They have dug a wide tank trench at Sperwan Ghar to block any traffic and forcing the Taliban through checkpoints on the roads.
"We contacted the Taliban through tribal elders but Taliban said they are not behind this kidnapping.
Back in Islamabad, the two friends and a third man, Muhammad Shouaib Mughal, set out to join a militant group as early as 2008, finding their way to the Pakistani Taliban through a connection at the Red Mosque, according to the interviews.
By weakening the Taliban through a quick infusion of troops, the official said, the administration hopes to make it a more manageable enemy for the Afghans to take on themselves.
According to the indictment issued last week, Shahzad received a total of $12,000 prior to the attack from the Pakistani Taliban through cash drop-offs in the US.
The Taliban, through a spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack.
"There are growing indications," Porter claimed, "that [McChrystal's] command is preparing to deal with the issue primarily by seeking to shift the blame to the Taliban through more and better propaganda operations and by using more high-tech drone intelligence aircraft to increase battlefield surveillance rather than by curbing the main direct cause of civilian casualties".
He passes down Mullah Omar's commands and makes all military decisions, including how foreign fighters are deployed, according to Waheed Muzhta, a former Taliban Foreign Ministry official who lives in Kabul and follows the progress of the Taliban through his own research.
The Taliban went through the homes of every Christian foreign worker in Kabul, confiscating reading materials they used personally with their families, such as children's books, and laid it out as evidence against us.
After an unusually fierce Taliban campaign through the winter, many worry that if it is not persuaded to decrease violence, this year could be the most challenging yet for the Afghan security forces.
