Showing posts with label Kabul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kabul. Show all posts

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Kabul Convoy Attack: 12 Dead, 3 U.S. Contractors

An insurgent targeted a convoy with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) in Kabul on Saturday, August 22nd. Twelve people were killed and at least 66 others wounded - including three American contractors. The explosives-laden Toyota Corolla attacked the convoy in the Macrorayan area of Kabul on Saturday afternoon. Some initial reports indicate that the three U.S. personnel were contractors for DynCorp.
www.cnn.com/2015/08/22/asia/afghanistan-violence/index.html

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Video - "Spotlight on Security in Kabul"

A NATO Channel video about security in Kabul is posted on YouTube.com. The video explains the security situation in Kabul and what the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are doing to improve security. General Rahimi, the new Police Chief of Kabul, is interviewed about the security problems facing Kabul. In late 2014 there was a rise in violence by the Taliban, Haqqani Network, and other insurgent groups. A number of ANSF casualties were inflicted as well as attacks against foreign Soldiers and members of the humanitarian community. The video is narrated by Lauren Muchan and published on March 3, 2015.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU2ppVHuZYc

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Kabul - City Growing Fast

Kabul, a city that was a ghost town during the civil war of the mid-1990s, has become a bustling metropolis - but it comes with a cost. The city - while offering jobs and hope to millions of people - has been incapable of providing the jobs needed by its population and services to its residents. Read more in "Kabul - the fifth largest growing city in the world - is bursting at the seams", The Guardian, December 13, 2014.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Life in Kabul

A correspondent reflects on the changes in Kabul over the past two plus years of his time there. Read "Kabul Postcard: A Neighborhood in Tranistion", NPR Parallels, by Sean Carberry, December 12, 2014.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Kabul's Dangerous Road

The Kabul - Jalalabad Road is known as the 'Valley of Death' - the most dangerous of roads to travel on. In the past few months the Taliban have stepped up their attacks in the Kabul area - ignoring the traditional end of the fighting season. Sudarsan Raghavan, writing for The Washington Post (Dec 7, 2014) tells us more - "In Kabul's Valley of Death, hints of Afghanistan's security woes".

Monday, December 1, 2014

Kabul Police Chief Replaced

Kabul has seen a string of high-profile attacks in the past two weeks. It is apparent that the Taliban are ignoring the traditional end of fighting season routine as they have stepped up the attacks quite a bit. The Kabul police chief, General Zahir, has resigned (or maybe he was fired). The new police chief is General Abdul Rahman Rahimi, who was the Balkh Provincial Chief of Police (PCoP). This will surely change the political landscape of Balkh province! Read news reports on the Kabul Police Chief: Gandhara Blog, Radio Free Europe, NBC NewsReuters.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Kabul Under Attack

The Taliban have forgotten that the fighting season is over. By this time of year they should be looking at making their way to the sanctuaries provided by Pakistan. Instead they seem to be hanging around the Kabul area and increasing the rate of attacks in Kabul. The number of attacks in Kabul in 2014 is double the number of attacks in 2013. The phrase "Kabubble" used to mean safety and security for the many foreign military and expats working in Kabul. But now it appears those days are over. Read more in "Afghanistan's heavily guarded capital no longer immune from violence", Stars and Stripes, November 28, 2014.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Bombing Attacks Continue in Kabul

The insurgent groups are continuing their bombing campaign in Kabul. Despite heavy security provided by the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) insurgents are still attacking important targets. On Sunday an attack against the heavily fortified police headquarters killed a senior police official in one of three bombing incidents in Kabul that took place that day. The ANP officer killed was the chief of staff for the Kabul police. The bomber is said to have passed numerous checkpoints before detonating. Read more in "Explosions rock Afghan capital killing senior police official", The Washington Post, November 9, 2014.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Violence Increases in Kabul in Ghani's First Month

The level of insurgent activity in Kabul has increased during President Ghani's first month in office. Car bombs and rocket attacks are on the rise. Read more in "Violence marks Afghan president's first month", AP Big Story, October 28, 2014.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Negotiating Kabul Traffic

For some working for ISAF being able to drive in the city of Kabul is necessary to accomplish your job. There are flights to catch at Kabul airport and meetings and events to attend throughout the city. Read a short article about how "Aust drivers tackle wild Kabul streets", Sky News Australia, September 28, 2014.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Kabul Fire Department - A Ray of Sunshine

In a country whose future is dismal at best and where government institutions are looked upon as inept and corrupt it is refreshing to learn that some Afghan institutions are working! An exception to the rule seems to be the Kabul fire department - a part of the Ministry of Interior. Read a refreshing story in "Not Every Afghan Institution is Efficient: This One Is", MPBN News, September 17, 2014.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Life in Kabul

A short news article provides a glimpse of life in Kabul. Read "From Dawn to Dusk: A day in the life of Kabul", Stars and Stripes, February 19, 2014.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Remarks on Taverna du Liban by Expat

An expat who teaches school in Kabul provides us his insight on the effect the bombing of the Taverna du Liban restaurant (January 2014) will have on the expat community. Read "No derailing progress now", Relentlessly Alive, February 8, 2014.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Expat Recalls La Taverna Restaurant in Kabul

A former member of the expat community in Kabul recalls with fond memories the recently bombed restaurant in Kabul - La Taverna du Liban. Her recollection is of a safe place with good food that allowed expats to get away from the war. Read "Afghan bombing stirs memories", Sedalia Democrat, January 24, 2014.

Flat Tires in Kabul - Good Police Work?

There has been a rash of flat tires in Kabul. Turns out it is the Afghan police enforcing a parking ban against parking on the street. Read more in "Punctured Tires in Kabul are the Work of Police, not Punks", NPR Parallels, January 20, 2014.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Kabul Nightlife - A (sometimes dangerous) World of Its Own

The average U.S. Soldier or Marine deployed to Afghanistan at the small Combat Outposts (COPs) and larger Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) would be very surprised at how some of the expats (foreigners) work and live in Kabul - the capital of Afghanistan. Living on a large military FOB is not a pleasant experience. The large bases are dreary - built of concrete walls, wooden B-huts that cram occupants into (not-so-private) small living spaces, and usually crowded offices and work areas. The large FOBs are always noisy with fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft coming and going at all hours of the day. The scenery is rather unexciting unless you are fortunate enough to be on a base near some of the spectacular mountains found in Afghanistan. Living on a Combat Outpost (COP) is even more austere - the food generally is not that good and there are usually inadequate shower and toilet facilities. Mail comes late and there is not a paved road in sight - only crushed gravel (small rocks really) to walk around on.

Contrast the life of the Soldier on a FOB or COP and you would be quite surprised. There is a different life in Kabul - a relatively safe place despite the periodic made-for-media attacks that the insurgents mount from time to time. Recently the life style of expats (associated with international or non-governmental organizations) who live and work in Kabul came to light with the tragic bombing of the Taverna du Liban restaurant in Kabul. For more on this read "The Slaughter of Foreigners in a Restaurant in Kabul Exposes Dangers of Nightlife in a Warzone", The World Post (Huffington Post), January 21, 2014.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Kabul, Cars, Police, Inefficiency, . . . . and, of course, Corruption

A recent story in The New York Times provides insight into the corrupt police of Kabul, Afghanistan and the inefficiencies found in a society and government that just recently has emerged from the 13th century. Kabul is a city designed for less than one million residents and 30,000 automobiles but dealing with 5 million residents and almost 650,000 vehicles. So traffic at best is problematic. Pile on top of that an inept and corrupt city police and you face a host of problems if you are driving a vehicle in Kabul. Read more in "In Kabul's 'Car Guantanamo', Autos Languish and Trust Dies" published on February 17, 2013.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Taxis in Kabul - Life in the Fast Lane (or Slow Lane)


An enlightening article about catching a cab in Kabul, Afghanistan by a reporter who has spent some time there.  If you have spent any time driving through the city you will appreciate this piece for it's description of potholes, taxi driver, and lack of rules of the road!

Read "Fast and Furious cabs no match for Kabul's Mad Max roads", Stars and Stripes, October 4, 2011.