Ahmed Shah Masood not assassinated

[Melvin Loh]

How would the War on Terror have proceeded had Ahmed Shah Masood, the 'Lion of the Panjshir' during the war against the Soviets and main Northern Alliance military genius against the Taliban during the 1990s, not been successfully assassinated by the AQ suicide bombers posing as an Arab news team ? Had Masood survived somehow, how much of a positive difference could he have made to the war against the Taliban and AQ and more importantly in my perspective, to Afghanistan's postwar development and progress as an elder statesman figure ?

 

[MerryPrankster]

Massoud might keep his subordinate warlords under control and thus OBL is captured with his AQ minions when they flee Tora Bora. In OTL, the Afghan warlords were possibly bribed to look the other way as OBL fled into Pakistan.

About Massoud being an "elder statesman," I read a book about the rise of the Taliban and Massoud, though a military genius, was not a very good politician. However, with his influence over the warlords, perhaps Karzai will use him to establish order and central control?

 

[aktarian]

However, with his influence over the warlords, perhaps Karzai will use him to establish order and central control?

Question is would he support Karzai as prez? Would he see him as another foreigner puppet and refuse to swear loyalty?