A Battlefield Tourist

The Noticeable Things

Feb 6 at 12:12am by David Tate

Stuck at Kabul International Airport (KIA) all day, I had time to take care of some editing and pretty much spend the day surfing the net.  Down at “Air Force One”, which is the international MWR (Recreation Center) that doubles as a club of sorts at night, they have free internet, so there I stayed.  Not only that, but it’s also stocked with imported beer (as far as an American is concerned) costing just a dollar.  I was right at home.  

I had visited this place in the past and it has changed very little over the years, I’ve just never been there at night where dozens of soldiers from all over the world hang out together, listen to music, play pool, drink beer, etc…  

I just feel bad for the Americans, as they’re not allowed to drink.  The infamous “General Order #1″ is still in effect.  You really notice it back at the tent because there’s no one in the tent sleeping, except Americans.  Poor guys.

Subtle Changes

This day of nothingness gives me a chance to reflect on some things that stand out as being different from 2004.  The first thing I really noticed was the large amount of Afghan Police out patrolling Kabul.  They’re everywhere.  Along those lines, I only saw one ISAF patrol in Kabul the entire three days I was there.  That is a big change.  And as I watched the Italian convoy move through town, I thought to myself that it makes no sense to patrol.  The public doesn’t particularly like the patrols and they are only really good for attracting attacks, in my opinion.  The aggressive driving of foreigners has left a very sour taste in the locals’ mouthes.

Another thing that stands out is the lack of choppers in the air.  In 2004 you could sit there in your bed thinking, listening to the choppers buzz overhead.  It really gave you that “Vietnam” feel, if you will.  Like the opening scene in Apocalypse Now. Not anymore.  I’ve heard a few jets… but no choppers over Kabul.

Then there’s the feeling out on the street.  While I made a lot of new friends on my day trips, there were a lot of blank, empty stares.  Somewhat unnerving in fact.  My awareness was definitely heightened more than ever before and I’ve walked these streets hundreds of times.

Mr. Nassar, a man also staying at the Mustafa, is an Afghan-American who comes back to Afghanistan several times a year. His dream is to help President Karzai curb corruption.  He has been trying for two years to get an audience with Karzai to present a plan, he says, would cut corruption by 30% in a year.  Unfortunately for him, Karzai’s aide has informed him they don’t need his help.

Beyond that, Mr. Nassar says he talks to hundreds of “regular” people every time he comes back in an effort to gauge the mood of the population.  He says in years past, 90% of the people were pro-ISAF.  Now he says, it’s just the opposite. Something you certainly feel out on the street.

Finally, other than a few rockets landing in the city, you would never hear sounds of war in Kabul (actually, my very first night here in 2004, I heard one gunshot) during 2004.  This morning, however, about 6am, you could hear a pretty significant fight going on to the north of the city.  Thump, thump, thump…  It went on for 3o minutes or so.  Granted, it was coming from the kind of direction of the Afghan Training Center (KMTC), but I really don’t think it was training.  I’ll never know, but it certainly seemed as though there was significant contact right on the outskirts of the city.

Almost Outta Here

The fact that I’ve been sitting around for the past four days waiting to get a plane is starting to wear on me.  I showed up Friday morning for another shot at a flight, only to be told once again, there’s no room.  Then I’m told, that every time a flight is cancelled, you have go through all the paperwork all over, and that is something out of my control, which again leaves me feeling frustrated.  Fortunately I was able to find some room on an Australian plane a few minutes later that should have me in Kandahar by lunch.

Now I just need to hold my breath and pray this flight isn’t also cancelled.

Note – For whatever reason, my spell check isn’t working either, so these posts could get messy!