In 2009, I wrote an investigate piece, 'The Master of Spin Boldak: Undercover with Afghanistan's Drug-Trafficking Border Police', tha tappeared on the cover of Harper's Magazine. The story detailed my time spent with the forces of Colonel Abdul Raziq, a powerful warlord in Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan. During the time I spent reporting that story, I heard even darker rumors about Raziq's involvement in extrajudicial killings and torture, but was not able to publish them for lack of evidence.
Today, I've published a 5,000-word article in the Atlantic, which will run in print in the November issue. It reflects the last two years that I spent on multiple trips to Kandahar Province, gathering a conclusive dossier of evidence that Raziq and his men have systematically murdered and tortured Afghans in the areas they control. What's more, I reveal that the US has been aware of these allegations for five years but has continued to support Raziq, raising questions as to whether officials have violated the 1997 Leahy amendment law forbidding support to foreign military units suspected of involvement in gross violations of human rights.
You can find the report, along with additional photo evidence, here.
I'll be tracking reactions to the article and further developments on my Twitter account, which you can click here to follow.