KABUL — Abdul Hazizi is not just your average, run of the mill Taliban commander. He's also a patriotic publicly-elected Afghan official. And while it's not so easy to juggle two full-time jobs, Hazizi thinks he has it all figured out.

“Both jobs very complementary you know,” Abdul Hazizi told reporters in an interview, as he finished his last sip of tea before slipping out of his man-jam fatigues and into a cheap suit. Once changed, he gave his aide his AK-47 in exchange for a bulky gold Rolex watch.

"That’s a gift you know. From Russia friend of mine," he said, motioning toward the watch. Hazizi speaks English fluently, although he has a heavy accent and commits occasional grammatical errors.

He learned it from CIA operatives who trained him to fight the Soviets when he first got his start in Afghan politics some 40 years ago.