Afghanistan, politics, social philanthropy, news, world events, business ownership, family, friends, music, traveling....Visit my website at www.drnadiratash.com to learn more.One of the reasons I wanted to help Ariana become a world class carrier again was that I experienced firsthand the effects of its aging fleet. In 2004, I was aboard an Ariana flight when it made an emergency landing at Kabul airport because of a technical malfunction involving a broken front wheel. The pilot circled over Kabul for two hours to burn fuel before landing.
FORMER ARIANA AFGHAN AIRLINES PRESIDENT DEFENDS HIMSELF AGAINST DANGEROUS CORRUPTION IN AFGHANISTAN Washington, D.C. - July 30th, 2007 - Dr. Mohammed Nadir Atash, an Afghan-American who has lived in the U.S. for over 30 years, returned to Afghanistan in 2001 to help with the country's reconstruction. Dr. Atash is a seasoned mathematician, scholar, and entrepreneur with over thirty years of professional experience. In 2005, he was asked to serve as President of Ariana Afghan Airlines, where he strived to turn the airline into a world class carrier. In a short period of time, he initiated many positive changes, such as attracting a $300-$700 million Canadian and European investment to Ariana, which would have made it one of the largest wholly private financed investments in Afghanistan 's history. However, in his attempt to also rid the airlines of corruption and narcotics smuggling, he was met with threats of imprisonment and death from corrupt officials. The shocking story of his struggles to modernize the airlines exposes a tangled web of deceit, betrayal, and corruption within the Afghan government, who abused their powers and ignored rules of law. Without evidence or a proper trial, Dr. Atash was falsely accused of embezzling millions of dollars from the airlines in a campaign to remove him from his post and tarnish his reputation among the Afghan people. The smear campaign against him was orchestrated by ministers and high officials in the Afghan government, including Attorney General Abdul Jabar Sabet, who made international headlines this year after he unlawfully ordered a raid and beatings of Tolo TV reporters in Kabul and after he threatened to arrest a respected drug-busting police chief, General Amarkhel, at Kabul Airport . Dr. Atash resigned in September 2006, however, his year-long campaign against corruption nearly cost him his life. The illegal actions that were taken against Dr. Atash are part of a current trend that is troubling in Afghanistan and has shown that rule of law and security that is conducive to expatriates working there is extremely fragile and on the verge of collapse. To date, the Anti-Corruption Commission nor the Attorney Generals'office in Afghanistan have evidence of any illegal conduct by Dr. Atash, yet he continues to be tried by the Afghan media, who largely influence public opinion. A large number of Afghan-Americans who have heard his story are now afraid to return as the feel they may be easily targeted and have no protection or backing. If this continues as a trend, this would be a blow to U.S. interests in Afghanistan as those in power who resort to such actions against innocent people will continue to act without concern for the rights of others and Afghanistan will slide backwards into a system that persecutes, not protects, its people. For detailed information on this story, please visit: www.drnadiratash.com
Afghan