He was a mudjaideen during the soviet invasion in the 1980's, and also resisted against the Taliban up until 2001. Two suicide bombers assassinated him a couple of days before the September 11th terrorist attacks. Hamid Karzai made him a national hero. His legacy has been living on, in part because of the Afghan officials. But in downtown Kabul, there are no pictures of Massoud in sight. The ruins are a reminder of his warfare, during the civil war bombings in between 1992 and 1996. The fighting, between the different afghan warlords, killed over 25 000 people in the capital. Massoud was a key figure in these combats. For those who live in the destroyed neighbourhoods, even eleven years after the bombings, mentioning the one who was known as the lion of Panshir uncovers painful memories.
