And today, the former Soviet central Asia republics are practically off limits to the CIA, at least as staging grounds for a resistance to the Taliban. While the U.S. was struggling to nation-build in Afghanistan for the past 20 years, Moscow was busy rebuilding its political and military presence across the region. It views Central Asia “as part of its privileged sphere of influence,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote last year, explaining Russia’s “military buildup” across the ‘Stans. It also hardly needs saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin, helping spur political chaos in the U.S. the past several years, has no interest in aiding Washington anywhere, especially in regions where he’s worked hard to reclaim Moscow’s sway.

Putin “will never let the CIA into Tajikistan to arm a rebellion,” says Robert Baer, a former CIA officer who was stationed in Dushanbe in the 1990s. “They could do it themselves,” Baer tells SpyTalk, but “right now they’re taking the Taliban’s temperature.” Some say Putin might even consider taking out the younger Massoud, as a favor to the Taliban, whom it has a strong interest in cultivating as another arena to diminish America’s standing.

The CIA does not comment on covert action, which in any case requires presidential approval and almost always is initiated by the White House. For sure the agency will stay in touch and offer spiritual, humanitarian and intelligence support—that band of brothers is unbreakable—but supplying significant matérial for another guerrilla war is unimaginable.