PESHAWAR: Ahmed Massoud, son of ‘lion of Panjshir’ – Ahmad Shah Massoud – has declared resistance against the Taliban and sought help from ‘friends’ in United States and Afghanistan. He made the announcement in an article published in Western media on Thursday.
According to article published in the Washington Post, Massoud also announced his faction in Panjshir Valley under the name of the ‘National Resistance Front of Afghanistan’. “I’m writing from the Panjshir Valley, ready to follow in my father’s footsteps, with Mujahideen fighters who are ready to fight the Taliban once again,” Masood wrote.
“We have stockpiles of ammunition and weapons that we have accumulated since our father’s time, because we knew this day could come. We have Afghan regular soldiers who have taken refuge in the hills of Panjshir with their equipment. Former members of the Afghan Special Forces have also joined our struggle against the Taliban,” he said. He warned that if the Taliban fighters attacked valley, they will face strong resistance. He hoped that though the United States and its allies have left the battlefield, but the US can still be a “great weapon of democracy.”
He urged “friends in Afghanistan” and in the West for support. “We have fought for an open society for so long, where girls can become doctors, our press can report freely, our young people can dance and listen to music or participate in football matches in stadiums.”
He alleged that under Taliban control, Afghanistan will become a ground zero for radical Islamic terrorism. He warned that there will be conspiracies against democracy once again but no matter what happens, Mujahideen fighters will defend Panjshir as the last stronghold of Afghan independence.
“But we need more weapons, more ammunition and more equipment. The war on terror is not the only thing we have in common with the United States and its democratic allies. We have a long history of shared ideas and struggles. There is still much you can do for the cause of freedom,” Masood urged US for help.