ALIAS: Mohammad a Fazl, Mullah Fazl Ahmad, Mullah Fazl Mazloom, Haji Fazl
Date of birth: January 1, 1967, Charchno, Afghanistan
Citizenship: Afghanistan,
Risk level: HIGH, probably poses a threat to the US, its interests and allies
Intelligence value: HIGH
Rank / Position: Deputy Minister of Defense, Chief of Staff of the Taliban Army, Commander of the Tenth Division
Education: Rabinyah Madrassa
Imprisoned: January 11, 2002
Released: May 31, 2014
Connections
- Al Qaeda
- Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
- Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin
- Anit-Coalition Militia
- Supreme Taliban Leader Mullah Omar
Crimes
- War crime: murder of thousands of Shiite Muslims in Afghanistan
- Possibly involved in the murder of Iranian diplomats
- Massacres in Bamyan province, Afghanistan
- Protected a murderer accused of mass murder.
- We negotiate agreements and approve communications between the Taliban and extremist groups.
- Drug trafficking
History
During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Fazl and his mother moved to a refugee camp in Pakistan. While there, he received six years of religious training at Rabinyah Madrassa. After leaving, Mullah Abdul Ghafar encouraged Fazl to join the Taliban, who were just getting started. Fazl left and went to Kandahar to join the movement. His first assignment was as a soldier in Kandahar.
In 1996, Fazl commanded 100 soldiers. From 1999 to 2001, he commanded around 3,000 soldiers and participated in hostilities towards the Northern Alliance. Shortly after this, he became Chief of the Army Staff and Commander of the 10th Taliban Division.
In November 2001, Fazl surrendered to the Northern Alliance commander, General Dostum. The general received $ 500,000 to ensure Fazl received a safe passage to the prison. Fazl was detained in Afghanistan until the end of December of that year. In January 2002, Fazl was imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The United States hoped to obtain information on Taliban personnel and the Taliban order of battle from Fazl. The United States also hoped to learn more about the Mazar-e-Sharif prison lifting, the assassination of Iranian diplomats, and the training, motivation, recruitment, leadership and networks of terrorists.
Since his arrest, the Taliban have used Fazl’s name and capture in recruitment drives. Fazl, while in prison, fostered anti-American sentiment among the prisoners.
On May 31, 2014, Fazl, along with four other Taliban detainees, was exchanged for an American prisoner of war, Bow Bergdahl. The Emir of Qatar has been recognized for his efforts to secure this agreement between the United States and the Taliban. Fazl, along with the other four, will be under Qatari control for at least a year, with a ban on leaving the country.
Since the release of Fazl and the other four men, a government watchdog agency (the GAO) released a report that said the Obama administration had acted illegally by failing to notify Congress prior to the exchange. It is currently unclear how this will affect US law or the administration.