Abdul Rashid Dostum (born 25 March 1954) is an Afghan exiled politician, former military officer and warlord. He is the founder and leader of the Junbish-e Milli political party, and was a senior army officer in the military of the former Afghan communist government during the Soviet–Afghan War, initially part of the Afghan Commando Forces. In 2001, Dostum became a key indigenous ally to the U.S. Special Forces and the CIA during the campaign to topple the Taliban government. He is one of the most powerful warlords since the beginning of the Afghan conflict, infamous for being an opportunist and siding with winners during Afghanistan's several civil wars. Dostum was also referred to as a kingmaker due to his significant role in Afghan politics.
An ethnic Uzbek from a peasant family in Jawzjan province, Dostum joined the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) as a teenager before enlisting in the Afghan Army and training as a paratrooper, serving in his native region around Sheberghan. Following the outbreak of the Soviet–Afghan War, Dostum commanded a KHAD paramilitary unit and eventually gained a reputation for defeating mujahideen commanders in northern Afghanistan and even persuading some to defect to the communist cause. As a result, the communist government gained effective control over the country's north. He achieved several promotions in the army and was honored as a "Hero of Afghanistan" by President Mohammed Najibullah in 1988. By this time he was commanding up to 45,000 troops in the region under his responsibility.