Day 10 in Kabul

Day 10 in Kabul wasn’t too exciting. My class went well. The students wanted to start early so we began at 1100 rather than 1300 so that they could have more time for the exercises. We started the 3D Analyst class today and will go through it and model builder until Wednesday. The faculty provided lunch for me which consisted of Kabob. When they get Kabob “to go”, they remove the meat from the skewer and wrap it in Naun bread and then wrap in newspaper. It is a very good meal….if you like meat…..which I do.

Since today didn’t have too much news, I decided to toss in some observations and an excerpt from our security updates so that you can see what doesn’t make the news and why the security groups stay edgy.

First the observations.

One of the first things that you notice here is number of helicopters that buzz around the city. You constantly have helicopters flying over you. I find myself looking up at them all the time to see what kind they are. The helicopters range from humanitarian to Afghan police/military to US military. There are some crazy looking helicopters. I won’t know what to think when I get back to the quite of Snellville.

Another observation is how early it gets light here. Sunrise is about 0500 and almost immediately bright. You wake up at 0530 and think it is about 0900 and feel like you need to get up and get busy.

The number of beggars is amazing. One of the roads that we take which connects two major roads…could be renamed as beggars row. I have included a couple pictures. Women will sit in the middle of the road and cars will drive on both sides. The road is dirt so the women are covered in dirt. You feel bad that you can not give money to all of them. In addition to the women, you will have men who have lost a leg and they will also sit in the middle of the road with cars squeezing right up to them on both sides as they drive by. Many times they will have small kids sitting in their laps or they will be carrying them as they beg from passing cars. It is very sad but there is so much poverty here and it is getting worse since the cost of wheat is going up. Naun, which is a staple of the Afghan diet, has doubled in price.

Another thing that I have noticed at the university is that my Afghan friends and students make sure to always accompany me. Yesterday and today the class ended before the car showed up to pick me up and they waited by my side until the car arrived. I had told everyone, when the class had ended that they could go, but a couple students told me that they would stay with me until the car arrived. The custodian always stands with me too until the car arrives. Of course when it the armored car arrives with its tinted windows, everyone looks at it and me wondering who I am. Needless to say, everyone knows that I am on campus and teach everyday in the afternoon.


Okay, enough observations for day. I have included an excerpt from security reports that get sent out to us so that you get an idea of what all goes on here that you don’t hear about in the news….and most people around Kabul don’t hear about. Usually, the general public doesn’t hear about events unless it is big but you can see why the security groups are nervous about our safety.


8 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City. Possible AGE Arrest: ANP arrested one local suspect in connection with the Indian embassy bombing.

7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 9, Yakatoot Area. Weapon and ANP Equipment Seized: ANP searched a suspected house and confiscated one illegal weapon and some police equipments.

7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 16, Khair Khana Area. Abduction: at around 0700 hrs, gunmen abducted a local civilian and hijacked his private car.

7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City KAIA UN Terminal. UXO: ABP located and unexploded mortar bomb in the vicinity of the terminal. Later an IM EOD team neutralized the device.

7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Indian Embassy. SVDIED Attach – Update Follows: At around 0830 hrs, a suicide bomber detonated his VBIED at the main gate of the Indian Embassy in Kabul. The bomber apparently targeted two diplomatic vehicles at the embassy gate. At least 28 people were killed (the number may change) and about 141 wounded in the incident. Four different UN agencies national staff members were injured. UN agency office in the vicinity suffered damage due to the blast. No one has yet claimed the responsibility of the attack.

Update on the 7 July attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul City: the latest casualty figures as of 8 July are 42 killed and at least 130 wounded. Security in the Kabul City as been stepped up in response to further threats of suicide attacks in the city.

7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Sherpur Square. Shooting: At around 1000 hrs, an ISAF convoy reportedly opened fire at a civilian vehicle, which allegedly drove too close to the convoy. One person was killed and another wounded in the incident.

6 July, Kabul Province, Shakar Dar District, Sia Sang Village. Local Resistance – AGE Arrest: At around 0030 hrs, a group of 12 suspected AGE attempted to enter the village to operate from there. The villagers resisted the group that resulted in a brief firefight after which the group fled the area. No casualties were reported in the incident. One of the suspects was arrested by NDS.

6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Taymani Square. Arrest: at about 2300 hrs, ANP arrested a local suspect and seized a firearm during a vehicle search in the area. The suspect is currently undergoing investigation.

6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 17, Khair Khana, Area. Abductee Released: An Afghan national abducted in Shakar Dara District on 4 July was released.

6 July, Kabul Province, Paghman District, Khaldaree Area, IED Find: ANP found and defused a roadside IED in the area.

6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 15. Cache Find: During the day, ANP discovered a cache in a graveyard containing eight hand grenades.