Table Of ContentA Man and
a Motorcycle
This book was made possible in part by the Stichting
Democratie en Media (Foundation for Democracy and
Media), Fonds Pascal Decroos voor Bijzondere Journalistiek
(Pascal Decroos Fund for Investigative Journalism) and the
V-fonds (National Fund for Freedom and Veterans Affairs).
Afghanistan Analysts Network co-funded the translation.
Publishing house The First Draft Press of Alex Strick van
Linschoten and Felix Kuehn also contributed to the
translation.
A Man and
a Motorcycle
How Hamid Karzai
Became Afghanistan’s President
Bette Dam
Ipso Facto Publishers
Ipso Facto Publishers
www.if-publishers.com
Copyright © 2014 by Bette Dam
PDF Edition
All rights reserved
Dam, Bette – 1979 –
A Man and a Motorcycle, How Hamid Karzai came to Power.
ISBN: 9789077386132
Ipso Facto Publishers are available for special promotions and premiums.
For details contact Director Jan Banning. [email protected]
First English Edition August 2014
This book was published in Dutch in August 2009, with De
Arbeiderspers Amsterdam
Cover designed by Andrei Bat
Cover photo author by Ruben Terlou
Formatting by Paul Salvette
Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Key Characters
Sources
Prologue
1: Back to 2001: The Message
2: 9/11: New Opportunities
3: A Diplomat Among Warlords
4: This Is Suicide: Serious Doubts in Karzai’s Group
5: America Takes Revenge
6: Crossing Taliban Territory on a Motorcycle
7: Doubles in Durji: The First Confrontation With the
Taliban
8: Support From the American A-Team
9: The Fall of Tarin Kot
10: The Unexpected Voice at the Bonn Conference
11: Carnival in Kandahar: The Race to the Last Taliban
Stronghold
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
List of Main Interviewees
Notes
Key Characters
JAN MOHAMMED (Popolzai): Karzai’s principal ally in
Uruzgan. The Taliban imprisoned him in 2000 when
they learned that he and Karzai were planning to revolt.
Karzai depended heavily on Jan Mohammed’s network
when he began the uprising after 9/11.
AHMAD WALI KARZAI (Popolzai): Karzai’s half-brother
and the “logistics man” of the uprising. Through the CIA,
he provides him with food, money and satellite
telephones.
SAID RAHIM (Popolzai): Karzai’s messenger. A young man
who hardly knew what was going on, and who was
constantly sent out to recruit supporters for Karzai.
MOHAMMED SHAH (Popolzai): Karzai’s head security
guard who was sent into the South of Afghanistan after
Said to prepare for Karzai’s arrival.
HAJI MUND (Popolzai): Karzai’s second security guard,
assigned to protect him during the trip from Pakistan to
Uruzgan.
HAJI FAIZULLAH (Popolzai): Karzai’s third security guard,
also assigned to protect him during the trip from Pakistan
to Uruzgan.
AHMED KARZAI (Popolzai): took Karzai (his Uncle) across
the border on the motorcycle.
ABDUL RAHIM AKHUNDZADA (Popolzai): taught the
Taliban. His home was the first safe house that Hamid
Karzai planned to use in Tarin Kot.
ABDUL GHANI MAMA (“The Rich Uncle”, Popolzai): A
stalwart supporter of Jan Mohammed. He was also
recruited by the messenger Said. His was the second
address in Tarin Kot where Karzai planned to hide.
ABDUL AZIZ SAHIBZADA (or Aziz Agha Pir Jan,
Alikozai): before the Taliban rule he was the Uruzgan
police chief under Jan Mohammed. He supported Karzai
and was outraged when it looked like Karzai might not
become president.
MUALIM RAHMATULLAH (Popolzai): one of the major
Popolzai in Tarin Kot while Jan Mohammed was in
prison, but he hesitated when called on by Karzai.
ROZI KHAN: a leading elder of the Barakzai in Uruzgan
whose tribe members tried to kill Karzai in the nineties
but in 2001 Rozi Khan opted for Karzai’s revolt.
HASHEM KHAN (Ghilzai) Karzai’s ticket to rival tribes in
Uruzgan, which he would otherwise have trouble
approaching, being Popolzai.
IBRAHIM AKHUNDZADA (Popolzai): provided Karzai
with a second name in Deh Rawud, even though he
considered Karzai’s action to be suicidal. His connections
with the Taliban were crucial for the revolt’s success.
MULLAH NAQIBULLAH (Alikozai): surrendered to the
Taliban in 1994 (but didn’t become a member). After
9/11 he switched sides and negotiated with the Taliban
on behalf of Karzai.
GUL AGHA SHERZAI (Barakzai): from Kandahar. Was
governor of Kandahar province before the Taliban took
control. He worked with Karzai during the Taliban
regime, but after 9/11 he went his own way.
MULLAH MOHAMMAD OMAR (Hotak [Ghilzai]): Spent
his youth in Uruzgan. Was the head of the Taliban
regime and remains leader of the movement.
MULLAH ABDUL GHANI BARADAR (Popalzai) from
Deh Rawud, and an important Taliban commander.
MULLAH SHAFIQ (Kakar): from the Mirabad Valley in
Uruzgan and an important Taliban leader in Uruzgan.
Above all an adversary of Jan Mohammed.
‘GRAIG’ (American): a CIA agent and Karzai’s supporter in
the uprising.
JASON AMERINE (American): US Army captain leading
the Special Forces A-team that eventually helped Karzai in
Uruzgan.
JAMES DOBBINS (American): Special Representative of US
President George W. Bush for the Afghan Opposition.
He attempted to form a new Afghan administration.
ABDUL SATTAR SIRAT (Uzbek): tried to prevent Karzai’s
appointment as president at the United Nations
conference in Bonn, Germany.
