Word: baghran
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...Rais the Baghran, Helmand's most powerful warlord, and a fearsome Taliban commander said to be sheltering Omar, had agreed to surrender and had relinquished some arms. "Shir Mohammed and the Americans did not trust him," Mirwali continued, "So they asked Rais to go inside Baghran." We asked Mirwali if, as intelligence reports and Kandahar commanders say, Rais was hiding Mullah Omar in his Baghran realm. "This issue is unconfirmed," Mirwali said unhurriedly, though Taliban commanders who withdrew from Gereshk went that way. We told him we wanted to go to Baghran. We asked for soldiers. He shook his head...
...Abdul Mohammed granted us an audience, surrounded by his curious soldiers in black turbans (one carrying an M-16 made in Kentucky in 1975) and his senior lieutenants in white turbans. Haji Abdul is quite an old man, his beard more grey than black. He told us Rais the Baghran began surrendering eight days ago. The day before troops from this outpost accompanied 20 U.S. Special Forces and governor Haji Shir Mohammed as far north towards Baghran as they could. "For the moment no fighting is taking place in Baghran, and since the governor went there none has broken...
...give soldiers without the governor's permission, "but I must call him at 8pm and I will ask." Later he said he could not make contact, though he did seem better informed about the governor's movements. He began to tell stories about the perils of the road to Baghran, saying "if you paid me $500 I would not give you a vehicle, so badly damaged would it be." His stories panicked some our drivers and fixers, sparking a heated debate on the merits of continuing. It was here one of our party's soldiers showed his grit. "If anyone...
...Saturday morning Haji Abdul told us the governor was en route from Baghran. "He will come here and see you," he said, convincing us to wait. It was not long. The iron gates flung open and grimy 4x4s zoomed in. Haji Shir Mohammed had arrived. Shorter and younger than I had somehow expected, he told us Baghran was peaceful, the surrender a success. Rais the warlord had forsaken his power. "Rais is an old man, a leader of his tribe and a supporter of the government. He will live in the future as a white-bearded old man and will...
...fought with Rais against the Northern Alliance in the Panjshir Valley and well knew his authority. The gunman rolled his eyes. The governor went on: Rais and the elders had "confirmed the absence of Mullah Omar". We asked how he could be so sure? "All the people of Baghran are of our tribe, my own tribe (Alizai). I'm quite sure they wouldn't create problems...