993–1994 and briefly in 1996, Hekmatyar’s forces were implicated in the shelling of Kabul, earning him the moniker “Butcher of Kabul” for civilian casualties. His group’s alleged involvement in opium and heroin trafficking in the late 1980s, at a time when he was still receiving CIA support, became a source of embarrassment for the U.S., as it conflicted with American anti-drug policies.
By the mid-1990s, Hekmatyar’s alliances shifted. He reportedly developed ties with Osama bin Laden and other jihadist figures, further alienating him from the U.S. The rise of the Taliban, which he opposed, marginalized his influence, forcing him into exile in Iran by 1997. The CIA’s earlier support for Hekmatyar became a point of criticism, as his radicalism and alleged war crimes tarnished the legacy of Operation Cyclone.
Post-9/11 and CIA Hostility
Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, Hekmatyar returned to Afghanistan and openly opposed the U.S.-led invasion. His anti-American stance culminated in a 2002 CIA drone strike targeting him in eastern Afghanistan, which he narrowly survived. In 2003, the U.S. designated him a “global terrorist,” reflecting the complete breakdown of their earlier alliance. Hekmatyar’s Hezb-e-Islami waged insurgent attacks against U.S. and Afghan forces, though he later moderated his stance, signing a peace deal with the Afghan government in 2016 and returning to Kabul in 2017.
Later Years and Legacy
In his later years, Hekmatyar remained a divisive figure in Afghan politics, advocating for Islamic governance while navigating complex relationships with the Taliban and the Afghan government. His CIA connections, once a cornerstone of his power, became a double-edged sword, fueling accusations of being a Western puppet among his critics, even as he positioned himself as an anti-American insurgent post-2001. His role in the Soviet-Afghan War, bolstered by CIA support, cemented his historical significance, but also highlighted the unintended consequences of U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan.
Hekmatyar’s biography reflects the volatile interplay of ideology, geopolitics, and power. His CIA connections, critical to his rise in the 1980s, underscore the pragmatic but often problematic alliances forged during the Cold War, leaving a legacy that continues to spark debate about Afghanistan’s past and future.