It's Always Sunny in Kabul

Nothing says “hearts and minds” quite like rotor wash. 

Your uh-dorable kids in uniform of the day. 

AAF choppers. Because…choppers. 

The World Food Program (WFP) is changing that. Its Food-for-Work project supports families with a basket of wheat, vegetable oil, pulses and salt in exchange for productive labor. In Shiberghan, the work involves cleaning drainage canals and moving soil out of flood-prone areas.

On the surface, this sounds like a plan: work a little, feed your family. The problem is, as nearly always, one of sustainability: so this season kids eat, but what about next year? And there’s the additional issue of not enabling future success via what the modern world refers to as currency. Since baskets of wheat don’t usually make it easier to buy things like…more baskets of wheat. While the labor involved (in theory) benefits the community, it sounds like someone’s getting work done at a minimal cost. 

Pics of ANA commando training. 

Sooo…let’s talk about anything other than the fact that you grow poppies. 

Some days, I like dogs a lot more than people. 

So today, this: 

Just arrived in #Kabul to attend the Bilateral Commission hosted by FM Rassoul. Hope there is time to squeeze in carpet shopping!

— James Warlick (@AmbJamesWarlick) May 10, 2013

This isn’t the first time Warlick’s been an uh-mazing tweeter, either. 

Travel in Central Asia is so difficult. Good thing we have this sweet bird … twitter.com/AmbJamesWarlic…

— James Warlick (@AmbJamesWarlick) February 25, 2013

Rambo, as it turns out, had an Afghan kid: 

Two insurgents on a motorcycle ambushed Wali Mohammad, the Andar district ALP commander in the Chardewal Bazaar.

The insurgents fired small arms and a rocket-propelled grenade at the ALP commander, but Mohammad returned fire, killing one insurgent and wounding the other.

During the exchange, Mohammad received a minor shrapnel wound to his forehead and a gunshot wound to the elbow. 

“The Taliban will continue to attack us and try to make us weak,” said Mohammad. “We are strong and we will continue to be strong.”

HERAT, Afghanistan — They sit in the sun harboring their lost histories, their forgotten dreams, their traces of funerals, graduations and stolen kisses. On dusty windshields, insurance stickers from Travelers and State Farm bear witness to wrecks in ” Metro DC,” “Hardin, Texas,” and “North Hollywood,” some with bright orange “total loss” decals.

It’s not often that I use the phrase “fun read” when it comes to Afghanistan, but this one definitely fits that bill. 

Probably my favorite quote? 

“I think Germans and Swiss must be better drivers, neater, more law abiding,” Aziz said as a chicken strutted past. “Americans have that cowboy history.”

Because stereotypes is fun, no matter who ya are. Seriously, though, any article that’s just talking about something resembling life here? I’m pretty OK with. So enjoy.