User:Geo Swan/Atta Mohammad Noor

Political Landscape
Although appointed in 2004 and given high levels of autonomy by President Hamid Karzai, Governor Atta Mohammad Noor was the only provincial governor to openly support Karzai’s rival, Abdullah Abdullah, in the August 2009 election. This opposition has given rise to concerns of violence if the central government decides to attempt to reign in Atta’s power. The leaders of Balkh’s two other primary political parties supported Karzai.:

Political Leaders
Governor General Atta Mohammad Noor: Atta Noor is a powerful Tajik and former commander of Rabbani’s Jamiat-i Islami tanzim. He vehemently fought against the Taliban regime and served as the Northern Alliance’s top commander in the Balkh area. Atta Mohammad has served as the Governor of Balkh since 2004 and continues to have a tense relationship with President Hamid Karzai and rival power-broker General Abdul Rashid Dostum (Uzbek). Atta Noor is credited for maintaining political control and economic development and security for Balkh province including its largest city, Mazar-i-Sharif.