of control over politics in Balkh. He has used that influence to grow rich through business deals during his time in power. No meaningful business in the Province is transacted without his approval and major real estate in the provincial capital, Mazar-e Sharif, is in the hands of companies Atta owns or controls. He is a key player in the transport industry in Afghanistan's north, including the development of the rail line from Uzbekistan to Mazar-e Sharif. Having transplanted his militia leaders into powerful positions throughout the provincial administration, he maintains a monopoly over violence as well as control over illicit activity. Atta exercises near-complete control over the security organizations and political operations of the Province. Nationally, the Province's administration was well regarded . Consequently, it received additional funding and positions through the civil service priority restructuring program and some payments from the Ministry of Counter-Narcotics through the U.S.-funded Good Performance Initiative. Historically, his local political strategy has been to dominate the Province using informal power, rules, and networks. His reputation as a strongman who doesn't tolerate opposition in any form has made him very influential in the area. While his power base does not lend itself to a rule based democracy, given Afghanistan's history of weak central power and its limited resources, the form of governance represented by Atta may be the best compromise at present in Afghanistan . Opponents of Atta view him as a corrupt power figure whose loyalty from the populace is motivated more by fear than adoration. The President appoints the country's 34 governors, but many believed that President Karzai was too weak to remove Governor Atta. Karzai's opposition raised concerns of violence and rebellion from the populace if the central government were to attempt to reign in Atta's power. Governor Atta Mohammad Noor himself boldly asserts that he will decide whether he remains governor of Balkh Province, not Kabul. Indeed, in 2014 the current Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, fired all 34 Afghan provincial governors, but Atta repeatedly refused to give up the role. He was removed from the position of Provincial Governor by President Ashraf Ghani in January 2018. Although largely supported by the U.S., Atta has publicly spoken out against the U.S. exit strategy from Afghanistan. Atta is vehemently opposed to bringing the Taliban back into negotiations and opposes reconciliation with his former archenemies. Additionally, Atta does not support any permanent American bases