Death of the Lion of Panjshir: Prelude to 9/11

2001 Ahmed Shah Massoud ('the Lion of Panjshir'; born c. 1953), leader of the Northern Alliance, was assassinated in Afghanistan.

Massoud, probably the greatest resistance leader of the 20th century, and probably the equal of any in history, was the victim of an Al Qaeda suicide bomber attack at Khvajeh Baha od Din, two days before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in the USA, and as part of that strategy.

It was the event that, in my opinion, ushered in the century and the Age of the New US Imperialism.

The assassination: prelude to 9-11
Two days before 9-11, Ahmad Shah Masoud, warrior-intellectual hero of the resistance to Russian imperialism and Taliban lunocracy, was assassinated by two suicide bombers posing as journalists. It was big news when it happened, and like many I was stunned, but like everyone else except Al Qaeda, I hadn't the slightest idea what big event it was leading up to within 48 hours. In fact, we weren't even sure he was dead because his cadres denied it, saying he was only wounded, as they played for time to regroup and plan. (It is believed that the horribly wounded Massoud died within 15 - 30 minutes, although his death was denied until September 15.)

If the official explanation for the September 11 attack on America is correct, ie, that Al Qaeda was to blame, then it's reasonable to assume that from Osama bin Laden's point of view, it was necessary to eliminate the Lion of Panjshir in order to secure local territory for the expected retaliation from the US when he attacked NYC and the Pentagon. With Massoud gone, so was bin Laden's mortal enemy and a reasonable man who did not despise the West.

Who was Ahmed Shah Massoud? (continued at the Book of Days) for September 9

Categories: ahmed, shah, massoud, mahsoud, northern, alliance, lion, panjshir, valley, afghanistan, kabul, usa, imperialism, 911, 9/11, alqaeda, al, qaeda, assassination, osama, bin, laden