Afghan Interim Administration facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Afghan Interim Administration
Date formed	22 December 2001 (2001-12-22)
Date dissolved	13 July 2002 (2002-07-13)
People and organisations
Head of state	Hamid Karzai
Head of government	Hamid Karzai
Deputy head of government	Mohammed Fahim, Sima Samar, Muhammad Mohaqiq, Mohammad Shakir Kargar and Hedayat Amin Arsala
No. of ministers	30
Total no. of members	30
History
Predecessor	Taliban Northern Alliance
Successor	Afghan Transitional Administration

The Afghan Interim Administration (AIA) was the first government of Afghanistan after the Taliban regime was removed from power. It was in charge of the country from December 22, 2001, until July 13, 2002. This administration was a temporary (or interim) government, meaning it was set up to manage the country until a more permanent government could be formed.

Setting the Stage: How the Interim Government Began

After the September 11 attacks in the United States, the U.S. started a "Global War on Terrorism". Part of this was Operation Enduring Freedom, which aimed to remove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan.

Soon after the fighting began, the United Nations (UN) held a special meeting in Bonn, Germany. This meeting brought together Afghan leaders who were against the Taliban. Their goal was to help rebuild Afghanistan and create a temporary government.

The agreement made at this meeting was called the Bonn Agreement. It said that an Afghan Interim Authority would be set up on December 22, 2001. This Authority included the Interim Administration, a Supreme Court, and a special group to organize a large meeting called a Loya Jirga (Grand Council).

The Loya Jirga was planned to happen within six months. Its job was to create a new, more lasting government called the Afghan Transitional Authority. The most important part of the Interim Authority was the Afghan Interim Administration. It had a chairman, five vice-chairmen, and 24 other members. Each member led a different government department. Hamid Karzai was chosen to be the chairman of this Interim Administration.

After the 2002 loya jirga took place, the Interim Administration was replaced by the Transitional Administration.

Building the New Government

Talks in Bonn

Four groups of Afghan leaders who opposed the Taliban met at the Bonn Conference. These included the Northern Alliance, a group of Afghans who had lived in Iran, a group loyal to the former King Mohammad Zahir Shah, and a group of Afghan exiles from Pakistan. At the time, the Northern Alliance controlled about half of Afghanistan, including the capital city, Kabul.

There was a lot of discussion about who should lead the new temporary government. Some leaders, like Burhanuddin Rabbani from the Northern Alliance, initially wanted talks to happen inside Afghanistan. However, with pressure from the United States and Russia, the Northern Alliance delegation agreed to continue the talks in Bonn.

At first, it seemed like the former King Zahir Shah had a lot of support. But the Northern Alliance did not agree with this. By the end of the conference, two main candidates were considered: Hamid Karzai, who was supported by the United States, and Abdul Satar Sirat. In the end, the Bonn conference decided that Hamid Karzai would lead the Interim Administration.

Forming the Cabinet

Once Karzai was chosen as the "Chairman," he put together a 30-member cabinet. A cabinet is a group of important government officials who lead different departments. The Northern Alliance received about half of the positions in this temporary cabinet. Members loyal to the former King also received eight positions.

Some of these members were "warlords," who were powerful local leaders with their own armed groups. Among the most well-known members were Yunus Qanuni, Mohammad Fahim, and Abdullah Abdullah, all key leaders from the Northern Alliance.

Afghanistan had been divided by different groups for many years. Karzai tried to unite the country by including members from all four major ethnic groups in his cabinet. Including different warlords caused some debate, but many saw it as Karzai's way to involve everyone in rebuilding Afghanistan after the Taliban, hoping to prevent more fighting.

During the time the Interim Administration was in power, there were still some clashes between different warlords. For example, there were fights between groups led by Abdul Rashid Dostum and Atta Muhammad Nur in northern Afghanistan. Karzai's government in Kabul did not always have full control over these regional battles.

Who Was in the Afghan Interim Administration?

See also

In Spanish: Administración Provisional Afgana para niños