Life in Afghanistan
This is an article about Afghanistan’s continuing problems. It’s generally sad, but I was particularly shocked to read this paragraph:
On the road into Kabul from Jalalabad - on the dangerous route from Pakistan and the Khyber Pass - I sat on a woven plastic mat drinking green tea from glass cups with a group of lorry drivers.
They carry containers with supplies and equipment for the US military.
They told me they had been shot at often. One of their friends had been shot dead.
But despite working for the Americans, these drivers have no protection, no military escort.
They laughed and joked as they talked.
“How do you manage to be so cheerful?” I asked.
“We are happy because we made it, because we’re still alive,” they replied.
I’ve been reading quite a lot about the American occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan (as I’m sure you’ve noticed ;) ) and one thing US soldiers seem to have been quite vehement about was how in Iraq they were often assigned to give protection to American companies (usually oil ones) and how those companies had absolutely no place being in Iraq at this time (and how irresponsibly the people from those companies would behave sometimes).
If the US army can give protection to private companies, who have nothing to do with their work, then why aren’t they giving protection to locals who are trying to supply the army :-/ This is just ridiculous…
