The journey from Kabul to Kandahar

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September 5, 2008

By JOHN W. CONROY The Press Republican Fri Sep 05, 2008, 06:26 AM EDT

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Kabul resembles the Saigon of 15 years ago -- coming along, but very slowly.

Mind you, the resemblance ends there.

There are no beautiful woman walking the streets in this town. This is certainly an unfair assessment, for no female faces are visible. There did not seem to be any mixing of the sexes in restaurants, either, and there are absolutely no bars.

"If you take a picture of a women, even if she's covered with a burka, you might risk your life," said an interpreter who goes by the name Rashaid. "Heads have rolled over such things.

"Why don't we drive on toward Bagram?"

NO TRUST

Basically the countryside of Afghanistan is brown and mountainous, with lush, green valleys fed by ice-cold rivers from the high peaks that abound throughout the country.

The lower hills along the Bagram highway on the outskirts of Kabul are beginning to be built up with houses, suburban sprawl.

It doesn't take long to reach the more open countryside. Rashaid is an interpreter for the U.S. Army at Bagram Air Force Base, and like many in that profession, his opinion often vastly differs from his employers.

"It's unfortunate, but the facts are that the people of this country don't trust the Americans or the whole of the international community.

"It's over seven years, and the country is still not secured. Hardly anybody is safe to live a normal life. But don't get me wrong. I love America and Americans. I want to go to school there and live there someday."

NO TARGETS

The countryside rolls on by. It's a very peaceful highway this afternoon.

"There hasn't been an IED (roadside bomb) along this highway in a long time," Rashaid said. "And do you know why? There's no foreign military traffic. There are no targets. If more troops come to this country and convoys begin using this road again, you're going to see a lot of explosions and people killed."

In Rashaid's opinion, most of the troublemakers come from the border areas of Pakistan. He feels that the United States won't make a move in that area because of Pakistan's possession of a nuclear weapon. He also states that it's "common knowledge" that the Taliban are supported either overtly or covertly by Iran, India, China and Russia.

Bagram Air Base looms in the distance, and the conversation changes to the next move, which is to register at the terminal for the next flight to Kandahar.

NO COMFORT

One hour on a C-130 allows a change in jurisdiction from the Bagram Air Base, which is the American Zone, to Kandahar Air Base in the south, which is under Canadian control. All of the national forces with troops in Afghanistan fall under the NATO command called the International Security Assistance Force.

As one might expect from the Canadians, there is a first-class hockey rink on base, as well as a genuine Tim Horton's Donut Shop. Quite like Montreal.

According to Maj. Kelly Frushour, the public affairs officer for the 24th U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit, the Marines are on the front lines down in Helmand Province, which is actually administered by the British.

The Marine mission at the Garmser District Center in Helmand Province is pure and simple counter insurgency: to clear, to hold and to build.

"Our mission here will end soon," said Frushour, "and we'd like to leave with our projects completed so that the incoming combined force of Brits and Afghans will be able to have a fresh start when they assume command."

Chuck Holton, a producer for Christian Broadcasting Network who recently spent a week with the Marines in Helmand, said he had never seen troops living in such tough conditions.

"They don't even have tents. They're sleeping out in the open desert with nothing but bedrolls."