A major troop surge is currently underway in Afghanistan, where in the past year more American soldiers were killed than in any previous year since the war began. President Obama has called the country “the central focus, the central front, on our battle against terrorism,” citing the need for the Afghan government to do more   more

Atash told me that throughout his tenure at Ariana, he’d been tipped off by sympathetic parties as to how unpopular he was within the government. In 2006, a one-inch-thick report was brought to him by a man with ties to the Afghan secret police, containing biographical information and details of Atash’s alleged activities since returning to   more

Read part one of this series here.
One would think that because a large part of Atash’s mandate was managing a successful hajj operation, he’d be accorded every necessity and favor at President Karzai’s disposal. Yet, in preparations for the 2005-2006 pilgrimage (hajjis typically leave in November, and return in February of the following calendar year),   more

A major troop surge is currently underway in Afghanistan, where in the past year more American soldiers were killed than in any previous year since the war began. President Obama has called the country “the central focus, the central front, on our battle against terrorism,” citing the need for the Afghan government to do more   more