Former Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan Abdul Salam Zaeef has fled Afghanistan to the United Arab Emirates, fearing for his life after US forces attempted to search his home.
A source close to Zaeef told Al Jazeera that US forces had tried to search his home in Kabul twice over allegations of involvement in an international terror plot, but Zaeef’s government-provided bodyguards prevented them. “He found life in Kabul difficult, and he is currently in the United Arab Emirates. Twice they came to get him, who knows if they might kill him the third time,” the source said.
An Afghan intelligence official confirmed to Al Jazeera that US forces tried to enter Zaeef’s home this month, but were prevented. “The checkpost outside his home belongs to us, so we were contacted when the US forces arrived,” the official said.
“We denied them entry, and we sent back-up security to the area.” Waheed Muzhda, an Afghan analyst and former official in the Taliban government, told Al Jazeera that Zaeef was summoned to the presidential palace by President Hamid Karzai last year and was questioned about hosting and aiding two Arabs who were allegedly plotting attacks in the US and Europe for the September 11 anniversary. “In front of Karzai, American officials had asked him about helping the two Arabs,” Muzhda claimed Zaeef told him. “They [the American officials] told Zaeef that if an attack happened, he would be the prime suspect.”
Zaeef was the Taliban’s ambassador to Pakistan at the time of the September 11, 2011 attacks on the US. After the US invasion, he was captured in Pakistan and sent to the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay. He was released four years later, but has been under close watch ever since. He grew to be considered an important person in helping bring the Taliban into negotiation. Muzhda told Al Jazeera that Zaeef feared for his life after the attempted raids. Many of the Taliban prisoners freed from Guantanamo had been killed in night raids and that made Zaeef more nervous.
i've read this guy's book named "my days with taliban", i feel for this guy, he had been utterly wronged over n over agian. i wish yanks would just leave afghans alone to settle their scores themselves.
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