Hamid Karzai is trying to find his place in the new Afghanistan

Kabul - A blue penholder, a dictionary and sheaves of papers, some bearing the seal of the ousted government, lie on the ornate desk of former Afghan president Hamid Karzai. In the center of the desk sits a red-colored book: "My Life With the Taliban."

The 2010 book, written by a former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, was described by an academic journal as offering powerful insight into what motivates the group.