Ahmad Wali Karzai Was Dead

Kabul - Afghan President Hamid Karzai's brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai was killed. Taliban militant group claimed that they were responsible for the murder of a highly influential figure in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan.

Taliban spokesman told AFP news agency on Tuesday (12 July 2011), mentioned the murder as "one of our greatest achievements" in nearly a decade of war in Afghanistan. The Taliban has recently commissioned a gunman to kill Wali Karzai.

foto : Al Jazeera

So far there has been no official statement from Karzai's family about the death of this 50-year-old man. But a friend of the family said that Ahmed Wali Karzai was killed by a bodyguard while he was receiving the guests in his home.

A spokesman for the Kandahar provincial government, Zalmay Ayubi confirmed the death of Wali Karzai. But he refused to explain in more detail.

An Afghan health officials revealed, Wali Karzai has been shot dead. The official declined to mention the name because of the sensitivity of this matter.

Wali Karzai was the head of the Kandahar provincial council, has long been a controversial figure in Afghanistan. This 50-year-old man was often accused to have links with the narcotics trade in Afghanistan. He's the stepbrother of President Karzai.

The UN said in its latest quarterly report, more than half of all murders across Afghanistan since March occured in Kandahar.

READING For TODAY 001. Daily Mail 002. Telegraph 003. Time 004. Huffingtonpost 005. Daily Beast 006. CS monitor 007. Understanding War 002. Al Jazeera

THE FUNERAL

One bomb exploded and hit the convoy of a governor who wanted to attend the funeral of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's brother and injuring two soldiers, but the provincial governor of Helmand, Gulab Mangal and Afghan intelligence chief remained unharmed. The group still attended the funeral of Ahmed Wali Karzai in Kandahar.

According to the governor's office, the bomb was detonated using a remote control device in Maiwand district, injuring two soldiers assigned to units stationed in NDS.

The Bombs that placed on the streets were the chosen weapon of the Taliban, who for nearly 10-year insurgency against the government and foreign troops, mostly concentrated in areas south of the country.

Meanwhile, President Karzai was unable to stem his tears during the funeral procession. He also had kissed his brother's forehead when the body would be lowered into the grave. When they saw Karzai crying, the relatives and Afghan officials tried to calm him. Many of the mourners could not stop crying.

After the funeral, President Karzai continued to tears as he left the cemetery area. He then climbed into his car, assisted by former Kandahar governor Gul Agha Sherzai and other officials.

Until now, Wali Karzai murder motive remains unclear. The Taliban claimed that they had recruited the perpetrators of the shooting, but the claim was in doubt after the Kandahar police chief Abdul Razeq identified the perpetrator as a Sardar Mohammed, commander of the 200 guards who for 7 years maintained the security of Wali Karzai family. "The investigation is in progress to ascertain whether this is a personal hatred or any foreign hands behind it," said the governor of Kandahar Tooryalai Wesa to reporters.
***

Reading For Today :

• Al Jazeera

• Washington Post

• English CNTV

• CNN

Brutal: Sardar Mohammad, who shot dead Ahmad Wali Karzai, half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, hangs from a building in Kandahar

Grief-stricken: Afghan President Hamid Karzai bows his head during the memorial service for his half brother Ahmad Wali Karzai

Assassinated: Thousands of mourners attended the service along with Mr Karzai in the family's ancestral village of Karz

Shock: Afghans cover the grave of Ahmad Wali Karzai with earth after he was shot dead by one of his own bodyguards

Security concerns: Ahmed Wali Karzai was head of the provincial council in Kandahar - an area still heavily influenced by the Taliban

Loss: Shah Wali Karzai, left, the younger brother of Ahmad Wali Karzai, arrives for the funeral

Killed: Ahmad Wali Karzai, right, was extremely influential in the south of Afghanistan

Tributes: Bismillah Muhammadi, Afghan Interior Minister, and General Sher Muhammad Karimi - the country's army chief - were also at the funeral

Alert: Police check vehicles near the house of Ahmad Wali Karzai in Kandahar. The assassin shot him in the head and chest, before being gunned down by other bodyguards

Attack: The body of the assassin is covered up. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the killing, saying Ahmad Wali Karzai was cooperating with the West

Vacuum: Mr Karzai gave a press conference after the funeral, in which he attacked the Taliban for killing their own people