Afghanistan My Last Tour

After yesterday’s entangle with the demonstration, I was sure our mission might be postponed for a few days.  Instead, we decided to roll out the next morning.  This time the ANA would lead the way and we would escort several 7-ton trucks full of winterization equipment.  The air is getting colder in the morning and at night, so everyone started donning warmer clothing.  The gunners have it the worst and most will wear face masks to keep warm.  Once again I would be the convoy commander, but the ANA pick-up truck would be the lead vehicle.

As we drove through the center of the city, we passed by several government buildings.  This time the police were in their riot gear including helmets with face shields. They stood stoically next to each other forming a human wall with their protective shields in front of them.  Since it was early morning and rather brisk out, I figured we had a good chance of missing the organized demonstrators.  It was only hours after we passed the area did the university students engage with the riot police.  Several policemen and demonstrators were hurt in the violent attack.

Traveling through the city can be rather complicated at times and you just never know what you might see.  This morning I watched passengers on a bus get out and help push the bus they were riding on.  Later on, I watched how the buses do not come to a complete stop and passengers jump off.  One passenger stepped off and ran into another moving bus.  He appeared to be OK, and we just kept going.  As we departed central Kabul, we entered the market area.  The roads were windy and congested with pedestrians; we left the asphalt and traveled down dirt side streets, which are actually the main roads leading out of the city.  One vendor was eating Naan bread for breakfast before setting up his stand.

We weaved through the market area and then back on to an asphalt road.  At times our ANA guide forgot we had massive trucks and could not weave and bob through traffic like they could.  Then all of sudden the traffic came to a halt.  The two lane road we were on was filled with cars 3-vehicles wide and the oncoming traffic was the same.  We were at an impasse and it’s like a game of chicken to see who is going to turn off on to the dirt burm.  Similar to my tour in Korea, the biggest vehicle usually dominates the highway and since we had automatic machine guns mounted in our turrets, the Afghans were rather sympathetic and let us pass.

I am really perplexed at the highway systems in Afghanistan and how people drive.  My interpreter explained most of the drivers on the highway don’t have a license.  It also seems where the government creates a road with asphalt, everyone wants to travel that strip, even if it means total chaos and congestion.  There are very few lines on the roads and no signs or indicators to control the direction or flow of traffic.  It’s almost humorous to watch the traffic policemen hold out small stop signs slightly larger than the size of my palm and watch drivers ignore them.  Perhaps this explains why many of them are usually seen on the side of the road drinking chai or smoking a cigarette.  Did I mention that traffic infractions when enforced will cost $1 which is about 1/5 of a day’s wages in Afghanistan?

Ever since President Karzai’s brother Mahmoud with the aid of former U.S. Representative Jack Kemp set up a sweetheart deal with Toyota, he has a 50 percent of Afghan Toyota distributions and this country has imported more cars than there is highway, especially in major cities.  You would think since the Karzais own the only cement factory in the country, Mahmoud would be able to keep up with demand for the concrete used in highway construction.  It’s rather interesting that he was the only bidder who could come up with $25 million cash [allegedly a last-minute requirement] for the operating rights.  Perhaps he is too busy with his investments with buying cheap government land at $250 a jereb and developing and selling them for $28,000. I suppose being a major shareholder and sitting on the board of the Kabul bank might entitle you to a great deal on loans with minimum interest.  As such, he is looking for other business ventures to pay closer attention to the traffic congestion.  Did I mention he was a U.S. citizen?  Not bad for an immigrant waiter turned restaurant owner.  Surely because his brother is the president has no relationship to his overnight wealth.    Sorry, I got on my soapbox.  This is only a small portion of all the information I have researched about the Karzais.  Anyhow, vendors like these paved roads because they charge people to park [illegally] on the government owned highways that are in front of their stores.  Often drivers will park on the main road causing the other traffic to go around them.

It took almost an hour to get through the city and finally connect to an outer paved road.  With the crowded city behind us, the landscape transformed back to barren mountains and plateaus with an occasional mud-brick village seen in the distance.  Eventually we turned off the main road and entered FOB Airborne.  Our plan was to assess the Forward Logistics Element (FLE) and station two of our teammates here.

For more research on President Karzai’s brother, click here: Seattle Times: Karzai\’s brother finds way to top