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Yasin Zia

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Lieutenant General
Yasin Zia
یاسین ضیا
Yasin Zia greeting troops
Zia greeting Afghanistan National Army troops
Chief of General Staff of Afghanistan
In office
7 July 2020 – 19 June 2021
Preceded byBismillah Waziri
Succeeded byWali Mohammad Ahmadzai
Acting Defense Minister
In office
19 March 2021 – 19 June 2021
Preceded byAsadullah Khalid
Succeeded byBismillah Khan Mohammadi
Deputy Defense Minister
In office
27 March 2019 – 7 July 2020
Deputy National Security Adviser
In office
December 2017 – March 2019
Governor of Takhar
In office
12 October 2015 – 28 May 2017
DeputyFarid Zaki
Preceded byAbdul Latif Ibrahimi
Succeeded byFazlullah Mujadedi
Personal details
BornKabul, Afghanistan[1]
EthnicityTajik

General Mohammad Yasin Zia (Dari: محمد یاسین ضیا), is an Afghan military officer and politician. He is a former Chief of General Staff, former Deputy Defense Minister, and former governor of Takhar Province, Afghanistan. Zia has also served as head of Afghanistan's counter terrorism unit (2011) and as the deputy director of the National Directorate of Security (2011–2015).[1][2] In 2022, he was reported to be one of the leaders of the anti-Taliban Afghanistan Freedom Front resistance movement.[3]

Zia was born in Shakar Dara District, Kabul, Afghanistan into a Tajik family.

He also has a degree in military and intelligence affairs and a background in Jamiat-e Islami.[1][2]

Career

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Governor

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Zia was appointed governor of Takhar on 12 October 2015.[4] This was probably due to the Battle of Kunduz (2015) and could be seen as an attempt to make sure the Taliban would not repeat its success in Takhar.[5] Farid Zaki served as deputy governor with him.[6] As governor, he played a crucial role in operations to suppress the Taliban insurgency in Takhar and the neighboring Kunduz Province.[1] In addition, according to 1TV, he disguised himself to catch two attorneys taking a bribe.[7][8]

Yasin Zia resigned his post as governor on 28 May 2017, due to personal issues.[9][10] He became a deputy National Security Adviser by December 2017.[11][12] While being appointed, he also was promoted from Major-General to Lieutenant-General.[2]

Zia also took a large role in attempting to reduce illegal activity and corruption in the Afghan Local Police (ALP), including supplementing income via illegal means. He also dealt with improper relations with other, irregular, armed groups. This included sending a message to commanders not to sell weapons given to them to other armed groups and personally confronting the commander of an armed group in Baharak District, Takhar.[6] However, he has said that much of the problem is that several people have personal militias, turning the War in Afghanistan into an internal war. Zia also thought that the program had failed.[13]

Deputy Defense Minister and Chief of the General Staff

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Zia was promoted to Deputy Defense Minister on 27 March 2019. The position was previously vacant for an extended period of time.[14] As deputy general, Zia was assigned to the capital of Takhar, Taloqan, to push Taliban insurgents away and to fix & improve the command structure of Afghan forces.[15] The Taliban were six miles away and had launched an assault in the previous month.[16] Protesters alleged the city was on the verge of collapse; he said afterwards there was no longer a threat.[17] He then became the Army Chief of Staff in 2020, vacating the Deputy Defense Minister position.[1][18]

Zia also became acting defense minister on 19 March 2021, while Asadullah Khalid was sick and hospitalized.[19][20] In May 2021, he personally led government forces 120 kilometres (75 mi) from Kabul around and in Mihtarlam, capital of Laghman Province.[21] The Taliban had previously captured security checkpoints around the city and had seized control of Dawlat Shah District about 75 kilometres (47 mi) to the north.[21] The Taliban had also advanced to the central jail of Laghman Province inside the city.[22] Afterwards, Zia said security was improving and the Taliban were beaten back.[23][24][25] He was replaced by Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai as Chief of General staff and Bismillah Khan Mohammadi as acting defense minister amid an increase in fighting with the Taliban on 19 June 2021.[26]

While Chief of General Staff, Yasin Zia had accused the Taliban of not severing its ties with Al-Qaeda, as it pledged to do as part of the Doha Agreement between it and the United States. Zia said they have not cut ties and they have relations with other terrorist groups, obviously working together in areas.[27] He had said the organizations have become like family over the past several years and expressed skepticism that things will change.[28]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "New Afghanistan Army chief appointed". strategynord.com. 15 July 2020. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Adili, Ali Yawar (5 August 2020). "Still Preoccupied by 'Who Gets What': 100 days of the new government, but no full cabinet". Afghanistan Analysts Network – English. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  3. ^ Farivar, Masood (27 April 2022). "Afghan 'Fighting Season' Ushers in New Anti-Taliban Groups". VOA. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  4. ^ "New Takhar governor to fight corruption, terrorism". www.pajhwok.com. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Can new governors turn the Taliban tide in northern Afghanistan?". The New Humanitarian. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  6. ^ a b Faizy, Sultan; Bengali, Shashank (31 October 2016). "Afghanistan tries to clean up its militias, both legal and illegal". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Afghan governor in disguise catches bribe-taking attorneys". Afghan Online Press. 18 January 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Afghan Governor in Disguise Catches Bribe Taking Attorneys". 1TV (Afghan TV channel). Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Takhar Governor Yasin Zia Steps Down". TOLOnews. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  10. ^ "Due to personal problems, Takhar governor quits". 29 May 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Ghani approves Takhar ex-governor as deputy for National Security Council". The Khaama Press News Agency. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Ghani Appoints Two More Deputies For NSA". TOLOnews. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  13. ^ Haymon, Barin Sultani; Kugelman, Michael (18 May 2017). "What's Behind the Taliban's Major Gains in Northern Afghanistan?". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Dr Zia Yasin Appointed As Deputy Defense not Minister". reporterly.net. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  15. ^ Clark, Kate (14 November 2019). "A Maelstrom of Militias: Takhar, a case study of strongmen co-opting the ALP". Afghanistan Analysts Network – English. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  16. ^ George, Susannah (18 October 2019). "After dodging a Taliban assault, northeast Afghanistan braces for resurgence". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Takhar on Verge of Collapse, Say Kabul Protesters". ariananews.af. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Afghan Army, Taliban Clash Close To Kabul". RFE/RL. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Gen. Zia appointed acting defence minister". Pajhwok Afghan News. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  20. ^ "Afghan president dismisses interior minister amid spate of attacks". Reuters. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  21. ^ a b Gul, Ayaz (23 May 2021). "Taliban Attack Threatens Afghan Provincial Capital | Voice of America – English". www.voanews.com. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  22. ^ "لغمان جګړه؛ "طالبان د مهترلام محبس څنډو ته نږدې شوي؛ کومانډو ځواکونه هم سیمې ته رسېدلي"". BBC News پښتو (in Pashto). Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  23. ^ "Asia Album: Afghan army soldiers take part in military operation against Taliban militants – Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  24. ^ "Afghan forces, Taliban clash near capital". The Economic Times. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  25. ^ Sabawoon, Ali Mohammad (4 August 2021). "Taleban Victory or Government Failure? A security update on Laghman province". Afghanistan Analysts Network – English. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  26. ^ "Afghan president replaces two top ministers, army chief as violence grows". Reuters. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  27. ^ Ansar, Massoud (26 October 2020). "Army Chief Zia: Taliban Has Not Cut Ties with Al-Qaeda". TOLOnews. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  28. ^ "Inside Afghanistan as US prepares to withdraw its troops". KX NEWS. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
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