2010, when president Karzai presented his second list of candidates to the Wolesi Jirga, he proposed to replace Spanta by the former security advisor Rassoul. Suddenly on January 18, 2010 Mr Rassoul was nominated and accepted by the Kabul parliament as the new foreign minister. Spanta was one of Karzai's ministers that did not have a reputation for corruption or incompetence, but he could not boast popularity or enjoy tribal followings. In January 2010, president Karzai decided to replace Spanta after the International Conference on Afghanistan in London by Zalmai Rassoul. At the London conference, Spanta still represented Afghanistan. Shortly before, he visited the Afghanistan Congress of the German SPD in Berlin, where he referred to his background as a peace activist during his time in Germany. Assassination of Dr. Spanta's brother On July 17, 2013, Spanta's brother Ahmad Wali Tahiri, was assassinated by unknown gunmen in Karukh district of western Herat province. Tahiri used to serve as administrative employee of Karukh attorney general for the past seven years. At the funeral, Spanta revealed that two weeks earlier the Taliban had sent him a threat message notifying that the group is planning to kill his brother. "The foreign elements are training and hiding some people in Peshawar and Quetta. After the training, they are sent on terror missions during which they kill our brothers, sisters and relatives," said Spanta. Book In 2017, Spanta published a memoir called 'Afghanistan Politics: A Narrative From Within' in Dari. The book included reflection on President Hamid Karzai's administration. See also Waziristan War Waziristan accord References External links Foreign ministers of Afghanistan 1954 births Living people Academic staff of RWTH Aachen University Pashtun people Afghan emigrants to Germany Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences alumni 2000s in Afghanistan 21st-century Afghan politicians Afghan political scientists