KABUL AND THE iPHONE

Inside the Afghan tech boom - JASON STRAZIUSO
Associated Press

March 3, 2009 at 3:48 PM EST

KABUL — Mullah Abdul Salaam Zaeef is a former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan. He spent almost four years in Guantanamo. He wears a black turban, has a thick beard — and is never without his Apple iPhone.

The ultra-conservative Taliban banned modern technology like the Internet and TV during its 1996-2001 rule, but those items have boomed in Afghanistan since the regime's 2001 ouster, helping to bring the country into the 21st century.

Mr. Zaeef, who reconciled with the Afghan government after being released from U.S. custody, says he uses his iPhone to surf the Internet and find difficult locations, employing the built-in GPS. He even checks his bank account balance online.

“It's easy and modern and I love it,” Mr. Zaeef said as he pinched and pulled his fingers across the iPhone's touch screen last week.
“This is necessary in the world today. People want to progress.”