Son of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Rebuts Former CIA Official’s Claims, Reveals Details of Secret Meeting
Habib-ur-Rahman Hekmatyar, son of the leader of the Islamic Party, has dismissed recent remarks by Milton Bearden, former CIA official, describing them as “unrealistic and mixed with fantasies.” In response to Bearden’s statements, he revealed details of a secret meeting between Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and the American official, which, according to him, was arranged and mediated by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI.
According to Habib-ur-Rahman, during that meeting, Bearden conveyed a special message from then-US President Ronald Reagan to Hekmatyar, praising his hardline stance against Soviet forces and the continuation of the fight until the last soldier. He added that in the same meeting, Hekmatyar raised the issue of a survey attributed to US intelligence among the Mujahideen, which asked: “If Hekmatyar were not in the jihad, what impact would it have on the resistance?” He claimed that his father considered this a possible plan for his assassination, but Bearden categorically rejected this interpretation.
Habib-ur-Rahman also said the meeting was secretly recorded with ISI mediation, and Hekmatyar was aware of the recording. He alleged that although the US at that time sought to counter the Soviet Union following the Vietnam War, by the end of the Afghan war, both sides agreed to prevent Hekmatyar from coming to power in Kabul.
He stated that attacks on General Zia-ul-Haq and Akhtar Abdel Rahman in Pakistan, as well as explosions at key ammunition depots, should be understood within this context. Habib-ur-Rahman also described Bearden’s claim that Hekmatyar fired at the opposing side during official meetings as “childish,” suggesting that such remarks might stem from forgetfulness due to old age or misinterpretations.
