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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared Arizona immigration law protesters urge action 25 Apr 2010 WRAPUP 2-Grenade attack, rebellious north deepen Thai crisis 2:40am EDT Police barred from penis enlargement 23 Apr 2010 U.S. backs plan to stop leaking Gulf of Mexico oil well 25 Apr 2010 US Senate Republican calls for strict swaps rules 24 Apr 2010 Nikkei gains 2.3 percent, breaks above 25-day average 2:15am EDT Burglars break into prison to rob absent inmates 21 Apr 2010 Potentially deadly fungus spreading in U.S. and Canada 22 Apr 2010 Strong quake in Taiwan, Philippines; no damage reports 12:39am EDT Rich world may face next downturn with dull weapons 22 Apr 2010 SEC may have hard time finding other suits like Goldman 19 Apr 2010 US Senate Republican calls for strict swaps rules 24 Apr 2010 Strong quake in Taiwan, Philippines; no damage reports 12:39am EDT Husky Asia could be spun off by year end: CEO 22 Apr 2010 Pictures Best of the week Our best photos from the past week. Slideshow Grisly Afghan museum honors anti-Soviet jihad Golnar Motevalli HERAT, Afghanistan Mon Apr 26, 2010 1:22am EDT Related News NATO agrees Afghan plan but says no rush to exit Fri, Apr 23 2010 Witness: Breaking the myths of Pakistan's tribal areas Tue, Apr 20 2010 Attacks in Kandahar; NATO fires on Afghan bus Mon, Apr 12 2010 Karzai tours with McChrystal after U.S. rift Sun, Apr 11 2010 Q+A: What is Afghanistan's "peace jirga"? Tue, Mar 30 2010 HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The bloodied corpses of Soviet soldiers slumped over an armored tank. Burqa-clad Afghan women on a roof, cheering on fighters as helicopters burn in the sky above their heads. World These are scenes from a panoramic pastiche of Afghanistan's war against the former Soviet Union's invading army, brought to life by plaster of Paris figures for the centerpiece of the country's first museum dedicated to the Mujahideen. "This is for the future generations so they can understand and see what their fathers did to defeat the invaders," said Sayed Abdel Wahab Qattali, the founder of the People's Museum, or Manzar-e Jahad, in Afghanistan's western Herat city. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and propped-up Kabul's communist government until 1989, when the Soviets were overpowered by Afghanistan's armed resistance -- known as the Mujahideen -- and retreated. "I was in the war, I saw a lot of dead Russian soldiers. It was a very hard time ... when you're compelled to fight, you may be compelled to kill," Qattali said. The tribute is a stomach-churning reminder of the fact that Afghanistan continues to be plagued with insecurity and is still hosting tens of thousands of foreign troops. A long, well-lit corridor holds portraits of about 50 dead commanders. The final scene is a 360 degree diorama re-enacting the Mujahideen's triumph over the Russians in the city of Herat, with fighters marching down one of its central boulevards. The history ends with the Soviet pullout and does not go on to illustrate the brutal civil war that followed, in which competing Afghan factions fought each other, killing thousands of civilians in the process. Qattali was himself a Mujahideen fighter in Herat and at age 19 joined the legion of mutinous ethnic Tajik Afghan-army- commander-turned-militia-leader Ismail Khan, who recaptured Herat after the Soviet Union's defeat, becoming its governor. The museum is partly funded by Khan, but Qattali, who lost eight members of his family in the war, has paid for most of it using earnings from his own construction and security companies. In one large room, Qattali has diligently displayed a huge collection of photographs of other fighters and commanders. The familiar faces of Khan and anti-Taliban Tajik commander Ahmad Shah Masood -- who was assassinated by al Qaeda agents two days before the September 11 2001 attacks and is revered by many Afghans -- are easily identifiable. "I have many memories. For 10 years I was with the jihad to make sure we could keep our country. I want to make sure that Afghanistan does not go in that direction again," Qattali said, standing before a picture of himself as a fighter in his early twenties with a bullet belt and an AK-47 rifle -- a contrast to the two-piece suit and crisp white shirt he now wears. "I'm sad and concerned that all the forces that are here now can't seem to have the same power that the Mujahideen did. It's not so much that the Taliban have more power now but that the government is so weak," he said. HUMAN RIGHTS Rows of Russian rifles, clusters of grenades and an impressive collection of plastic land mines fill glass cases in the museum's foyer. "The Afghan security forces today don't even have this level of equipment," Qattali joked. The gardens of the museum display some of his most prized memorabilia: Russian helicopters, fighter jets and rocket launchers, all captured by the Mujahideen and on show, framed by well-kept rose bushes. The museum's groundskeeper, Saeed Hassan Moussavi, was also a fighter in Khan's militia. He is still haunted by the destruction he witnessed and the fighting he took part in. "They are very bitter memories. It was a very difficult time. I became a refugee and fled to Iran," said Moussavi, wearing a traditional Afghan turban. Human rights groups have accused militia leaders such as Khan of human rights abuses, especially during the civil war that followed the anti-Soviet uprising. Qattali defends Khan's record. "In Herat there were no such problems. Ismail Khan always had respect. The Mujahideen had its own system, its own schools and it taught respect," Qattali said. Although the museum will not be open to the public until next year, visitors, particularly officials and foreigners, are welcome to take a tour of its gardens and unfinished exhibits. The museum's guestbook contains messages of thanks and gushing admiration from U.S. congressmen, as well as the deputy commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, British Lieutenant General Sir Nick Parker. "The forces that here now are here to help," Qattali said. "But the ones that came from Russia, they came to hurt us and damaged the country." (Editing by Megan Goldin) World Add a Comment *We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. More from Reuters Grenade attack, rebellious north deepen Thai crisis BANGKOK (Reuters) - A grenade attack on the home of a senior Thai politician and acts of defiance in the provinces deepened fears on Monday over civil conflict after the prime minister rejected demands by anti-government protesters. Blast near British ambassador's convoy in Yemen China seen staking "middle" role at nuclear talks Grisly Afghan museum honors anti-Soviet jihad Strong quake in Taiwan, Philippines; no damage reports Cubans go to polls as dissident group harassed » More Top News Good for you, bad for company In a bonus culture gone mad, bankers pushed hard to nail the increasingly big bucks. But at what price to the long-term viability of their companies? Full Article America needs sensible reform now Did the SEC change Wall Street culture? executive compensation "The China I met" Reuters photographer Nir Elias learned a lot during his five years capturing China through a lens. The biggest lesson? Nothing is at it seems. Full Article Slideshow: Inside China China © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Analyst Research Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Labs Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

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