Minister Ali A. Jalali
Minister Ali A. Jalali, formerly Interior Minister of Afghanistan, has joined the National Defense University faculty as Distinguished Professor in the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow in the Institute for National Strategic Studies.
His focus is on Afghanistan, Central and South Asia regional issues, reconstruction/stabilization and peace-keeping operations.
He stepped down from the post of Interior Minister of Afghanistan on Sep 28, 2005. As the Interior Minister (since January 2003) he was in charge of the Afghan National Police (ANP), the sub-national government administration, the immigration service and the national identification and registration services.
Minister Jalali directly led the creation, training and deployment of a 50,000 strong ANP and a 12,000 Border Police. This included an effective counter-narcotic, counter-terrorism and criminal investigation police. He also led the operation of Afghanistan security forces in counter-narcotic activities, fighting terrorism, disarming illegal armed groups, battling organized crime and illegal movement across the border. He successfully led the country-wide security operations to protect the constitutional grand assembly (Loya Jirga) in 2003, the nationwide voters’ registration drive in 2004, the landmark Presidential election in 2004 and the parliamentary elections in 2005. His internationally acclaimed leadership won the freedom of all ten kidnapped foreign nationals in Afghanistan (2003-2005) without giving in to the demands of hostage takers.
Minister Jalali implemented a nationwide program of reforming provincial and district administration aimed at extending the authority of the central government to all 34 provinces of the country. The effort included removal of warlord-governors, incompetent provincial administrators, corrupt officials and ineffective police chiefs. He led the process of rebuilding local government in Afghanistan’s 34 provinces and 365 districts. The project is being implemented under the Afghanistan Stabilization Program (ASP). The ultimate goal of the program is providing basic security and good governance in the districts and provinces of the country through well-sequenced and coordinated developmental interventions focusing on security, governance and reconstruction.
He also chaired the Executive Steering Committee of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT). Prior to assuming this post in January 2003, Mr. Jalali served as the Director of Afghanistan National Radio Network Initiative and Chief of the Pashto Service at the Voice of America in Washington D.C. A multi-lingual military and political analyst, Ali Jalali has extensive academic, managerial, journalistic and writing experience. A published writer in three languages (English, Pashto, Dari/Farsi), Ali A. Jalali is the author of numerous books and articles on political, military and security issues in Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia including topics related to Islamic movements in the region. His works are published in the United States, Britain, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. He is a frequent commentator on Afghan issues at U.S. major TV networks (including CNN, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, FOX News, PBS, NPR) as well as Australian National TV (ABC) and Canadian CBC. Jalali’s articles and comments are also published in New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor and many other major U.S and European papers.
Ali Jalali has taught at higher education institutions of Afghanistan and extensively lectured at U.S. National Defense University, U.S. Army War College, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the British Army Staff College, Camberley, England.