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8/1/2007 - Another Palestine?: Iranian Influence in Western Afganistan by Nicholas Schmidle

Another Palestine Iranian Influence Western Afganistan By Nicholas Schmidle Auguest I TOOK THE ELEVATOR TO THE SECOND FLOOR Herat Trade Center morning summer Afghanistan doesn elevators But office Herat Chamber Commerce second floor Herat Trade Center flashy modern building eight stories shimmer mirrored windows elevator Qulam Qader Akbar Herat ChamberofCommerce calledmeintohisoffice Atall speakingman Akbar pinstriped slicked fashion From window office I could across skyline Herat Herat Afghanistan second largest booming Pastel colored sions shooting every block balconies roofs gates inspired decorating model somewhere between lollypop wedding Afghans commonly describe mansions narco palaces because built proceeds Afghanistan trade The markets stocked women burqas browse through piles sacks spices crowded streets alleys Herat ancient bazaar Across street Trade Center where evenings sipping At nearby traffic circle orderly manner around tower honors martyrs struggle expel Soviet Union country during 1980s An inscription Dari tower reads Jihad Victory Independence Development While jihadis dwelling first victory independence people Herat enjoying benefits development Akbar leaned leather chair explained Location location location Herat short drive either Turkmeni Iran It always caravan In centuries traders flocked camels Land Cruisers And while Kabul sound generators night electr icity flows hours Herat thanks neighboring energy countries The Iranian power straight across border plugs Herat industrial Reliable energy coupled educated citizenry minimal Taliban presence fueled economic Akbar during Taliban there companies based Herat Today there We compared Kabul Mazar Sharif Mohammad Rafiq Shahir Herat Professionals Council civil society organization doctors engineers businessmen We compared Tehran Ankara Eu ropean cities With resources should Arguably Herat greatest resource border Iran More goods through Islam Qala primary border crossing between Afghanistan Iran through other border crossing Afghanistan The between Herat Islam Qala recently built Iranian construction company takes little The Iranians planning extend their railway Herat project would ultimately Herat markets Europe It undeniable Iran brought something positive Shahir Take example Herat cleanliness If places Pakistani border where Afghans likely spent Pakistan these cities dirty Afghans brought dirty habits Pakistan But Iran clean And Af ghans lived Iran during jihad during Taliban carried these Iranian habits This summer I spent several weeks reporting about Iran influence Afghanistan Since Americans arrived autumn dethrone Taliban Wash ington Tehran struck something cordial working relationship Afghanistan The Iranians grateful Taliban almost defeated In Tal warlords Northern Alliance American Special Forces teamed happened payroll Iranian government Since Iran assets working United States their options creating trouble Afghanistan limited The first years American venture Af ghanistan impression Iran United States might after Strange friendships develop wartime But spring series events reason reconsider Iran Afghanistan In April Chairman Joint Chiefs Staff General Peter Pace Iranians shipping Taliban southern Afghanistan This dismissed another sound Iranian rhetoric Wash ington couple months later Afghan Border Police commander charge border Iran lodged similar claims The weapons which enemies Kalashnikovs rocket propelled grenades heavy machine grenades explosives coming these definitely coming across border commander BBC A weeks later primed respond against Ameri threats provocations Iran revealed unconven tional weapon arsenal refugees In April Iranian government packed Afghan refugees buses Afghanistan Nader Nadri spokesman Afghan Human Rights Commission Afghan government INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS above Herat renowned fruit juice stalls Women everything including Herat bazaar below A store specializing burqas warning insufficient prepare flood refugees It close being humanitarian disaster And rationale behind expulsion There clearly political motivation It meant stain international community working Afghanistan The Iranians could Look after years United States NATO UN still provide environment these Afghan refugees return And couldn point unless deported numbers people Between refugees claims weapons shipments Taliban stream coming Herat other I asked myself Why would Shia Iranians arming Sunni Taliban consider Shi heretics Considering tension between Iran United States weren Iranians doing If Iranians invaded occupied Mexico wouldn Americans training arming insurgents Was really tenable Iranians could building Herat model sending armor piercing mines Taliban other Who influence Herat these Kabul Washington Te THE FOURTH POLICEMAN crawled Ford Ranger pickup wrapped scarf around cradled rocket propelled grenade launcher between Then toward Iranian border Second Lieutenant Khan Wali Miakhel front Javed unemployed doctor turned translator beside Ranger extended Miakhel greasy He lapel uniform showed American Afghan flags joined together Earlier summer spent weeks Kansas training course Miakhel married children lived Jalalabad opposite country He recently graduated police academy officer salary barely exceeded month When Miakhel leave every three months parents money plane ticket Being policeman Afghanistan comes glamorou incentives Taliban shoot stinks The Ranger toward Iranian border smooth asphalt Iranian built Electric towers lowed Herat disappeared Iranian desert Sand dunes piled against walls street signs parked When gusted blowing against Ranger sounded shards metal A range brown mountains paralleled abandoned refugee other When Taliban hundreds thousands Afghan refugees Iran Many settled villages outskirts Herat When chance grabbed everything valuable windows doors wells anything In years since roofs walls caved harsh winds rains desert The remains looked ancient ruins Nearing rendezvous point Islam Qala where arranged another Ranger pickups before eeding border patrol I asked Miakhel observed anything suggested Iranians aiding insurgency Mines Miakhel described mines common Iraq jectile pierces armor before detonating They killed scores ofAmerican British soldiers Iraq Afghanistan It first I mines Miakhel How Iranian mines There abbreviation etched initials stood Iranian militia MIAKHEL S BOSS COLONEL RAHMATUL LAH SAFI border police commander insurgents increasingly sophisticated weaponry coming Around these statements Safi alleged Iran running network training camps Afghan fighters But August I asked about claims Safi suddenly reticent That But necessary again Safi thick black mustache looked fuzzy caterpillar pasted across upper During Taliban regime Safi Pakistan because shave mustache beard Whenever dodging question Safi flashed devious toothy Eddie Murphy famous Beverly Hills Cop Midway through first meeting I impression Safi muzzled The EddieMurphy indication touched subject tocommenton The lastthing Hamid Karzai needed loudmouth colonel Herat making claims annoy Iranians The Iranian government private Iranian businessmen after investing money Afghanistan Safiadmitted recently phone Kabul official Ministry In terior other The official Safi there ministry responsible making statements about security matters Safi Other government officials their making harsh lesser statementsagainst Iran press Western countries underestimate significance Iranians Afghanistan Michael Semple western diplomat Kabul They equipped networking system social political circles Dr Raoufa Niazi spoke against Iranian NGO Niazi served Health Depart Herat province November June She biggest challenges trying Iranian health clinic premises Herat Regional Hospital Ismail Khan former mujahideen commander towering personality Herat gifted clinic Iranians while governor We people build clinics Niazi sipped black drawing But another neral practice clinic Herat medical community thought property could better utilized When Iranians refused budge group doctors planned march clinic attack before thought better The Iranian consulate involved whole Niazi Back Iranians offered provide advisor proposition declined Almost three years later being fired light public kerfuffle clinic Niazi behind I heard INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Iran Ministry Health Niazi noted perfectly natural Iran influence Afghanistan The American military surrounded Iran sides countries weren exactly chummy terms Afghanistan vulnerable Iranians opportunity expand their influence If could pense America better The Herat after thanks Iran America But attention roads forget negative things Niazi They great power Herat whatever ON OUR SECOND TRIP TO MEET COLO NEL SAFI cluster policemen stopped Javed check A policeman asked where going To commander border police Javed translator We Afghanis around receipt started again Then another policeman stepped Where going To commander border police You We already You another For To Javed sighed reached pocket The police stood beside driver window staring across desert He waited while Javed fished another Afghani Javed handed tattered The policeman tucked pocket careful Down Safi waiting office sitting place where I earlier ioned chair spread either glass topped table Crowded table mobile phones ashtray cigarettes platter filled pistachios pumpkin seeds doorbell buzzer connected kitchen waiting scatterings pistachio shells cigarette So these training camps Iran I started Safi responded This something I Everybody knows All government officials Afghanistan Iran training camps helped particular groups people What people Fellow Shi Taliban Everyone Not Hazaras Afghanistan Shiite minority Taliban But I blame Iran I blame Afghans being Iran These people guilty killing other Afghans Every government naturally wants advantage another country weaknesses If successful I Well Safi peeled pistachio shell But every person grave another person should remember grave Safi reached under glass topped table yellow GPS device I exactly where these training camps I prove location these camps I entire world about waving GPS device I already people locate camps Iran Does spies running around Iran Of course This Afghan people answered His sounded urgent Where these camps AT THE RENDEZVOUS POINT THREE MO TORCYCLES Ranger pickups behind voyed toward border We drove nearly hours zagging through melon fields droopy headed sunflowers seemed teenagers Then Second Lieutenant Miakhel pointed toward watchtower Iran Besides watchtower horizon white chest obelisks spread every hundred meters marked border On Iranian stood chain linked fence behind which strip paved allowed Iranian border police vehicles Our convoy bumped along rutted unpaved We drove shrubs through tracts loose sucked tires forced truck slide A tornado raised cobra chest puffed powering toward across plain Eventually Chah Khargah border walled fortress appeared The looked valley toward brown rugged ridgeline A single white obelisk ridgeline demarcated border Sixty seven border posts Afghanistan Iran border The Iranian government built fourteen including Chah Khar result Bonn Agreement When convoy rolled border gunmen leapt trucks positions behind rocks under assault Lt Colonel Mohammad Zaman broad chested senior officer present He gestured NES A white obelisk demarcates official borderline while watchtower stands background toward dozen fanned formed defensive perimeter around That level training Zaman viewed lineup young border guards based Chah Khargah their bodies erect chins pointed At Zaman Their bodies They flashed goofy smiles kidded another I nodded direction peach fuzzed guard hardly looked years How Z according government regula tions minimum police So Peach smiled shrugged shoulders Zaman pointed across valley Iranian border posts He chuckled They definitely wonder going On Iranian silhouette Za everyday foreigner Rangers three motorbikes dozen guards visited Chah Khargah One Afghan guards lowered binoculars They looking through binocu I asked Zaman action shootouts smugglers Taliban One raised His Abdul Qadoos INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS beard Three months patrolling night Ranger little south Chah Khargah We spotted smuggler coming across border motorbike Qadoos later discovere rying crystallized heroin We yelled tried When yelled again fired Ranger So I Did I asked Definitely Was first killed someone That first I killed smuggler Qadoos smirking But I killed Taliban THE CUSTOMS OFFICE IN ISLAM QALA internationally recognized crossing along Af ghanistan Iran border decorated plastic plants reeked smelly Truckers their shoes outside submitted stack customs ments After officer stamped signed truckers allowed transport their goods Herat People Ismail Khan governor customs duties himself instead sending central government Kabul No Khan denied though quick money cause reconstruction Herat The office closed Farooq Shah pudgy customs officer charge filled dropped chair Today I never toilet I asked Shah percentage customs traffic connected Iranian goods versus other countries goods transiting through Iran Only percent products Iranian answered mostly wheat fruits That doesn however Iran doesn treat Afghanistan dumping ground goods Accord Qulam Qader Akbar Herat Cham Commerce The Iranians allow market Afghan products there trade policy there No market Most economic activ Herat therefore import export sector And focused importing Local manufacturers simply cannot compete their Iranian counterparts So massive imbalances Akbar added Akbar sobservationsbacked upastorythatShahshared He recalled small market stood strip between Afghanistan Iran According Shah Iranian merchants selling goods Afghan buyers paying customs Eventually Shah customs colleagues their heads together Colonel Safi border police devised would block Afghans there When buyers stopped coming Iranian merchants forced Now every product crossing border subjected customs regulations OUTSIDE THE CUSTOMS OFFICE cluster women squatted In distance behind I giant murals picturing faces Ayatollah Khomeini Ayatollah Khame Yusuf squatters waiting Mashhad Iran clear customs immigration security checks Once heading Herat He spent three months working Tehran Even though kicked Iran during deportations April Yusuf immediately He money country Of course I would rather inAfghanistan family But I money I Iran When I Yusuf sitting three month expired He renew Once going Iran When Yusuf deported given chance gather things family I another refugee Kabul named Ali Mohammad lucky I standing outside parliament building morning waiting appointment I heard Ali asking security guard please Ali spiked dejected expression He specific lawmaker problem needed solving His stranded Tehran after suddenly arrested expelled April He hoped parliamentarian could permission travel Tehran retrieve family The Iranian government wouldn And could across Iran themselves The security guard Ali other The evening I Ali Nau Bahar New Spring Hotel Kabul neighborhood lated mostly Hazaras The Hazaras originally central highlands Afghanistan comprise roughly percent overall population Ali Hazara Shiite Inside Nau Bahar television showed program volume turned splitting level Outside window horns blasted night We platform against covered cranberry colored Spilt soaked square carpet where I For weeks Ali slept After ordering ourselves Ali Afghanistan Iran again When Soviet tanks rolled through streets Kabul mother Iran He stayed years He Tehran there while waiting Ali money construction worker On Iranian colleagues would sometimes kasif against Afghan migrants Iran means dirty Ali mouth focused The customs office outside Herat where hundreds newly arrived Iran earning money someday buying house This having finally saved enough Ali payment square Tehran But owner argument owner refused acknowledge Ali money So Ali court He could never expected judge would Without asking tions about judge wrote letter ordered Afghanistan When policemen courtroom rushed Ali recalled The police stuffed Ali where another Afghan already sitting hands bound They driven across There thousands crammed inside It looked putting animals Ali paused telling story A walked hotel shouted names destinations upcoming trips Kandahar Herat Mashhad Tehran The Nau Bahar Hotel swarming refugees The disappointment being family showed Ali The morning after arrest Ali other INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS oners loaded passenger buses journey Afghanistan Short seats aisles Before disembarked Afghan border Ir anian police every deportee Those other refugees Still Ali scariest being handcuffed blindfolded through Iran stretch Herat Kandahar where Taliban The I visited Ali Nau Bahar Hotel looked hopeful That morning Iranians finally accepted application After previously unsuc cessful visits consulate Herat embassy Kabul elated At waiters cranked volume television Anews anchor daily headlines Taliban continued Koreans hostage Mahmud Ahma dinejad pledged Iran wanted Afghanistan fight Taliban other around American official United States committed staying rebuilding Afghanistan another American official threatened Iran nuclear program Ali shook His plight mused problems Afghan refugees living Iran problems between Iran United States I stuck their I football booting forth FOR CENTURIES AFGHANISTAN AND IRAN enjoyed historical cultural linguistic mercial bonds During Prophet Moham eastern Iran western Afghanistan comprised single entity known Khorasan Khorasan remains province present Iran And Qaeda constant nostalgic appeal terrorist outfit refers struggle Afghanistan Jihad Khorasan Herat major cities Khorasan Its proxim Hari Rud River ideal trading transporting horses camels fruits The trade brought cultural cross pollination Heratis speak dialect Persian closer Farsi spoken Tehran Dari spoken Kabul But Heratis adamant about being fused Iranians In Islam Qala border I spent afternoon listening locals scorn Iranians explained doing nothing killing Af ghans One pulled flier front The flier showed faces young Islam Qala recently killed Iranian border guards The shopkeeper crossed border watermelons captured tortured Iranian soldiers This recent thing It happening years In happening centuries In Shah Persia marched Herat besieged Farmers outside Herat burned their crops before invading could Seven months siege Heratis water gunpowder To survive began eating their horses Sensing weakness Persian Shah issued proposal accept Persian suzerainty siege The Afghans replied Never stand continued Finally months after Persians first entered Herat withdrew their British threatened invade Persia Against people Herat repelled their Persian neighbors HERAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST cities revolt against Kabul communist government Ismail Khan young Afghan captain uprising He butchered dozen Russian military advisors along their wives children Khan impaled placed their gorged corpses around The communist regime responded bombing More people government bloody retali ation But Ismail Khan escaped During jihad Khan talents military mander earned respect popularity When mujahideen government Kabul Khan became governor Herat province Later Taliban captured Mullah Omar According urban legend Khan escaped Taliban But aides admitted Khan Taliban released Upon lease Khan Iran where stayed until Taliban toppled In November Khan returned Iran private welcomed With Taliban elders religious leaders Herat gathered Friday mosque choose governor Khan dubbed himself Amir West Khan human rights record horrid provided Herat unmatched anywhere country Hajji Abdul Baqi Transpor tation Department under Khan close aides described Khan governing people style Baqi explained Three nights Amir Sahib himself patrolled streets night If people right Sometimes sometimes horseback sometimes motorcycle It people Families parks night While Karzai Americans certainly appreci Khan control Herat Americans perceived Khan close relations Iran In September sacked governor transferred Kabul where Karzai named Min ister Water Electricity He fiefdom Herat dictator Javed Khan removal parable Saddam Hussein trouble starts Today robberies thefts Herat Businessmen kidnapped ransom And while Taliban fully disparate groups government insurgents traveling outside Herat limits increasingly dangerous proposition Humayun Azizi heads Herat Provincial Coun Ismail Khan permit violence wouldn anyone disobey commands He continued There democracy Now there democracy difficult control The press people speak their minds This democ something brought Azizi sounded incriminating Somewhat puzzled I asked democracy Afghanistan thing It Democracy postcard United States countries Afghanistan Iraq THE PRESENT GOVERNOR Herat Sayyed Hussain Anwari Shia Hazara His appointment NES marked first Herat Sunni majority province indigenous Hazara population From outset local people suspectedAnwari being Iranian agent In Hazara areas Iranians total control Shia clerics lawmaker Kabul Hazara himself The Sunni population accused Anwari working Iran giving Hazaras plots estate weapons They alleged there Irania conspiracy underfoot settle Herat large numbers Hazaras order create Shia buffer border Jibrael largest Hazara dominated sharak suburb outskirts Herat It paved roads regular service uninterrupted electricity Locals these amenities Jibrael after Anwari became governor Since communities major cities lucky running water people wanted Jibrael preferential treatment Javed I drove there afternoon On Javed articulated suspicions about Jibrael The Hazaras always laborers country They workhorses Then Iran years When money build these homes Where money Javed others believed Iranian government helping When I suggested perhaps Hazaras simply saved their money migrant workers across world waved sounded doubtful Nahik Fallah claimed evidence conspiracy settle Hazaras plicated governor Fallah served Department Martyrs Disabled under Anwari His distribute martyr cards women their husbands during jihad Normally cards handed people their province birth because Fallah confirms citizen province Yet Anwari rected Fallah cards those displaced Hazaras recently moved Herat Fallah refused fired What cards growth Jibrael Twenty percent municipality lands reserved families martyrs So these people received piece government Fallah explained He estimated Jibrael grown about times since Taliban Iran wants power border areas Hundreds thousan acres distributed Hazaras Javed steered through bazaar lined wooden carts piled eggplants tomatoes garlic We passed elderly Hazara wispy beards clusters women dressed Iranian style chadors We visited large library Jibrael funded bonyad religious foundation based Qom Iran Naim Khalili library employee percent books Iran Javed parked beside bakery where picture Aya tollah Khomeini Ali Iftikhar crouched front bakery rolling stones right Built Iftikhar square burglar flattop cheeks He After childhood Bamiyan Hazara region center Afghanistan Iran during jihad years He returned Afghanistan 1990s rumors spread Taliban planning pogrom against Hazaras Iftikhar jetted Iran He fortunate because early Taliban rounded Hazaras lampposts around sometimes their necks sometimes their Nowadays according Iftikhar There problems Hazaras Herat A busload laborers after squealed behind Minutes later women stepped another Jibrael peaceful I asked Iftikhar Iranian government helped build Jibrael Iran definitely effect responded We pretend haven helped SUNNIS AND SHIAS NEVER USED TO FIGHT Herat But growing Hazara population governorship ofAnwari changed religious mography culture If anyone doubted happening Ashura festival January proved Every tenth Muharram Shia commemorate death Prophet Mohammad grandson Hussain marching streets whipping themselves chains chanting paeans Hussain INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Prophet family members Generally places where Shi constitute majority marked greater fervor In Iran southern Iraq Lebanon Ashura festivities especially elaborate bloody According Sunnis Ashura brings worst Shia They Shia insult Hussain rivals happen revered Sunnis This aggravates Sunnis evinced clashes Ashura years often leads violence The Shia Herat typically observed Ashura modest subdued But This first between Sunni Shia Herat history Nahik Fallah I asked different The governor supported Shia The Sunni fighters Just bricks Sectarian street clashes eight Hajji Abdul Baqi Ismail Khan noted people Soviet bombed Herat But I added people Herat fighting tween Sunnis Shi Farooq Hussaini almost sounded braggingwhen described arrest during Ashura riots He delivered speech inside Herat Friday mosque clashes began In Iran thing Hus saini referring Shia tradition marching flaying themselves chains Iran Shia country But Afghanistan cannot tolerate Last Ashura proved percent Iran controlling events Herat The arrangements ceremony Iranian government And I first person publicly accuse Iran Hussaini arrested thrown first fighting Hussaini mosque madrassa center Herat where I morning The madrassa complex under construction sound sledgehammers echoed filled empty prayer where Hussaini large bugging wears tinted glasses which peered while spoke He rubbed string green prayer beads Ahandful similar strings visitors behind The Ashura riots weren first Hussaini fought Shi Iran In lived there years Shortly after Ismail Khan rebellion Hussaini father family Iran eventually settling Ahwaz Arab Sunni majority province southwest Iraqi border Hussaini father opened Sunni madrassa local chapter Khan Jamiat Islami party When Hussaini The Iranian government Hussaini inflammatory speeches years after father death intelligence agents Hussaini The Iranians Shia people always using language against Sunnat Sunni people explained I defended Prophet companions I arrested Still Hussaini mixed about Iran On described years there acknowledged Iranian government helped fight against Soviet Union We jihad cause But considered Shi heretics railed against Iranian interference Afghanistan I asked whether considered American Ira influence threat Afghanistan Hussaini smiled leaned toward His eyeballs bugged glasses I afraid America America enemy They openly I enemy I against religion We afraid America because think So But Iran secret enemy Iran wears clothes Islam hates He doesn Islam He pretends friends Muslims Because afraid Iran Later lunch house Hus saini Herat become another Palestine Just Israel occupies Palestine Iran Hazaras occupy Herat THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY I Hussaini mosque Besides berating Shi Iran Hussaini renowned Herat jihadi spiced against American presence Afghanistan In first meeting which coincided Afghanistan Independence Day Hussaini lamented We still When I after Taliban happiness I Taliban I already worried about Americans And still Though usually speaks mosque every Friday address worshippers Barnabad village hours outside Herat particular Friday He invited Javed along At little after seven packed Hussaini Land Cruiser Besides Javed Hussaini there twenty something driver middle Hussaini bodyguard toting Kalashnikov The Land Cruiser three seats gunman window smashed earlier never replaced Before leaving Hussaini swabbed himself perfume stick We smelling fresh Hussaini cousin Maulvi Dawood central mosque Barnabad He invited Hussaini deliver sermon Friday Before mosque visited Dawood He lived domed which NES prevented piling winter The basic light fixtures Two years electricity Dawood adjusting white turban It solved problems The village electrified through joint effort between Iranian Afghan governments Dawood recalled handful Iranian electrical engineers lived Barnabad while doing Hussaini stood mosque winding through baked alleys Barnabad He purple cloak walked steady unhurried When reached mosque Hussaini straight microphone began sermon Long bearded village elders hunched their canes eased against Hussaini stood front Farooq Hussaini middle described Herat another Palestine mosque clasping hands together stomach Yet another invader country They enemy young generation unfortunately attracted enemy Go people homes tapes CDs DVDs CDs learning Quran interpreting verses Quran Hussaini barked microphone We launch cultural jihad against enemies Russia attacked Americans assaulted culture He paused shook The media inAfghanistan ashamed They broadcasting against Islam Have watched TOLO Afghani private TV channel heard calling prayer No nodded their I think This today jihad Just struggled against Russia struggle against enemies country We security fending religion important On Hussaini popped recording speechinto theLandCruiser stapedeckandwelistened again The driver rewound certain parts section where Hussaini called jihad against Americans Everyone chuckled Hussaini looked across patted His smiling represented another facet insurgency raging Afghanistan I militia Kalashnikov sitting beside broken window weekly speeches motivating scores young harden their resolve against United States Hussaini staunch critic Taliban He considered Americans Taliban words extremists Nonetheless Hussaini brand resistance illustrated diffuse multidimensional nature insurgency As entered limits Herat cracking sound jolted awake Javed holding fingers Hussaini around What doing asked The guard looked rifle disbelief His finger barely brushed trigger guard Lucky rifle pointed smashed window Hus saini never fixed Rather ricocheting around inside Land Cruiser bullet sailed village distance Back mosque Herat Hussaini apologized It almost defeats purpose having bodyguard We another farewell I about backseat Javed Hussaini attention He thing His facial expression turned stone bugging stared Remember Russians Afghanistan drove Tell Americans leave thing HERAT PROVINCE IS THE SECOND LARGEST Afghanistan Only Taliban controlled Helmand which doubles world leading center poppy cultivation bigger Comparing Herat Helmand almost unfair booming invest INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS while other booming explosives But Herat gradually drifting Helmand theother southern provinces wracked violence There several reasons deteriorating order since Ismail Khan dismissal people longing Taliban strict Farooq Hussaini sermons stoking flames jihad increasing criticism Iranian Shia incursions Herat governor policies making people think Hussaini might right Yet perhaps biggest reason people flocking resistance rising number civilian casual American NATO attacks Afghan culture based honor revenge create family enemies In April around refugees streaming across border Iran American military bombed several villages Zerkoh Valley remote Shindand district southern Herat An estimated people killed The Americans claimed Taliban holed Zerkoh locals claimed civilians dozens women children Hajji Turjan resident Zerkoh there Taliban Zerkoh there Taliban Zerkoh But assured thing changed after April bombing People Americans Turjan Javed I Shin Ring Road We early morning Herat before The Ring Road Herat Kabul Just south Shindand Farah province Taliban patrol night Just couple hours after coasting through rolling hills Adraskan district The morning light gentle shadows rested pillows recesses hills Herds camels chewed grass meadows Most homes built clusters square But clusters kutchis nomads erected black tents The tents looked place motor parked suburban American neighborhood Gul Agha turbaned waited Agha offered Shindand another miles Ring Road bumpy track Born Zerkoh himself Agha could introduce Hajji Turjan though slightly prehensive about taking foreigner Shindand In preceding visit dominant tribes Shindand started killing other Agha I backseat He before bandits kidnapped gunpoint Shindand bazaar The tribal fighting created chaos kidnappers relished This summer rumor Taliban willing foreign captive Afghan working foreign organization Hajji Turjan opened dried surrounded house waved inside He white turban piercing brown His upper teeth large spaces His beard streaked Don King turned upside pasted Inside house apologized weren spinning There electricity Shindand Just generators For being targeted rival tribesmen Turjan house I talgia relative security provided Taliban ernment I government There right I support Taliban I security From Americans getting worse worse Then about American bombed village Shortly after prayers April Turjan cultivating poppy fields joint convoy ofAmeri Afghan National Army troops rolled Zerkoh I poppy little extra money better According Turjan barged homes gunfight broke three hours later bombing began Turjan nearly scraped people homes The screaming noise I never planes close during Soviet recalled We could bombs coming planes before exploded Two later bombing started again More people civilians according Turjan killed I hands tying Taliban Qaeda Iran But successful Turjan Zerkoh independent centuries would people suddenly beholden outsiders Why would risks sheltering wanted people Seriously Shindand southern areas Afghanistan explained referring Taliban provinces Helmand Kandahar Khost others Turjan But situation continues I cannot promise Zerkoh Shindand become center Taliban Turjan served lunch We pulled hunks fatty sheep hands drank doogh chilled yogurt drink ladle Turjan paused eating moment Look someone Taliban Zerkoh landmine I detonate against PRT Provincial Reconstruction Teams Spanish Italian forces Herat people village would No But Taliban person wanted target American convoy local people would OK People angry toward Americans after bombed those villages After leaving Turjan house stopped Shindand bazaar sodas drink Javed I fetched sodas while Gul Agha another store flour NES driver stayed Five minutes later piled doors The driver passerby warned about minutes before someone tried kidnap foreigner Agha owner bought thing I draped turban I asked witted driver waiting Quit talking start driving If someone minutes already wasted minute talking ISMAIL KHAN LEADER OF THE UP RISING governor declared Amir West could considered father modern Herat The Taliban flowering began under watch stability relative security product Khan style ruling personal dictatorial Amnesty International Human Rights Watch criticized human rights record Mohammad Rafiq Shahir Profes sionals Council Khan goons night questioning Khan deputy meeting They dragged handcuffs blindfolded I thought going Shahir He pointed bruises where prodded rifle barrel Another victim Human Rights Watch Khan Killing killing News Ismail Khan dismissal governor sparked riots Herat His supporters ripped portraits Hamid Karzai whose supporters ripped portraits Khan Khan eventually conceded moved Kabul where became Minister Water Electricity Every months flies Herat coincided visits Hajji Abdul Baqi arranged interview He warned Amir Sahib schedule hectic because people wanted People really Baqi He starts meeting people until midnight In basement Baqi showed mirror black stenciled outline Khan That spent years Taliban freed Taliban Javed I showed Khan house Khan militiamen heads wrapped their signature black white turbans paced walls compoun Two Ford Rangers belonging Afghan Na tional Police parked front A women burqas ground outside We walked I An eyeball assessed through peephole The rolled Baqi stood other holding walkie talkie More police trucks turbaned guards dozen Land Cruisers Baqi escorted through Khan landscaped garden which spread acres center Herat We ducked under trellises slipped bushes The Herat Trade Center loomed nearby Khan reportedly tried construction Trade Center realized would garden Baqi marble floored sunroom overgrown trees vines crawling walls After waited about minutes Ismail Khan entered sunroom wearing purple green striped He moved cautiously voice Khan could easily mistake being older He wears white brillo beard fundamentalist fashion upper trimmed close He thumbed yellow prayer beads white prayer His remained intent framed black arching eyebrows I asked could share secret keeping peace Herat Khan cracked clever smile When there trust rulers satisfy people people confident government there always stability security And there trust I current governor Mr Anwari doesn people doesn Herat So people government But doesn Anwari growing support INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Hazaras I asked After piruzi which means glorious revolution refers Khan after Taliban Hazara refugees returned Afghanistan Khan My government policy provinces where originally because I congested cities I unemployment areas But viously Governor Anwari agree policy People Anwari Iranian agent opened Iranian influence Herat I Who influence these Institute Fellows chosen basis character previous experi promise They young professionals funded spend minimum years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows required report their findings experiences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis periodic assessment interna tional events issues Iran United States Khan eyebrow arched shape upside V Neither influence There impression Iran America fighting influence Herat The Iranians spent million What Only Islam Qala Khan We compete fluence continued We university needs repairs neither Iran America offered And Herat despite being second largest Afghanistan international airport If Iran America wants influence Herat Let build airport Baqi standing across sunroom signaled interview Khan chair readjusted shoulders walked A crowd waited outside Grown clutched their heads kissed Khan turbaned guards stayed close Baqi communicated walkie talkie The women burqas their inside compound Khan stopped greet Javed leaned Almost everyone gotten favor Ismail Khan thank Baqi Javed reminded truck transportation company before Khan named Transportation Department Herat Now fleet trucks house Eventually Khan black Land Cruiser lifted himself backseat The metal rolled More Ranger pickups arrived Turbaned guards scanned people gathered around Khan Land Cruiser Baqi walkie talkie glued jumped front Land Cruiser It pulled through trailed caravan other Land Cruisers Rangers pickup trucks ferrying Khan militiamen The metal rolled Khan flurry sirens horns It almost traffic otherwise quiet neighborhood return normal ICWA Letters ISSN published Institute Current World Affairs Inc exempt operating foundation incorporated New York State offices located Street NW Suite Washington D C 20016 Letters provided charge members ICWA available libraries professional researchers Phone Fax E Web Executive Director Steven Butler Bookkeeper Program Assistant James GuyPublications Manager Ellen Kozak Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foundation The Information contained publication reprinted republished without express written consent Institute Current World Affairs