External Actors in the Afghan Problem continues....

Laila Helms, an Afghan-American and niece-in-law of former CIA director Richard Helms, was a contact person between Taleban and UNOCAL and arranged for the visit of Taleban representatives to United States. Hamid Karzai had been an advisor to UNOCAL and was involved in negotiations of UNOCAL with the Taleban.

The former Reagan National Security Advisor, Robert McFarlane ran a K-Street oil-consulting firm. He was working closely with Abdul Haq in the region after 11 September 2001.

In fact, when Haq was trapped inside Afghanistan, McFarlane made frantic calls to CIA to rescue him. The Taleban promptly executed Haq to discourage other potential troublemakers.

This did not deter Hamid Karzai who worked with various groups inside Afghanistan. The gathering of Afghans from all over the world in Bonn resulted in the temporary agreement on an interim government that paved the way for the Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) to deliberate on the future of Afghanistan.

To be continued....