An Interview with an Afghan Tribal Chief

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Interview With A Tribal Chief Update

By Steven Pressfield | Published: May 27, 2010

“Interview with a Tribal Chief” is one series that ran on the “It’s the Tribes, Stupid” blog. It featured interviews with Chief Ajmal Khan Zazai.

Freerange International has a report up about Chief Zazai being ambushed by Pakistani Taliban this past week. (more…)

Posted in Agora, An Interview with an Afghan Tribal Chief
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SP: Chief Zazai, last week we were talking about Pakistan and you said there were in fact four Pakistans: the bureaucrats who are always in power, the current elected government, the army, and finally what you called the “Shadowy government” of ex-ISI and army officers who exert tremendous unseen influence.

This week let’s get local and focus on your home district, the Zazi Valley in Paktia province in Afghanistan, where you are the paramount chief of eleven Pashtun tribes. You have said in previous interviews that within your valley, well-known to all residents, are a number of agents and officials who “have been on the payroll of the Pakistani ISI for thirty years.” Can you tell us more about these men? What is their agenda? Are they supporting the Taliban and other insurgents? (more…)

Posted in Agora, An Interview with an Afghan Tribal Chief
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Agora

Pakistan

By Steven Pressfield | Published: December 11, 2009

SP: Chief Zazai, I’d like to talk to you today on the subject of Pakistan. More than any other aspect of the Afghan conflict, I think, the subject of Pakistani involvement is confusing to Americans. Even extremely well-versed observers ask, “Whose side is Pakistan on?” You, more than anyone I know, are in a position to really “tell it like it is.” So let me ask you first, what do you think is the Pakistani agenda in the current Afghan conflict? What does the government of Pakistan want?