Pakistan
MY LIFE WITH THE TALIBAN
ABDUL SALAM ZAEEF
My Life with the Taliban
Edited by
Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn
Columbia University Press Publishers Since 1893 New York Chichester, West Sussex Copyright © Abdul Salam Zaeef 2010 Editors’ introduction and translation Copyright © Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn, 2010 Foreword Copyright © Barnett R. Rubin, 2010 All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Za’if, ‘Abd al-Salam, 1967 or 8– My life with the Taliban / Abdul Salam Zaeef. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-231-70148-8 (alk. paper) 1. Za’if, ‘Abd al-Salam, 1967 or 8– 2. Taliban—Biography. 3. Afghan War, 2001—Biography. 4. Prisoners of war—Afghanistan—Biography. 5. Prisoners of war—United States—Biography. 6. Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp—Biography. I. Title. DS371.33.Z34A3 2010 958.104'7—dc22 [B] 2009040865 ∞ Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable acid-free paper. This book is printed on paper with recycled content. Printed in USA c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 References to Internet Web sites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing. Neither the author nor Columbia University Press is responsible for URLs that may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared.
CONTENTS
Kandahar: Portrait of a City Editors’ Acknowledgements Editors’ Notes Character List Foreword by Barnett R. Rubin Preface by Abdul Salam Zaeef Maps 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. Death at Home The Camps The Jihad Lessons from the ISI Bitter Pictures Withdrawal Taking Action The Beginning Administrative Rule Mines and Industries A Monumental Task Diplomatic Principles Growing Tensions The Osama Issue 9/11 and its Aftermath A Hard Realisation Prisoner 306 Guantánamo Bay
ix xxv xxvii xxix xxxvii xli xlviii–xlix 1 13 21 31 39 47 57 67 81 91 101 107 123 131 141 157 171 187 199 v
19. Graveyard of the Living
CONTENTS
20.
ABDUL SALAM ZAEEF
My Life with the Taliban
Edited by
Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn
Columbia University Press Publishers Since 1893 New York Chichester, West Sussex Copyright © Abdul Salam Zaeef 2010 Editors’ introduction and translation Copyright © Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn, 2010 Foreword Copyright © Barnett R. Rubin, 2010 All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Za’if, ‘Abd al-Salam, 1967 or 8– My life with the Taliban / Abdul Salam Zaeef. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-231-70148-8 (alk. paper) 1. Za’if, ‘Abd al-Salam, 1967 or 8– 2. Taliban—Biography. 3. Afghan War, 2001—Biography. 4. Prisoners of war—Afghanistan—Biography. 5. Prisoners of war—United States—Biography. 6. Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp—Biography. I. Title. DS371.33.Z34A3 2010 958.104'7—dc22 [B] 2009040865 ∞ Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable acid-free paper. This book is printed on paper with recycled content. Printed in USA c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 References to Internet Web sites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing. Neither the author nor Columbia University Press is responsible for URLs that may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared.
CONTENTS
Kandahar: Portrait of a City Editors’ Acknowledgements Editors’ Notes Character List Foreword by Barnett R. Rubin Preface by Abdul Salam Zaeef Maps 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. Death at Home The Camps The Jihad Lessons from the ISI Bitter Pictures Withdrawal Taking Action The Beginning Administrative Rule Mines and Industries A Monumental Task Diplomatic Principles Growing Tensions The Osama Issue 9/11 and its Aftermath A Hard Realisation Prisoner 306 Guantánamo Bay
ix xxv xxvii xxix xxxvii xli xlviii–xlix 1 13 21 31 39 47 57 67 81 91 101 107 123 131 141 157 171 187 199 v
19. Graveyard of the Living
CONTENTS
20.