“The situation is changing dramatically in regards to the deployment of troops to Afghanistan,” said veteran Sergei Morozov. “Those who fought are being looked up to again.”
Afghanistan
My first memory of a breaking news event was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979. My dad was shaking his head and tsk-tsking our tiny black-and-white TV set. The U.S.-supported mujahideen resistance would eventually help bring down the Soviet Union and give rise to Osama bin Laden.
In June 2000 I traveled to the northern part of the war-torn country to meet the legendary mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was holding out against the Taliban. A little more than a year later, two days before 9/11, Massoud was killed by assassins posing as journalists. I returned to Afghanistan in December 2001 immediately following the U.S. invasion.
Afghans Flooded with Confusing Currency
Abdul Qadir waits for business in his spartan subterranean office. Anywhere else, Qadir would work behind a computer in an anonymous cubicle. But here, Qadir buys and sells his dollars with a handshake and a smile.
Buzkashi – An Afghan Tradition Thrives
As they do on most Friday afternoons after prayer, the dozens of turbaned horsemen have gathered for a friendly match of buzkashi, or goat grabbing.
Wild Rides and Waiting Games in Remote Afghanistan
Just one seat away on the helicopter sits Commander Masood himself. As I prepare to introduce myself, I notice his lips are moving in silent prayer. I wonder if I shouldn’t be doing the same.
Afghanistan’s Emerald Heights
Fifteen years ago, the blasts in this Afghan valley could have come from Soviet jets targeting mujahideen hideouts. Today the quarry is emeralds.
Taliban POWs Dream of Exporting Their Brand of Islam
“We want to turn Afghanistan into our base and bring Islam to the whole world,” says Salahuddin Khalib, a Taliban fighter whose bright eyes shine through his oversized glasses. “We know that many Muslims will die. But if 10,000 are killed in the process, we’ll make 5 billion new ones.”
New Afghan Generation at War
“When we were fighting the Russians, it was to the Americans’ advantage to help us,” says Commander Masood. “But when the Soviets were destroyed, they forgot about us.”
