In the weeks after the terrorist attacks in the United States, I was assigned to travel to Afghanistan to follow the Northern Alliance forces and  America's response against al-Qaeda terrorists. The reports provided a vivid portrait of the anti-Taliban forces and the colorful country where American troops would soon become engaged. I returned to Afghanistan for five weeks in 2003 to examine the recovery from the war and reconstruction efforts.

October 21, 2003
Ex-Taliban fighter again shifts loyalty in quest for a job

October 6, 2003
An Afghan rebuilding takes shape
At the core of the effort: A new, anti-warlord army.

October 5, 2003
Afghanistan reconstruction is caught at chaotic juncture
Two years after the U.S. bombing, the capital is rebuilding, but the unsecured countryside has seen little improvement.

September 22, 2003
A 299-mile highway poses daunting task
Taliban raids and logistics are among the obstacles.

September 20, 2003
Facing landgrab by elite, Kabul's poor turn to U.N.

September 7, 2003
U.S. Forces pursue a wily bin Laden

January 6, 2002
Afghan recalls liberated past and laments a dim future
She was one of a new group of unshackled women

December 5, 2001
Afghan currency is foreign
Like the country, its money has a rough past.

December 2, 2001
At Afghan ministry, leather lashes were idle
Where wire cables and more were used to beat Taliban edicts into citizens, employees await new jobs. 

November 29, 2001
Bamiyan residents return to find history a casualty
Where two statues stood, a grim monument to the Taliban.

November 26, 2001
Villages take stock of lives lost to Taliban

November 25, 2001
Afghanistan faces a resettlement dilemma
Six million have been displaced in the nation.

November 22, 2001
In a power vacuum, the warlords vie
Afghan commanders who were kings in their regions are finding it hard to cede control.

November 21, 2001
Afghans say losses bearable if U.S. bombs usher in peace 

November 19, 2001
Afghan TV back on air after a five-year hiatus
The Taliban pulled the plug on the station.

November 18, 2001
Deserted houses reveal al-Qaeda operations
Left behind were weapons, maps and documents. They depict a worldwide network of militants. 

November 18, 2001
Former president of Afghanistan returns to capital city
During an unstable time, Burhanuddin Rabbani said he "came to Kabul for peace." Some fears were not allayed. 

November 16, 2001
Alliance strives for balance in Kabul presence

November 15, 2001
Calm returns to Kabul
Kabul Residents are still mindful of the Northern Alliance's past chaotic rule. 

November 14, 2001
In Kabul, a weary welcome for the victors

November 13, 2001
One trench at a time, rebels push on
In trenches for fierce fight near Kabul.

November 13, 2001
Taliban flees Afghan capital
Northern Alliance forces began entering Kabul early today. Precision U.S. air strikes opened the way. Taliban flees Kabul; rebels entering.

November 12, 2001
War, winter threaten Afghan relief efforts
Supplies are plentiful; the problem is delivery.

November 7, 2001
Alliance's elite troops return to reserve status
After a drill, nothing on one front. It's a go-slow course the U.S. favors. 

November 6, 2001
Afghan rebels hint at coming offensive

November 4, 2001
For Afghan rebels, a matter of faith
Northern Alliance fighters see themselves as the true believers - and Taliban as infidels. 

November 3, 2001
U.S. pounds Taliban on holy day
As bombers struck the front line, Bush declared no pause for Ramadan. A U.S. crew was saved after its copter crashed. 

November 1, 2001
Fresh troops reportedly flock to Taliban
Reinforcements are streaming into Afghanistan from Pakistan, say refugees who recently fled Kabul. 

October 31, 2001
Anti-Taliban guerrillas bring in elite units
Anti-Taliban elite troops ready for fight 

October 30, 2001
To some Taliban foes, ethnicity is no divider
In a nation long split by such rivalries, the Pashtuns and Tajiks in the frontline town of Sayod focus on what unites them. 

October 29,  2001
U.S. bomb hits civilians, and doubt begins to surface
A woman was killed in a village 4 miles from Taliban targets. Some Afghans are questioning military tactics. 

October 28, 2001
Trade blurs the lines of war
An alliance stronghold relies on goods smuggled from Taliban territory. 

October 26, 2001
`American bombing is so little'
Among foes of the Taliban, frustration with the limited U.S. strikes continued to rise. 

October 25, 2001
Fending off the Taliban and tending to the fields

October 25, 2001
U.S. jets step up frontline attack
For an hour or so, bombs fell on Taliban posts. Alliance forces, unimpressed with the assault, kept up the ground battle. 

October 24, 2001
Foe of Taliban tells of U.S. military visit

October 23, 2001
Taliban hit in limited U.S. front-line attacks
A Northern Alliance commander was pleased with the apparent shift in focus but said that more would be needed. 

October 22, 2001
Refugees fleeing Kabul say support for U.S. is fading

October 21, 2001
Afghan rebels ambivalent about U.S. effort

October 19, 2001
Defectors say Taliban foiled a bigger plan
Of 300 in plot, just 10 escaped, they said. 

October 18, 2001
A warrior for 20 of his 30 years
At 10, he fought the Soviets. Now, with a new generation, he fights the Taliban. 

October 17, 2001
Taliban set to lose key city, opposition forces contend

October 15, 2001
Taliban moves raise suspicion
Rebels said militia members leave Kabul before U.S. strikes each night, return later. Some suggest a hold-back strategy. 

October 14, 2001
In a ground war, rebel says, do not go it alone

October 12, 2001
Kabul refugees tell of an unraveling city
After escaping over the mountains, they offered a glimpse of the chaos. The Taliban is unseen, they maintain. 

October 11, 2001
Taliban's foes say U.S. action falls short

October 10, 2001
For Afghan girls, a place to learn 
Beyond the reach of Taliban, U.N.-assisted schools are seeing increasing female enrollment. 

October 8, 2001
Where kin against kin is fact of life

October 7, 2001
U.S. wooing bitter rivals as its allies
Rebels' hatred of Pakistan poses problem for U.S. 

October 4, 2001
Staying away from the Taliban - or trying to

October 2, 2001
Afghan rebels see few signs of help
U.S. aid now can turn the tide, one leader says. Foes of Taliban see no sign yet of U.S. support .

October 1, 2001
Tiny TV station broadcasts in defiance of Taliban rules
Its reach is limited, but what counts is its symbolism. 

September 30, 2001
Some Afghans support idea of careful strikes on Taliban
"Why didn't you help us before?" one refugee asked. 

August 30, 1998
Islamic seminary has strong ties to Bin Laden
The Pakistani religious school, which trains scholars while supporting fundamentalism, holds the businessman in high esteem.

August 24, 1998
U.S. struck innocents, survivors say
They contend target was religious base.
Report from Pakistan