Baryalai

"I have one more year to go," said Baryalai, a 38-year-old Kabul shopkeeper who is bracing for a year of mocking, insults and off-color banter.

A Symbol of Paid Companionship, No. 39 Is Afghans' Loneliest Number Dion Nissenbaum 2011

"I have one more year to go," said Baryalai, a 38-year-old Kabul shopkeeper who is bracing for a year of mocking, insults and off-color banter.

A Symbol of Paid Companionship, No. 39 Is Afghans' Loneliest Number Dion Nissenbaum 2011

"There were some gunmen within the crowd and they wanted to turn the protest violent," Baryalai said.

Kabul protest over canceled Koran burning in U.S. turns violent Ernesto Londo 2010

Now Baryalai is betting that the desperate longing for peace among ordinary Afghans will reward any politician who can deliver, and a politician -- not a warlord -- is precisely what he says he would like to become.

The Ways Of A Warlord 2007

But the most pressing task for Baryalai and his superiors in Kabul is restoring a sense of security.

The Ways Of A Warlord 2007

Baryalai, a hyperkinetic 38-year-old and one of Afghanistan's top-ranking military leaders, blows through the crowd while peppering their commander with queries, orders and the occasional joke.

The Ways Of A Warlord 2007

For now, generals like Baryalai may unfortunately have to spend much of their time making war as well as peace.

The Ways Of A Warlord 2007

One such mini-warlord recently instigated a rebellion in the town of Qala-e-Zel; Baryalai claims he tried to resolve matters peacefully before sending 1,000 troops, as well as tanks and artillery, to rout the rebels.

The Ways Of A Warlord 2007

In fact, Baryalai stands at the same crossroads as the country -- between a vision of a certain kind of order and a return to what is known in Dari as qommandonsolari ( "warlordism").

The Ways Of A Warlord 2007

Of course, given the high concentration of Pashtuns in his area, Baryalai has an added incentive to make sure only his supporters have guns.

The Ways Of A Warlord 2007