"While referring to me primarily as Asadulla Khan, my other name is CuChullaine O'Reilly."

From: "CuChullaine O'Reilly" To: "Sam Sloan" sloan@ishipress.com
Subject: Hello New York
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2001 08:08:09 -0500

Dear Ismail,

Asalaam aleikum.

First, I am very pleased to learn that you have already been back to Pakistan and encountered no problems there.

Next, I have no objections to having my comments about the wanted poster placed on your website. I only ask that you not make any reference to the other person whose name I mentioned. He is still over there, thus I do not want to compromise his safety or privacy. However you are free to quote both Noor Mohammad Khan, my Muslim blood-brother, and myself.

The image titled "Kafiri - Shavon" shows a local girl sitting on my palamino mare. The girl is nameless, but Shavon the golden mare is well remembered in that part of the world. I had originally planned to ride from Peshawar into Afghanistan, where I was scheduled to meet up with a group of Turkoman mujahadeen. Unfortunately, that adventure did not materialize, due to several reasons. However when I eventually reached Chitral, I did learn that I was the first person to have ridden from Peshawar to Chitral since 1927. According to local authorities, that is the year that the last mounted British Raj patrol rode out. They returned a short time later encased in armored cars. I had no way of knowing that Shavon and I were making equestrian history when we rode out of Peshawar in that hot summer of 1982.

The only thing which I ask on a personal basis is that while referring to me primarily as Asadulla Khan, you also include the information that my other name is CuChullaine O'Reilly. Anyone wanting more detailed information about my life and equestrian travels can contact me via our website.

In closing, I hope that this is not the closing!

I have savored the moment for many years when I finally made contact with you. This is not to blow smoke up your ass, or to give you a big head. However yours has been a remarkably colorful life and your on going-on line autobiography is fascinating project. There are other points of interest which I would like to discuss with you later, among which are our mutual trips through Afghanistan, the importance of chess to the Afghan resistance, the current state of Chitral, etc. Therefore I hope to hear from you in the future.

Now, before closing, a quick word on my own life. Basha and I are currently updating The Long Riders Guild website. The new version will be released the first week in October. When it comes out it will have a minimum of 200 pages, this will make it the largest single source of equestrian travel information ever seen or released to the global public. In addition, our publishing company will also be listing the first 25 equestrian travel titles for sale. This is a project where in we plan on republishing every known title, in their original languages, by December, 2002. There are approximately 300 equestrian travel titles known to exist, of which less than a dozen are currently available. And finally, The Long Riders Guild has been in existence one year this week. During that time this small idea of global equestrian cooperation has grown to include 107 members, including the most famous living equestrian travelers on every continent. I add all of this for your own personal edification into my own background and work.

Right, I must close. Hope that you are doing well there in New York. Keep in mind that not just America, but all well meaning people around the globe, are pouring energy and love into your personal safety and that great cities imminent reconstruction. We are all New Yorkers now!

Best wishes,

Asadullah

For more about this, see:

For more links, see:

For a photo of Najibullah, President of Afghanistan, hanging, see: Najibullah Hangs in Kabul

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Contact address - please send e-mail to the following address: Sloan@ishipress.com