This is Rain Media’s latest — a ten minute piece appearing at the back end of FRONTLINE’s new magazine program. If you miss it on-air, make sure to catch it online at www.frontline.org.

Martin Smith, who traveled to Afghanistan in late November to interview Amrullah Saleh, Afghanistan’s top spymaster, had this to say:

“I first met Amrullah Saleh four years ago when I was filming “Return of the Taliban” for FRONTLINE. We’ve kept in touch since. After news came that he had been forced to resign, I invited myself to his home in the Panjshir valley north of Kabul. It sits in an old village above a clear, rushing river, surrounded by mulberry groves. Amrullah was a gracious host, a terrific raconteur, and a man who likes to climb mountains before breakfast “to make his eggs and nan taste good.”

During our three day visit I asked Amrullah to explain his break with President Karzai, his views of the American military and of Pakistan As always I found him to be candid and direct. He is an unapologetic hawk who wants NATO and Afghan forces to escalate the war – more night raids, more targeting killings, more drones inside Pakistan. Many including President Karzai believe he is misguided and reckless but Amrullah insists that a greater civil war is inevitable unless the Taliban, their sponsors in Pakistan and al Qaeda are forever defeated.”