He had received 15 days of meager training, capped by the opportunity to fire three shots, one each from the standing, sitting and prone positions. His time in battle lasted three days. And when we told them we were Taliban, they were so angry they shot us. We'd be dead if we hadn't begged them and convinced them we were good Muslims. At the Khwaja Bahaouddin stronghold, food is served outdoors beneath the shade of two giant maples within sight of a fast-moving river.
Carpets cover the ground, and tablecloths cover the carpets.
Boys wait at attention with huge platters of rice while diners settle in, sitting cross-legged. Even with 20 guests, everyone gets a metal tea pot. The aging Rabbani remains the titular president of his ever-shrinking jurisdiction, but it is Massoud who makes most decisions, civilian or military. Battered and cranky Soviet-era helicopters drop off a regular supply of visitors near the front lines, many of them commanders allied with Massoud and others who are considering it. He seats them at his side at mealtime and tells them of his democratic vision.