Readings & Links

Afghanistan Behind Enemy Lines: Najibullah Quraishi
"The first thing you notice about these fighters is that they are not motivated by money," writes reporter Najibullalh Quraishi, reflecting on his experience in Afghanistan. (Feb. 1, 2010)

Talking to the Taliban
Reporters from Toronto's The Globe and Mail surveyed foot soldiers in Kandahar to create this compelling multimedia portrait of average Taliban fighters. The Web site includes video from interviews with 42 individuals. (March 2008)

Behind the Lines With the Taliban
An account from an LA Times reporter who embedded with Taliban in Ghazni, a province in the south. (Jan. 11, 2009)

See You Soon if We're Still Alive
"The only two Westerners living on their own in Kandahar have been bombed, ambushed, and nearly sold to kidnappers. Here's what they've learned about the country where war just won't end." (Foreign Policy, November/December 2009)

Hezb-i-Islami Gulbuddin
A number of the fighters shown in Behind Taliban Lines are members of this group, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Here's background on the group and its leader, from the Institute for the Study of War.

Peace Talks With Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
According to this Feb. 11, 2010 article published in The Christian Science Monitor, Hekmatyar is in tentative peace negotiations with Afghanistan's government. "The terms that Hekmatyar has outlined are softer than those proposed by the Taliban, who've demanded that U.S. and other foreign troops must leave Afghanistan before peace talks can begin. Hekmatyar would allow international forces to remain in the country for 18 months," writes Saaed Shah.

But a Feb. 14 Washington Post editorial warns against ignoring Hekmatyar's links to Al Qaeda and points out that he is one of Afghanistan's most vicious warlords, responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilian deaths in the early 1990s.

And how willing is he to cut ties with the Taliban? According to this Feb. 19 blog post from The New York Times' C.J. Chivers, U.S. forces were surprised to find documents from Hezb-i-Islami fighters during their current offensive in Marja.

Interview: Henry Crumpton
Crumpton ran the CIA's campaign in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. He spoke to FRONTLINE in September 2008 for The War Briefing; his interview provides a good overview of the region's major players, including Hekmatyar.

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
A collection of The New York Times reporting on Hekmatyar.

Taliban Attacks in Northern Afghanistan Spike
Reporter Jason Motlagh explores the recent spate of attacks in the north, where the Taliban had its last stand in 2001. (The Washington Times, Sept. 6, 2009)

Target Germany: A Second Front in Afghanistan?
Another report from Jason Motlagh; Germany oversees NATO's efforts in Kunduz, and the Taliban have started to target the country's resolve. (Time, Sept. 5, 2009)

The Taliban in Afghanistan
This overview from the Council on Foreign Relation outlines the group's rise, leadership and structure, and its relationship with Pakistani intelligence. (August 2009)

The Quetta Shura Taliban in Southern Afghanistan
A closer look at the group's organization, operations and shadow governance in southern Afghanistan, from the Institute for the Study of War. (PDF; Dec. 21, 2009)