Deciphering the Taliban

Diego Solis recently returned from a two-week assignment to Afghanistan. In an effort to interact with as broad a demographic as possible, his extensive travel took him from the more populous urban cores to the hinterlands of the war-torn country. During his time there, he spoke with local leaders, foreign diplomats, former mujahideen and Afghans of every persuasion. Contained in the following column are some of his anecdotal experiences, excerpts from personal interviews and photographs from the field.