KABUL, 29 April 2005 — Thirteen years after Islamic mujahideen warriors ousted the Soviet-backed government in Kabul, Afghanistan celebrated the anniversary yesterday with a parade of troops from its fledgling national army and police.
Soldiers from the newly formed force that now stands at over 24,000 troops wore green uniforms and sat atop tanks, showcasing a new era in the country which was torn apart by a quarter-century of war.
The US-trained Afghan National Army is a multi-ethnic force with brigades of soldiers drawn from different tribes and nationalities and has so far proved popular with locals.
“We are making sure that every unit is ethnically balanced with all the different groups in Afghanistan. It seems to have been a success,” Lt. Col. Michael Pettigrew told AFP.
With an additional 4,000 troops now being trained, the army should stand at least 35,000 by the end of the year, half its projected strength of 70,000.
Police, counter-narcotics forces and firemen in bright red fire engines also paraded through a road in the center of Kabul in front of President Hamid Karzai.
Karzai inspected the troops as the parade began yesterday morning before taking his seat with ministers, former anti-Soviet fighters and foreign dignitaries for speeches.
“On this successful day of Afghanistan’s jihad, I ask those who did not feel themselves secure in this country to come back and live a happy, comfortable life and take part in the reconstruction of their country,” he told the assembled crowd.
“There will be no danger for them here.”
The mujahideen victory over Soviet-backed President Najibullah’s government in 1992, three years after the withdrawal of the Russians, ushered in years of bitter internecine fighting which left the Afghan capital bombed to rubble by rival mujahideen commanders.
Fighters from the Taleban regime took Kabul in 1996 and enforced strict Shariah laws. They were ousted by US-led military and former mujahideen fighters in late 2001 for refusing to surrender Osama Bin Laden, the architect of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.
