'Our Houses Are Not Safe': Residents Fear Taliban In Afghanistan's Capital

In a mosque on the outskirts of Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, a preacher crowed to assembled men and boys: The Taliban, with their primitive guns, brought foreign forces to their knees, he said, and the Afghan government is next.

"America with her rich and modern weaponry knelt down to us mujahedeen. So how will you defy us?" shouted the preacher on a sunny Friday in late October. He only permitted NPR to use his family name, Mazloum, and requested the mosque's name and its precise location remain anonymous, so it would not be targeted by Afghan government forces.

"The world is realizing the power of Islam and the mujahedeen, but not a few stupid puppets here," Mazloum said, referring to the country's Western-backed government. "Soon, Allah will grant us the Islamic government that our nation deserves."

The Taliban once lurked on the outer fringes of Kampany, a busy Kabul district with unruly traffic and roads that peter out into the countryside. But in recent weeks, they have been openly preaching in the district.