Crowds of boys and men, holding posters of Ahmad Shah Masood and Afghan president Hamid Karzai, line the roofs of buildings during a ceremony in the Panjshir Valley on the one year anniversary of Masoods assasination, September 9, 2002. Thousands of people from all over Afghanistan and the world, including many important dignitaries, arrived in the Panjshir Valley for ceremonies honoring Masood, a revered mujahedin leader who also was one of the leaders of the Northern Alliance which opposed the Taliban and helped the US Military in their defeat. Masood was assasinated by what are thought to be Al Queda operatives on Sept. 9, 2001. The shrine to honor this latest of Afghan war heros was built in the Panjshir Valley as that is from where Masood led much popular resistance against both the Soviets and the Taliban forces.

central asia panjshir panshir tajik military ceremony masood karzai demonstration