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Krajeski News from Kabul, 9 August 2007 |
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Written by Paul Krajeski
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Wednesday, 09 August 2006 |
About to finish my second month in Kabul. It’s almost long enough where extraordinary sights start to look ordinary. For instance, have you ever seen a family of five on a motorcycle, with the wife in a blue burqa? (No helmets of course.) Or stopping your vehicle on a four-lane thoroughfare in a nation’s capitol to let a herd of goats pass. Or to see one of those goats in a “modern” army kitchen being butchered on a tree stump with a hatchet (see attached photo). Each day brings something new for the senses.
About the traffic: There are no stop lights in Kabul. . . not a one. The traffic cops seldom want to take control. Most of the time it seems they’re there “to keep an eye on things.” Yet amazingly, I’ve seen only one fender bender. Everyone drives defensively without an ego. By that I mean, in a situation where two vehicles are competing for the same space on the road, one driver will always defer. And horns are used to let pedestrians and other drivers know you’re coming—quick taps without “laying on it.” Somehow it all works. It better. Auto insurance is unheard of.
Last week I participated in the post chaplain’s “Volunteer Community Relations” project. Every so often a group of GI’s under the chaplain’s direction will visit local refugee camps, schools, orphanages, etc. to distribute items donated by Americans back home. We went to a refugee camp on the outskirts of Kabul. These people live under horrendous conditions in the cement shell of a Soviet-era institutional building with no running water or electricity. Nevertheless, children here are like children everywhere. We played with the kids for an hour, then passed out toys. Meanwhile, bags of sundries were passed out to the women, many of whom had babies and toddlers (see photo).
I noticed that the skies around the refugee camp were full of kites. Kite flying and kite fighting is very popular in Kabul. Those of you who’ve read “The Kite Runner” would have loved the scene. Three “cut” kites floated directly over the camp. And after leaving the camp, my vehicle almost hit a group of kids, heads facing skyward, as they were running down a kite.
The cadets are now on their end of semester break. Before being released they had one final formation. The commander gave them a pep talk and safety brief. Then the dean read a by-name list of cadets who failed classes! The concept of confidentiality is a few decades away. After a simultaneous wave of relief and angst passed over the formation, the cadets came to attention, then passed in review with sharp salutes and Russian style high-stepping. The whole affair was unforgettable.
As I work in a “rear-echelon” position in Kabul, American combat troops are taking the fight to the Taliban in the rest of the country. These troops are the main effort of our undertaking here. Without them, it would be impossible for me and others in the “institution building” business to do our jobs.
Paul
Paul C. Krajeski, Ph.D.
Lieutenant Colonel, US Army
Chief, National Military Academy Afghanistan (NMAA)
Implementation Team
Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 17 September 2006 )
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