New Afghan Leader's Criminal Past

New reports have found that Abdul Zahir, the newly appointed civilian chief in Afghanistan’s Marjah reason, spent time in a German prison after being convicted of stabbing his son. “He attempted to stab his 18-year-old son to death with a kitchen knife in the kitchen of his stepdaughter in Nieder-Roden on Dec. 15, 1997,” according to the newspaper Darmstaedter Echo. Zahir denies the allegations and said, “I was not a killer. I was not a smuggler. … I didn’t commit any crime,” adding that “this news is coming from those people who are against me … They don’t want such a person to serve the people, who has good relations with Americans, British and foreigners.” Zahir has been installed as chief to replace Taliban leadership in efforts to secure the country and has the support of NATO officials. “Zahir, from our reporting, is doing good work down there,” said the organization’s director of communications. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a surprise visit to the country today and toured bases captured weeks ago from the Taliban, reports The Telegraph.