U.S. Surge: How the Taliban Sees It

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 16, 2010 -- Abdul Salam Zaeef, a member of the Taliban, said he has no interest in reconciliation and really can't understand what all the fuss is about.

His memoir, "My Life with the Taliban," recounts his years as a young man in Kandahar, the hardships he and his family endured under the Soviet occupation and his eventual fight against the Russians alongside the future Taliban leaders.

I wanted to get his thoughts on the U.S.'s plan to turn Kandahar, his birthplace, away from Taliban control.

"Would the Taliban seek a deal with the Afghan government?" I asked.

"What is Taliban?" he responded. "Taliban is nothing more than those who study the Koran and follow its words. What deal could we reach?"

But did he believe the U.S. or the Afghan government could talk to key Taliban leaders either directly or through third parties? He was noncommittal, but at least he didn't give an outright no. Could he play a role in possible future talks? Maybe.

He gave the United States low marks for its efforts in Afghanistan. He talked about thousands of Afghans killed by American bombs and human rights abuses, and was certain that no matter how long the United States stays here, things will end as ignominiously as they did for the Soviet Union.

His reasoning is straightforward: "America is an occupier and will always be viewed as an occupier until the last American leaves."

"But what about all the things America has done for Afghans, such as building schools and hospitals?" I countered.

He took a moment, and then said, "The honey of America is the poison of the people." His meaning: Afghans would rather be free to make their own decisions, bad, wrong or otherwise, than to follow the prescriptions of an occupying force, no matter how benevolent it may be.

Standing well over 6 feet tall, Zaeef strikes an imposing figure. Wearing a black turban (typically associated with the Taliban), his beard is long and nearly jet-black, and the flowing white dish dasha he wears seems to accentuate his size. Zaeef speaks softly and thoughtfully, as if he were measuring every word.