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Recent Posts Tagged With 'afghanistan'
This should be the face of Islam.
I have been a huge critic of Islam and Muslims. So much so that at times I feel that I go too far. Generally speaking, I don’t much care for any religion. I don’t really count Buddhism ...
The Pearl of Khorasan
Herāt (Persian: هرات) is a city in western Afghanistan, in the province also known as Herāt. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan...
She was adorable…
I had to run over to Camp Arena today to get the cap placed back on my tooth. Damn thing came off last night while I was eating. Camp Arena is the ISAF base at the Airport. The Spanish run the Hospita...
Islam and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Since I’ve been in country, that scene more than any other is universal. A guy with his lady hitting the road on a bike. She might be his sister. His wife. On the rare occasion, she may even...
Iran meets America
Herat, Afghanistan Today, I travelled out to one of he Provincial HQs. I gave a class to some NCOs and Officers of the Afghan National Police. The NCOs looked like boys to me. One looked like he co...
Nothing too exciting today
About 20 days to go and I start my round the world trip. Today I traveled from my homestation to our Regional Training Center to give instruction to some guys from Farah District — Ghulistan, Po...
Egyptian Proverbs and other tales
I was watching the movie Rendition with two Afghani compadres. In the movie, the main character, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is telling a high ranking Egyptian Ministerial Officer that the interrogati...
Entertaining the Troops!
Bollywood starlet Tania Zaetta accused of sex with soldiers in Afghanistan A Bollywood starlet who made her name going beyond the call of duty in Who Dares Wins, an Australian TV stunt show...
Herat RTC
One of the places to which my job takes me. I love traveling around this country. I know it’s dangerous. I just don’t care. Someday, the talibs will give up the ghost and head home or...
a bazaar experience
Every week the Afghanis bring the Bazaar onto compounds all across Afghanistan. They sell everything at these bazaars. Cheap electronics from Pakistan and China. Bootleg DVDs. Carpets and tapestr...
“I am Dawood Khan!”
I am now officially Dawood Khan. lol [pronounced -- Daw-OOD] I’ve been introducing myself to people as such for the last few weeks. It’s kind of an inside joke. The Terps all call me &#...
Ahmad Shah Massoud
I was looking for some video of Ahmad Shah Massood. The Lion of Panshjir. When I came across this one, I thought it was pretty funny. I took it to work with me to show the guys. My Afghani crew. ...
Red Alert! Red Alert!
I’m sitting at my desk surfing the web when in rushes the boss whom I like to call War Granny Six. “We are going to be attacked between 2100 and 2130!” He says in excited tones. I...
Afghanistan — Conversations about Corruption & Change
I’m out of my resident camp doing training at a remote site. I’m participating in a reform program designed to bring the Afghan National Police (ANP) up to speed with the Afghan National ...
An Afghan Wedding
Wahid is one of the terps who works with me here in Herat. He’s a pretty laid back guy. We’ve developed a pretty good friendship over the course of the past year. I didn’t always ...
Bamiyan Buddha Afghan Commemerative Stamps
When I was a kid, I collected stamps. So when I came across this little gem, I had to pick it up. These stamps are from the time before the Soviet invasion. The time of King Zahir Shah. The last K...
An Afghan Challenge — Instructing and Mentoring
For the past week or so, I’ve been at one of the Regional Training Centers (RTC). My task is to advise and assist the RTC staff on logistics functions of what has been dubbed the Focused Distri...
Random Scenes — Kabul
Shave and a hair cut…two bits. Throw in a pair of bootleg tenny’s and call it 5 bucks. Jesus’ long lost Afghan cousin. My FRIEND!!! Buy a side of beef from me…MY FRIEND!!! ...
Under the thumb of Islam — Women in Afghanistan
Afghanistan. Infamous for the Burqa or Chidari. It’s the land that the Taliban made famous by oppressing women. The famous scene of the woman being shot with an AK-47 by a cold and heartless ...
Faces of Afghanistan
I have been traveling Afghanistan since late 2003. In that time, I have had occasion to get out and meet some of the Afghani people. Most are like any other people anywhere else in the world. They ...
Voices from Afghanistan
I had gone to the bazaar to buy a movie to watch. They were banned but you could still get them. While I was walking home, a talib stopped me. I had the movie in my hand which was tucked inside my ...
Masjid-i Jami — The Great Mosque of Herat
Herat is the largest city in the Western Region of Afghanistan. The city is as old as mankind. It pre-dates Alexander the Great by centuries and has been invaded and conquered by every power to swee...
I’m in Kabul. Again…
My holiday has commenced. I woke at 5 a.m. to grab a ride with the SECFOR. Got to the Herat airport shortly thereafter. I was supposed to fly with Kam Air to Kabul. As I was waiting for my fli...
Graduation — First Class of 2008
We graduated our first class of 2008. The Big Man–MG Ak– wasn’t around so BG Ali Khan was our Master of Ceremonies. The ceremony usually consists of the General giving a few “...
after Graduation party…
We held the graduation ceremony for Logistics West Class 01-08 at the Regional Headquarters on Saturday. MG Akrummuddin was in Kabul. So BG Ali Khan was master of ceremonies. Usually, MG Ak invites...
The Taliban Song and a day in Class
These are some clips from the Taliban video that I placed on here earlier. I thought it would be fun to piece it together with Toby Keith’s The Taliban Song. I teach a logistics class here in H...
Driving in Afghanistans Capital City — Kabul
A few days before I left Kabul in September 2006, I decided to take one last tour of Kabul. Kabul is a city that has to be experienced to be believed. It’s as foreign a city as a Westerner w...
The Taliban
Above is a Taliban training and campaign video. I edited out the end portion of it because it was a series of snuff videos of the Taliban executing their prisoners by sawing off their heads with a ra...
Buzkashi — A Burden in my Hand — Soundgarden
Burden In My Hand by Soundgarden I took the Afghani music out and laid on some Soundgarden. I like this music with the video. It’s grittier. Edgier. The original video has...
Buzkashi — the Sport of Central Asian Steppes and Afghanistan
Traditional Afghan Music Gather up a group of Nomads from the North of Afghanistan. Throw in a decapitated dead goat and 40 or 50 highly prized horses. You’ve got Buzkashi. Literally, “...