Connex Construction

I came out of the Swamp (my residence connexes) one morning and they were using a crane to load new connexes for a third floor on the Maxwell House. Its surprising how fast these self contained rooms can welded in place creating living and office space for Camp residents. The connexes are quite hospitable, if cramped.

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Afghan Photos

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-60767-6.html

Here is a link to six photos from Der Spiegel from Northeastern Afghanistan. Beautiful and quite explanatory.

Little Girl's Future

We were driving back from KMTC the other night and there was this cute little Afghan girl hanging out the back window of her father's car. We both were stuck in traffic and I saw her for several minutes as we passed her car and then she passed us. I thought about what kind of future was in store for her over the next fifteen years or so here in Kabul.

It was rush hour--about 1700 hours in the afternoon. Many people were out shopping, but it was predominantly men. I saw very few women shopping in the bakeries, none in the electronics stores, none in the small shops bordering the highway--very few women on the street. I saw many young girls below the age of say ten, but no teenagers, no young working women, no women in the streets. How different.

What does the future hold for the cute, four year old girl who was hanging out the car window of her father's car?

End House

Here is the front of the Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan (CSTC-A) Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA) office--End House. It has offices in one of the turrets and a stairwell in the other. It is called the End House because at one time it was the last or end house on the street. Since then we have put connexes in front and on the sides so it no longer is the end house, but the name remains.

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Coalition Routs Taliban in Southern Afghanistan - NYTimes.com

I saw this article in the New York Times today. Our strategy is starting to pay off. We are starting to pinch the Taliban, intercepting their supply lines, killing or capturing their leaders. and instilling security in Southern Afghanistan. They are retreating to Pakistan. Now we need to go after them in Quetta and in NW Waziristan.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/world/asia/21kandahar.html

Tostitos are Back!

After nearly a months absence, the Tostitos are back! One takes things for granted, such as the well stocked consumer items on the shelf. I have delayed buying things, but now--if I see it, I'm buying it and stocking up. I may not have the chance again. Thus, I bought a storage box and a comforter on Tuesday; plus, I bought four bags of Tostitos today.

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ANA Court

Here is an AF TSgt standing in front of the 205th Kandak Military Court building. The building and court are new. The ANA have 3-4 trials a week here. One murder case and mostly traffic cases.

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