Ministry of Defense (Afghanistan)

The Afghan Defense Ministry is an organ of the Government of Afghanistan, overseeing the Afghan National Army. As of 2004, it is headed by Abdul Rahim Wardak, a former mujahideen who also received some military training in the United States.

Earlier, it was headed by Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim, who came under dispute after accusations of illegally occupying land. Former Deputy Minister Wardak was subsequently appointed Minister by President Hamid Karzai.

One of the primary functions of the Defense Ministry today is disarming the militias and warlords not answering to the authority of the central government, which sprung up after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the collapse of the Taliban government. Taliban insurgents have repeatedly attacked ministry officials.

On June 9, 2003, the United Nations urged the Afghan government to take drastic steps to make both the National Army and the Defense Ministry better reflect the nation's ethnic make-up.

This came after an earlier announcement on February 20, 2003 by former Defense Minister Mohammad Qasim Fahim that steps were being taken to this effect [1].

List of Defense Ministers

No.	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Political Party
*	Ghulam Haidar Rasuli	Unknown	April, 1978
*	Abdul Qadir Dagarwal	May 1978	August, 1978	PDPA-Parcham
*	Mohammad Aslam Watanjar	March 1979	July, 1979	PDPA-Khalq
*	Hafizullah Amin	July, 1979	December, 1979	PDPA-Khalq
*	Mohammed Rafie	January, 1980	1982	PDPA-Parcham
*	Abdul Qadir Dagarwal	1982	December 1986	PDPA-Parcham
*	Mohammed Rafie	December 1986	May, 1988	PDPA-Parcham
*	Shahnawaz Tanai	May 1988	March, 1990	PDPA-Khalq
*	Abdul Rashid Dostum	March, 1990	April, 1992	National Islamic Movement Afghanistan
*	Unknown	April, 1992	June, 1992	None
*	Ahmed Shah Massoud	June 1992	September, 1992	Afghan Northern Alliance
*	Ubaidullah Akhund	June, 1992	?	Taliban
*	Mohammad Qasim Fahim	?	September, 2001	Afghan Northern Alliance
*	Abdurrahim Wardak	September, 2001	Incumbent	None