Haji Zahir in Marjah: Is Supporting a Bad Guy the Wrong Choice Again?
Haji Zahir in Marjah: Is Supporting a Bad Guy the Wrong Choice Again? Sunday March 14, 2010 Marjah, the Afghan city which is the focus of the US military offensive in Afghanistan called Operation Moshtarak, is now led by Abdul Zahir Aryan, better known as Haji Zahir. Haji Zahir is the city’s top municipal official since the Afghan Government wrested control from the Taliban with the support of the US forces in Afghanistan. Zahir has been vetted and approved by the US despite serving prison time in Germany for attempted murder. While living in Germany during his self-imposed exile, after his stepson admonished him for beating his wife, Zahir later went to the home of one of his stepdaughters and stabbed the stepson in the chest and arm. Zahir spent nearly five years in a German prison. The need for a leader in Marjah has overcome concerns raised by Zahir’s criminal past. His current standing as a tribal elder, landowner
