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The story of the Taliban's fall and rise, in their own words.

NEWSWEEK contributing correspondent Sami Yousafzai has been covering the conflict in Afghanistan for the magazine since 2001. Working with NEWSWEEK's Ron Moreau, Yousafzai has over that time developed and maintained contact with dozens of Afghan insurgents. In the following gallery, six of them tell their stories of the fight against U.S. forces in the weeks and months after the 9/11 attack (<u><a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/216236">See bios of the six here</a></u>). Because they continue armed stuggle, the men would not be photographed for this story; instead, the photographs that accompany their words are scenes from Afghanistan and Pakistan, during the time of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, and up to today.

 
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  • Posted By: ovais shabbir @ 10/22/2009 9:22:57 PM

    It was not the Afghans that defeated the Soviet Union, It was the American military hardware which defeated the Soviets.
    America should bomb Afghanistan into the stone ages and bring the Pashtuns to their knees. America should show no mercy to the Pashtuns, they are nothing more than the parasite. We should kill all Pashtuns.

  • Posted By: Pashtun @ 10/07/2009 1:06:56 PM

    The Pashtuns have been defeated, once by the Sikhs, and ruled by the British, only for a limited time, and a limited territory. Haripur town is the reminder of Sikh days. Abbotabad of the British. But the FATA and the Tribal areas were never "settled" areas.
    To win here, just use classic Maslow's theory of the Hierarchy of Needs". A pPashto proverb states that 'a full stomach speaks in Farsi' - meaning a person with a job and an income gets other priorities. Pasthuns are humans NOT some aliens, they have the same aspirations as everyone else. They write poetry (Rakhman Baba), they love songs, they fall in love, raise kids, protect their family, oppose a repressive government, want the right to bear arms, the right to assemble, and equal protection (which they have not had since the Frontier Crimes Regulations went into effect).
    Sound familiar?
    The Btits divided them among two countries and seven FATA's and two provinces within Pakistan - this is how scared they were of Pashtun Unity, and they succeed. Now most people consider the term Pashtun Unity an oxymoron - the only time they unite is against a foreign invader.
    America needs to fight this war by proxy. If not America will be added to the heap in the graveyard of Empires.

  • Posted By: wazdan @ 10/03/2009 4:37:32 AM

    Defeating Pakhtoons is only achievable by wining their heart,mind.History shows that they have not been dominated by foreigners forces.As Alexander wrote to his Mother when he was in Pakhtoons country that you have born one Alexander here everyone is Alexander every step forward is like setting in Steel.

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