Afghanistan My Last Tour

Helicopter landing at LZ.

Well today was my first day back to work since contracting an eye infection.  Last night I put my contact lenses in and stored my spectacles in their case.  I’m still a bit leery about having to use steroid eye drops until I leave country.  But I am feeling energetic and reinvigorated and looking forward to resuming my duties.  A few changes have taken place since my imposed quarantine.  The morning meetings are now held in ANA land.  I found this out the hard way when I went to our office buildings and nobody was there.

ANA camp dogs frolicking about.

I’m still settling in with my new responsibilities of mentoring the Property Book Officer.  At times, he is elusive and confuses my interpreter with his answers and responses.  The supply system being used is archaic and based off the US Army’s antiquated system.  However, since the literacy rate and education levels are so low, this basic system is appropriate for the ANA military.  At least now the signatures required to be issued something is down to about 4 or 5, instead of the 2 dozen required in the past.  We learned previously that everyone who was someone wanted to sign and put their stamp of approval on documents.  But even now, getting signatures is a challenge in itself.  Personal accountability is a scary word, so now the reverse effect has taken place.  Getting signatures is like pulling teeth.

Kabul attacked!

Two days ago, a group of armed Taliban flexed their muscle and assaulted the capital city.  Suicide bombers and armed Taliban militants attacked various government agency buildings and destroyed a shopping center.  Although most of the insurgents were killed, there were also civilians and Afghan National Policemen who perished.  The attacks resulted in several dozen casualties.  This is just another prime example of the Taliban showing their disregard for innocent civilian lives to include children.  One would hope that the city populace would band together and demand that these thugs be caught and swift justice is served.  But the only public outcry seems to be coming from the Karzai administration condemning the attack.  Yet, when rumor spread once again that U.S. soldiers allegedly burned the Koran, several hundred villagers unite and demonstrated against the US forces.  Even though, no U.S. person would intentionally desecrate the Koran, the Taliban have used this tactic as a way to incite violence.  It’s debatable whether the Taliban are showing their might or whether this is an act of desperation because the coalition forces are taking back territory previously held by the Taliban.  Time will tell….

The United Nations has released its report “Corruption in Afghanistan.”  It found that public dishonesty is a bigger concern than national security or unemployment.  The average bribe was $160 in a country where the GDP is $425 a year.  Fifty percent of the people polled paid at least one public official for a public service.  This equated to $2.5 billion in bribes or 23% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.  If my math is right, opium trade accounted for $2.8 billion or almost a quarter of the GDP.  Due to lack of money and faith in the government, more villagers are turning toward the Taliban and tribal elders for justice and assistance.

I wonder where all of this money is going?  Perhaps this is what finances the million dollar “Poppy Houses” being built in Kabul and other major cities.  Not surprising, that former governors, ministers, current ministers, warlords, and drug lords live in these ugly mansions.  The Afghans have even coined a word for this type of architecture.  It is commonly known as narcotecture.

In other news, President Karzai made some of the rejected nominees acting ministers or assistant ministers in the Cabinet.  Parliament is fuming about this.  Parliament complained that the rejected Karzai nominees are either corrupt or linked to warlords.

Filed under: Mentoring ANA Tagged: | Afghan National Army, Afghanistan, ANA, Deployment, ETT, Hamid Karzai, Kabul, narcotecture, Poppy Houses, Property Book Officer, Taliban, United Nations, war