Kandahar

By Jennifer Glasse in Asia on October 7th, 2011
Distrust is to be expected a country where a number of high-level officials have been murdered in their own homes [AFP]

Tahmina's enduring memory of living under the Taliban was crying all night just before Eid, one of the biggest celebrations in the Muslim calendar, because she couldn't go to the market in Kandahar with her mother to get treats.

The Taliban didn't allow women or girls out like that. She was then 11 years old and said she asked her mother that night why Afghanistan was the way it was.

Now 21, Tahmina is studying to be a midwife, taking a business-development course and has also learned English.

"We have good luck now,” she says. “Today we can come out of our homes, we can work, but we will always have security problems."

Tahmina covered her face, all except for her eyes, to speak to us on camera, reflecting the still-conservative attitudes here.

Despite threats against her school, and taunts by men in the street, she remains undaunted.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Asia on September 18th, 2010
Photo by AFP

15:20 GMT: That will wrap up our election coverage, as poll workers now shift from collecting vote to counting them.

Turnout is estimated to have been around 40 per cent. It's important to stress that the counting process will be just that - a process. Preliminary results are not expected for several days or weeks, and with thousands of candidates, there will be many challenges to those numbers. The IEC does not plan to release final results until the end of October.

12:25 GMT: The Taliban says on on its website that the group has conducted more than 100 attacks during the day.

12:17 GMT: Some statistics from an IEC press conference currently under way in Kabul: 5,355 polling centres opened today, with 542 either closed or not reporting any results.

By Clayton Swisher in Asia on August 15th, 2010
Photo by AFP

This installment focuses on some problems fighting this war from within the senior US military leadership.

Back in December 2009, I covered General McChrystal’s briefing on the Obama Afghan Surge inside a tent filled with senior US, Afghan, and ISAF officers at Kandahar Air Field.  

Since this week has been about reflection, a couple things stand out in my mind, starting with the awkwardly long moment of silence among the military’s top brass when McChrystal finished his presentation and asked the standing room only crowd if there were any questions on the future of the war (more on that in a moment).

By Clayton Swisher in Asia on July 28th, 2010

Never thought a trip to the Arghandab District of Kandahar would leave Afroman in my head.

But apparently portions of the package we aired showing the Afghan police doing bong hits have made it to Comedy Central.

Kudos to Jon Stewart's Daily Show for giving Al Jazeera credit (the footage comes at the end of his set).

By Clayton Swisher in Asia on July 25th, 2010
82nd Airborne soldiers in Arghandab Photo by Tom Nicholson

Last night we got a 0345 wakeup call from Spooky. For those of you who play Call of Duty-type video games, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

By James Bays in Asia on June 9th, 2010
Picture from AFP

Everyone in Kabul is still talking about the sudden departures of Interior Minister Mohammed Hanif Atmar and Intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh.

These men, two out of the three most senior security ministers in the Karzai cabinet, were among the officials most trusted by the Americans and their allies.

The focus now is on who will replace them and how long it will take.

The two posts are absolutely key to the success or failure of the Obama strategy in Afghanistan.

By Zeina Khodr in Asia on February 7th, 2010


Continental Hotel, Kandahar - an address many foreign journalists, businessmen and employees of international organisations and aid groups know.

An oasis in a province at war … that was what it used to be – at least, for me.
I have visited Kandahar province numerous times since January 2008.

Without a doubt it is a dangerous place to work in - not only for foreigners but Afghans alike.
But at the end of a long day, we used to enjoy our dinners in the hotels' garden, benefit from the good internet connection and satellite television – yes, luxuries in many areas of Afghanistan.

Outside its walls was a very different reality.

Not any longer.

I came back a few days ago only to find most of the hotel no longer standing. In December a suicide bomber blew himself up in the street outside the hotel killing and wounding Afghans.

Tags: Kandahar
By Hashem Ahelbarra in Asia on January 7th, 2010

Afghanistan's presidential palace is one of the world's most highly guarded buildings. No surprise, its occupant is the man the world relies on to pacify and defeat the Taliban.

He was targeted many times and miraculously escaped two assassination attempts in Kandahar and Kabul. His security staff is alert all the time.

No pens or watches are allowed, and you have no right to complain, they are thin-skinned when it comes to remarks, they say they are taking no chances.

We received a call from Karzai's people saying the interview with the president was scheduled for 5pm. We went there three hours in advance.

By Clayton Swisher in Asia on December 31st, 2009
Photo by AFP

I am saddened to learn the tragic news that a professional colleague, Michelle Lang, was among the casualties that marked the deadliest day for Canada in Afghanistan since 2007.

Michelle was an award-winning reporter for the Calgary Herald (link to her blog: http://communities.canada.com/calgaryherald/blogs/afghanistandispatches/default.aspx).

She began her military embed at Kandahar Air Field in mid-December, until it was cut short yesterday by a roadside bomb attack that killed her and accompanying Canadian soldiers.

Michelle's death underscores the risks journalists face in covering a war where improvised explosive devices are so common.

Their blasts do not discriminate.

I trust the Canadians will be taking the news especially hard.

By Clayton Swisher in Asia on December 23rd, 2009
Photo from AFP

Over the course of my 18-day US military embed in Southern Afghanistan this month, I picked up on growing unease amongst the troops. 

The latest policy initiatives coming from Washington these days pose enormous challenges. Come hell or high water, the US is bent on accelerating the handover of power to Afghan institutions. 

That extends to the fledgling Afghan health care system, as we saw when we caught up with the American medics of the 82nd Airborne's Combat Aviation Brigade at Kandahar Air Field.  We spent less than a week in total with these daring-do rescuers, capturing on tape more of the war's tragic side than we could ever possibly use. 

The dilemnas these medics face - of transporting Afghan patients to US or Afghan hospitals - cuts to the very core of the medical profession's Hypocratic Oath of "do no harm".

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