♪ ♪ They take the battle-scarred road back to Kabul. effort to withdraw from Afghanistan, the Trump administration has been conducting on-and-off negotiations with the Taliban leadership.īut the fighters here were frustrated that President Trump had recently suspended the talks after an American soldier was killed.ĪHMADI: > NARRATOR: Najibullah and his team are escorted out of the valley. > NARRATOR: For over a year, as part of the U.S. Najibullah asks the commanders here what it would take to end the fighting. MAN (speaking local language): > NARRATOR: The Taliban is seeking ultimate control of the country, and refuses to negotiate with the Afghan government, which it regards as a U.S. (engine humming) There are few people on the streets.īut after the Taliban escort leaves, one resident approaches them. > NARRATOR: Another commander leads them to one of the villages under Taliban control. They perform military drills out in the open.ĪHMADI (speaking local language) > NARRATOR: The fighters gather around Najibullah's colleague, Karim Shah, who's been operating the drone camera. ♪ ♪ But to show the extent of their territory, the Taliban here let Najibullah and his team fly a drone over the valley. (speaking local language): > NARRATOR: The Afghan government disputes this, and claims it controls 94% of the population. > NARRATOR: The Taliban leaders here claim they now control more territory than at any point since the U.S. > We want to do the interviews very fast, because of the drone. Najibullah is concerned that such a large group could be the target of an airstrike. They head to the group's base, which flies the white flag of the Taliban. They are joined by more and more armed fighters. > NARRATOR: Najibullah and his team are met by a local commander. Maybe he is going to direct us, I don't know. > We are in the town where we are supposed to be. and Afghan forces had driven the Taliban from this strategic mountain valley, but now, this is Taliban country. (horn honks) This was the last checkpoint we just crossed.įrom here onward, the Taliban, they're in power. This is the car they suggested to be there. > Must go with the drivers from the same area, because the car is known for the Taliban. > NARRATOR: He's had to make a complicated plan to get into the Taliban-controlled territory. The Taliban, they were attacking on the government. Last night was fighting, from behind these shops. It's under control of the government, but they control just the government compound. > NARRATOR: Najibullah is heading into a Taliban stronghold near the city of Ghazni, less than 100 miles from the capitol, Kabul. They put an IED, and mainly for the government vehicles. > The driver is telling me, the day before yesterday, there was three explosions. President Trump has committed to end America's longest war, and has even been negotiating a peace deal with the Taliban.īut the situation on the ground remains violent and unpredictable. Now, Najibullah has returned to his home country at a critical moment. In the decade that followed, they filmed many times with the Taliban as they fought back and regained territory across the country.Īnd in 2015, he met with ISIS fighters when the group was first emerging here. and its allies invaded and drove the Taliban from power. (gunfire) He was here in 2001 when the U.S. > NARRATOR: Najibullah has been covering the war here for almost 20 years. Those big holes are all from the IED explosions. Our driver was warning, saying there are going to be Taliban, it's going to be a problem for you. Journalist Najibullah Quraishi is making a dangerous journey into Taliban territory. > Two Americans were killed during a military operation early today, casualties of the longest war in American history. > A bunch of people have been killed in eastern Afghanistan in an airstrike carried out by government and U.S. > In another deadly attack, a car bomb exploded in a crowded street. > A soldier from Fort Bragg was killed after an explosion in Afghanistan. > NARRATOR: These two stories on this special edition of FRONTLINE. > They're helping a very, very rich woman who’s taking money from Angolan taxpayers become even more rich. > NARRATOR: And how big-name American companies are involved. > So there is an orchestrated attack by the current government that is completely politically motivated. > NARRATOR: A trove of more than 700,000 leaked documents. > In this case the daughter of the president. And later, in Angola- A worldwide investigation of Africa’s richest woman. > NARRATOR: And an exclusive interview with the Taliban leader negotiating with the U.S. > Mullah Barada is the co-founder of the Taliban. > NARRATOR: Correspondent Najibullah Quraishi on the ground with Taliban and ISIS fighters. > We’ve been wanting to make a deal and so have the Taliban. NARRATOR: Now, two stories on this special edition of FRONTLINE.įirst, in Afghanistan, with peace talks ongoing.
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