‘They Cannot Remove Me by Force’: A Strongman on Afghan Infighting - nytimes

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan — One of the most powerful players in Afghanistan, Atta Muhammad Noor, says he would be willing to step down from his post as a northern provincial governor — as soon as the central government reappoints him to the spot.

He was actually dismissed as governor of Balkh Province, a vital commercial hub that includes the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, a year and a half ago by President Ashraf Ghani, as part of a mass firing of all 34 Afghan provincial governors. But he has refused to give up either the office or the powers of the job, which he has held since 2004, and so far Mr. Ghani’s government has not publicly pushed the matter.

The standoff speaks volumes about the state of internal politics in Afghanistan, and about the infighting that continues between the factions that both claimed to have won the 2014 presidential election.

“I should be given my approval letter from the president,” Mr. Noor told The New York Times on Tuesday in a rare interview. Once he is formally governor again, he said, “then we decide about it.”

“If it is necessary for me to step down,” he continued, “we decide what to do next and who should become governor here. They cannot remove me by force — I am with my people.”

Here are excerpts from the interview, translated from Dari:

On rumors of a deal to leave the governorship:  I have not received any messages about that. I spoke with the president twice in detail. We talked about bringing changes, but I also told him this: that I did not inherit this province so that I should be its governor forever. I gave an example that if still water is left in one place too long, it will start to stink. But I also told him, “I don’t want to be a victim of your campaign slogans.” - Read More

‘They Cannot Remove Me by Force’: A Strongman on Afghan Infighting