the_taliban_shuffle_-_kim_barker

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Copyright © 2011 by Kim Barker The names and identifying characteristics of some of the people mentioned in this book have been changed to protect the privacy and preserve the confidences of those individuals and their families. All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. www.doubleday.com DOUBLEDAY and the DD colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. Jacket design by Emily Mahon Jacket photograph by Jared Moosy/Redux Photo retouching by Benjamin Weisman LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Barker, Kim, 1970– The Taliban shuffle : strange days in Afghanistan and Pakistan / Kim Barker.—1st ed. p. cm. 1. Afghan War, 2001—Press coverage. 2. Barker, Kim, 1970– 3. War correspondents—Afghanistan—Biography. 4. War correspondents—Pakistan—Biography. 5. War correspondents—United States—Biography. 6. Afghanistan— History—2001– 7. Pakistan—History—21st century. I. Title. DS371.4135B37 2011 958.104′7—dc22 2010024348 eISBN: 978-0-385-53332-4 v3.1
Page 4 and 5: To the people of Afghanistan and Pa
Page 6: CHAPTER 17 Lucky Star CHAPTER 18 Su
Page 11 and 12: PART I KABUL HIGH
Page 13 and 14: I CHAPTER 1 WELCOME TO THE TERRORDO
Page 15 and 16: “Is she scared of me?” he asked
Page 17 and 18: fought tiny delicate birds that t i
Page 19 and 20: “What are the men doing?” “Th
Page 21 and 22: At one point, we wandered through t
Page 23 and 24: CHAPTER 2
Page 25 and 26: Vader. I was a neurotic, everything
Page 27 and 28: trip overseas, in early 2002, I mad
Page 29 and 30: Nasir and Farouq dropped me o at a
Page 31 and 32: And that was how I decided to appro
Page 33 and 34: I CHAPTER 3 AMERICAN IDIOT soon lea
Page 35 and 36: “You have to be softer,” Farouq
Page 37 and 38: well, a true Afghan would never kee
Page 39 and 40: guilt, mixed with a feeling of poss
Page 41 and 42: een one of the most respected comma
Page 43 and 44: CHAPTER 4
Page 45 and 46: “It’s Christmas,” he said.
Page 47 and 48: was a body-borne improvised explosi
Page 49 and 50: “So the people don’t know me,
Page 51 and 52: The sergeant major looked at the tr
Page 53 and 54:
liquor, plenty of sleep, little str
Page 55 and 56:
CHAPTER 5
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His show was Oscar-worthy, and I fe
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a known bomb-maker and kept moving
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conceivably create ten more militan
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ase in Sharana, still in Paktika Pr
Page 65 and 66:
CHAPTER 6 MARCH OF THE PIGS C rouch
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Islam, a task more dicult than it s
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of the country’s top warlords wer
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enter my professional one. “He’
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waiting for the pounding to start a
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CHAPTER 7
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had to be repaid at some point in t
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went out. The exercise routine made
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Often, the reality of Afghanistan i
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authorized an e-mail statement, urg
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choice. She would return and slump
Page 87 and 88:
CHAPTER 8 MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE M any
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At one dark brothel with bordello-r
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Kabul Province and Sabit’s home v
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down over potholes. I dropped Sabit
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saying that he could drink alcohol
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And the police knew where I lived.
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CHAPTER 9 LET’S GET RADICAL Y ear
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ends but to light it up with a blow
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countries far less committed to war
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“No!” several men shouted, not
Page 107 and 108:
“You look strange,” Tom told me
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cleric near Kandahar—and two were
Page 111 and 112:
and power brokers likely fueled the
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his two sons had been killed eighte
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CHAPTER 10
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heroin. While in power, the Taliban
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“Look. Even the girls are throwin
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militant on a motorcycle, later dub
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was serious, and that someone shoul
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expense by the Americans to pave th
Page 127 and 128:
CHAPTER 11 MY NEW HOUSE T he night
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story of meeting Tango. Even though
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As if to underscore what was happen
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But for the first time ever, the mi
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that money was an issue, for any of
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CHAPTER 12
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Unwilling to sit on the sidelines,
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the Americans’ unguided missile,
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distinction hardly mattered. In a t
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He laughed. Some journalists felt t
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WHACK-
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CHAPTER 13
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Of course, no one answered. I turne
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natural resources, roads, and insti
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megalomania. The removal of the cou
Page 157 and 158:
even as he arrested Al-Qaeda’s al
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justice, I watched a window roll do
Page 161 and 162:
one of the longest days of my life.
Page 163 and 164:
CHAPTER 14 HIGHWAY TO HELL A s the
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died. You’re educated. You’re a
Page 167 and 168:
Towers in the afternoon, motorcycle
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“Bomber,” he said. Over the yea
Page 171 and 172:
like the most important one in the
Page 173 and 174:
I CHAPTER 15 GOD SAVE THE QUEEN wal
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Bhutto was placed under house arres
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“What could happen between Christ
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confusion. Then Bhutto’s longtime
Page 181 and 182:
ew to a town called Sukkur and were
Page 183 and 184:
this dangerous stretch. “Bhutto l
Page 185 and 186:
CHAPTER 16 STRAY CAT STRUT W ith Bh
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mine. My translator tried to protec
Page 189 and 190:
you going to stay safe while campai
Page 191 and 192:
By the time we ew back to Pakistan
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Watch said the attorney general app
Page 195 and 196:
CHAPTER 17
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“Farouq, why are you upset?” I
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climbed the stairs. Being here was
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and didn’t even mention Sahar, bu
Page 203 and 204:
from the ISI than from the militant
Page 205 and 206:
CHAPTER 18
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previous German tenants had desecra
Page 209 and 210:
know she. My boss send to Serena to
Page 211 and 212:
Fun House. “He’s probably ne,
Page 213 and 214:
“Samad’s been sleeping in the m
Page 215 and 216:
CHAPTER 19
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native while abroad. I was so far g
Page 219 and 220:
Tribune foreign correspondents were
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We talked more. They asked about my
Page 223 and 224:
Altogether, between driving to Spri
Page 225 and 226:
CHAPTER 20
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family members. Finally his mother
Page 229 and 230:
Capping the chaos, Nawaz Sharif the
Page 231 and 232:
My friend’s phone started ringing
Page 233 and 234:
“What’s your ancestry?” This
Page 235 and 236:
CHAPTER 21
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promised to work on the project.
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Arabia for the feasts that marked t
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said. That did not sound promising.
Page 243 and 244:
CHAPTER 22
Page 245 and 246:
And we got bizarre access to the me
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for her release. A New York Times r
Page 249 and 250:
One man sounded particularly credib
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one major attack had been at night.
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I CHAPTER 23 EYE OF THE TIGER ew to
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I called my boss. “So is there an
Page 257 and 258:
not even up to Pakistan’s usual l
Page 259 and 260:
“No,” I said. “No way.” He
Page 261 and 262:
“But on the record, they refused,
Page 263 and 264:
CHAPTER 24 BAD LIVER AND A BROKEN H
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U.S.-led coalition for hiring “th
Page 267 and 268:
myself, a mood that grew quickly bo
Page 269 and 270:
“I mean, you’re OK,” he said.
Page 271 and 272:
I CHAPTER 25 YOUNG AMERICANS ew to
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Paghman we had a situation with a g
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house. In the parking lot, basicall
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were the no-hopes. While on this em
Page 279 and 280:
CHAPTER 26
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amount of money. I’m sorry.”
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“Kim, they made a decision, and s
Page 285 and 286:
Samad looked at me. “Yes, boss?
Page 287 and 288:
CHAPTER 27
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toward us, then toward her husband
Page 291 and 292:
it would pull its 2,830 troops by 2
Page 293 and 294:
jacket over his pressed cream-color
Page 295 and 296:
my shoes. But I still wanted to see
Page 297 and 298:
that, only the likelihood of some A
Page 299 and 300:
in a few hours.” “Oh, congratul
Page 301 and 302:
I EPILOGUE TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT n De
Page 303 and 304:
As Afghanistan skidded o the rails,
Page 305 and 306:
stalking me! Even if I was moving o
Page 307 and 308:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book started o
Page 309:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kim Barker grew up
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