by Abdullah Qazi / May 10, 2010
Other spelling of name: Abdul Rahim Wardak
Abdul Raheem Wardak is Afghanistan’s Minister of National Defense. He has been in this position since December 23, 2004. Before that, he served as Deputy Defense Minister to Mohammad Qasim Fahim. During the 1980s, Wardak was a well known Mujahideen leader, and fought against the Soviet and Afghan communists.
Wardak was born in 1940 in Afghanistan’s Wardak province, which is located in the central east region of Afghanistan. His official government biography states that “after graduating from Habibia High School, he joined the Cadet University. He completed further studies in the United States and Ali Naser Academy in Cairo, Egypt. He has served as a Lecturer in Cadet University and Assistant of Protocol of the Ministry of Defense. He served as the military assistant of Muhaz-e-Milli, was the military assistant of the Tri- Lateral Unity, a member of Itehad-e-Mujahiddin, and commander of the Jihadi fronts of Muhaz-e-Milli. After the fall of communist regime, he was a member of the Security Committee of Kabul City, Chief of the Army Staff, Director of the Military Officers Society, Director of the Education Commission, member of the National Army Commission, Deputy Defense Minister, Director of Disarmament Program and Director of Reform of the National Army”.
Wardak is also an avid writer, and has many literal works in Pashto, Dari and English.