The son of the late Afghan leader Ahmad Shah Massoud confirmed that he is willing to forgive for the blood of his father, who was assassinated by the Taliban, if conditions of peace and security are provided in Afghanistan. In an interview with the "Asharq Al-Awsat" newspaper, Ahmad Massoud emphasized the importance of decentralization in Afghanistan and stated that he is prepared through political negotiations to form an inclusive government with the Taliban that fights terrorism. He argued that any Afghan government characterized by extremism poses a serious threat, not only to Afghanistan but to the region and the world as a whole.
Regarding President Ashraf Ghani, Ahmad Massoud remarked: "Ghani completely failed to understand the depth of the pit he has dug for Afghanistan; he had a golden opportunity when the whole world was funding Kabul with billions of dollars annually, yet the majority of the Afghan people continue to live below the poverty line, while only a few political elites have managed to earn millions and transfer them abroad. Moreover, Ghani had an ethnic agenda that led to further divisions among Afghans, as he used the Pashtun card against the Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Hazaras."
In a related context, Moscow announced that it had conveyed a Taliban offer for the Panjshir province, which is not under the Taliban's control, indicating the group's intent to engage in dialogue to reach a political agreement with leader Ahmad Massoud instead of resorting to bloodshed. Videos have shown training exercises of Massoud's forces, which are opposing the Taliban in Panjshir. This comes after these forces declared control over three districts in the northern Baghlan province. Ahmad Massoud had called on the international community to support the opposition forces to the Taliban with weapons and ammunition.
For his part, the Russian ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, stated that the Taliban requested him to convey an offer to the government-backed opposition in northern Afghanistan regarding reaching an agreement with them, as the group does not wish for bloodshed in the Panjshir Valley, the stronghold of the Northern Alliance and the only region not under Taliban control.
A spokesperson for the Taliban's political office, Mohammad Naeem, tweeted that a delegation from the group met with several political figures in Kabul, assuring them of their safety and security. The delegation clarified that the Taliban desires a strong central system that respects the rule of law and is free from corruption.
Former Vice President Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud, the son of Ahmad Shah Massoud who led the forces that resisted Soviet troops in the past, pledged to resist the Taliban from Panjshir, which repelled Soviet and Taliban forces in the 1980s and 1990s. Close associates of Massoud stated that more than 6,000 fighters, from remnants of army and special forces units as well as local militia groups, have gathered in the valley, along with some helicopters and military vehicles, and they have repaired some armored vehicles left behind by the Soviets.
**Who is Ahmad Massoud?**
Ahmad Massoud is the son of Ahmad Shah Massoud, who led the Northern Alliance forces against the Soviet invasion in the 1980s and the Taliban in the 1990s. He attended schools in Tajikistan and Iran and studied at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK between 2010 and 2011. He holds a degree in War Studies from King's College London and a master's degree in International Politics from City University London. After returning to Afghanistan in 2016, he became active in political work.
