Deep within the Kunduz valley, lies a secluded citadel, ruled by a local khan, Abdul Bismillah Malik, and his motley crew of warmongering Mujahedin and fierce Pushtun tribe members. Years of international terrorism, illegal drug trafficking and arms deals has earned him a reputation and a listing on the FBI's Most Wanted List: To his people he was a hero, and the local folklore already coined him as a paladin, bringing prosperity to this barren land. However - complacency, indolence and greed set in. He got softer on the religious principles and harder on the locals (to keep up his increasing demands of living standards). No more makeshift tents and dugout latrines! So - although he's lost his rebel credentials (and gained a great deal of weight!), he still holds the locals in a firm grip of terror, as refugees in a lawless state. The warlord is definitely not invulnerable, but almost untouchable - besides being protected by inhospitable mountains and vast deserts, he also has his staunch and taciturn bodyguards and travels in an armoured car in a cortege, on the rare occasions that he ventures out.