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Time to once again open my life up a little in order to share the plethora of wealth I'm about to absorb. I'm going to be back in Iraq through September, so hop on board and check back every couple of days, I'll do my best to update as much as possible. Questions? dtate38@cox.net And check out the site I'm working with: http://www.billroggio.com Support independent journalism!
Saturday, August 28, 2004
In between "missions", I tend to have 2-6 days where I'm working my contacts to get out again. Currently, I'm stuck in Kabul waiting to get permission to go toward Herat. I need to do a follow up story on the fighting there which is currently on hold because of an Afghan-US enforced ceasefire. The renegade leader, Amanullah, has agreed (wink, wink) to get on a U.S. military plane and visit Kabul. I have heard rumors he's under house arrest. This is actually pretty interesting. Afghanistan is one of those places where you usually have to kill a man before hurting his pride. I'm sure the conversation went like this:
U.S. Ambassador Khalilzad: You know Amanullah, you should come to Kabul and quit being an ass.
Amanullah: You called me an ass?
Khalilzad: No you fool! What I am saying is that we have 10 tons of whoop ass circling you as we speak and you best just get on that plane down at Shindand before I blow you and your Taliban infested horde into the great abyss!
Amanullah: You called me a fool?
Khalilzad: YOU SON OF A...
Amanullah: Ok, I'll come.
Seriously, this is a huge deal for stability, especially right now. The coalition had other things on its mind before this trouble happened (for those of you who missed it, go back a few weeks for a first hand account of that day in Herat). Ismail Kahn is even threatening to order a boycott of the elections (yes, I'm sure he controls a large chunk of his flock's vote). Whatever happens, it will be interesting. Here are the contending possibilities:
a.) Amanullah will be given a cabinet post in Karzai's government once he wins.
b.) Amanullah will stay under house arrest indefinatly and his Taliban followers will get bombed into next year if they don't follow the ceasefire.
c.) Amanullah will be given a post in the Karzai cabinet and his followers will get bombed into chowder if they don't mellow down.
d.) Kahn's forces and Amanullah's forces begin fighting. U.S. airpower sends Amanullah's forces to the next world (afterall Kahn, with near Taliban ways and all his drug/weapon smuggling buddies, is the Karzai-appointed Provincial Governor).
I didn't have to file anything on Thursday, which was good. It was Mahmut and Umit's last night in Kabul. Mahmut is gone for good, Umit will be back in a week. Mahmut's replacement has a name unlike I've ever heard, so I'll have to update you later. Nice guy. Spent the past six months in Najaf, got 10 days off to see his wife and child, and is now here in Kabul for five months. I thought I had it bad. He smokes and speaks little english or farsi Should be a fun filled adventure for him.
You can find some stories from this past month at http://www.iha.com.tr, story ID - 19575 & 19604. You can also find my exclusive stories on Herat at 19051 & 19121.
I'm finally getting all of my tapes in order for my forthcoming documentaries. One will be on the literal birth of an army. I hope to tell the story of the Afghan National Army as is goes through its growing pains. I've been fortunate enough to have had the most exclusive access to this army and I'm excited to be working on it. I'll also be releasing a wrapup of Afghanistan in 2004. Considering I am probably one of, if not the most, travelled journalist in Afghanistan this year, I have collected a lot of insight, video and pictures of this conflict. It would be a waste not putting the exierience out in a complete fashion.
To start it right, my good friend Kent (kent@starcitypunk.com) is putting together my website at:
http://www.battlefieldtourist.com
Within the the next few days, it should start getting some content. Kent assures me that I will like it and it's coming soon.
Three months and counting.....
U.S. Ambassador Khalilzad: You know Amanullah, you should come to Kabul and quit being an ass.
Amanullah: You called me an ass?
Khalilzad: No you fool! What I am saying is that we have 10 tons of whoop ass circling you as we speak and you best just get on that plane down at Shindand before I blow you and your Taliban infested horde into the great abyss!
Amanullah: You called me a fool?
Khalilzad: YOU SON OF A...
Amanullah: Ok, I'll come.
Seriously, this is a huge deal for stability, especially right now. The coalition had other things on its mind before this trouble happened (for those of you who missed it, go back a few weeks for a first hand account of that day in Herat). Ismail Kahn is even threatening to order a boycott of the elections (yes, I'm sure he controls a large chunk of his flock's vote). Whatever happens, it will be interesting. Here are the contending possibilities:
a.) Amanullah will be given a cabinet post in Karzai's government once he wins.
b.) Amanullah will stay under house arrest indefinatly and his Taliban followers will get bombed into next year if they don't follow the ceasefire.
c.) Amanullah will be given a post in the Karzai cabinet and his followers will get bombed into chowder if they don't mellow down.
d.) Kahn's forces and Amanullah's forces begin fighting. U.S. airpower sends Amanullah's forces to the next world (afterall Kahn, with near Taliban ways and all his drug/weapon smuggling buddies, is the Karzai-appointed Provincial Governor).
I didn't have to file anything on Thursday, which was good. It was Mahmut and Umit's last night in Kabul. Mahmut is gone for good, Umit will be back in a week. Mahmut's replacement has a name unlike I've ever heard, so I'll have to update you later. Nice guy. Spent the past six months in Najaf, got 10 days off to see his wife and child, and is now here in Kabul for five months. I thought I had it bad. He smokes and speaks little english or farsi Should be a fun filled adventure for him.
You can find some stories from this past month at http://www.iha.com.tr, story ID - 19575 & 19604. You can also find my exclusive stories on Herat at 19051 & 19121.
I'm finally getting all of my tapes in order for my forthcoming documentaries. One will be on the literal birth of an army. I hope to tell the story of the Afghan National Army as is goes through its growing pains. I've been fortunate enough to have had the most exclusive access to this army and I'm excited to be working on it. I'll also be releasing a wrapup of Afghanistan in 2004. Considering I am probably one of, if not the most, travelled journalist in Afghanistan this year, I have collected a lot of insight, video and pictures of this conflict. It would be a waste not putting the exierience out in a complete fashion.
To start it right, my good friend Kent (kent@starcitypunk.com) is putting together my website at:
http://www.battlefieldtourist.com
Within the the next few days, it should start getting some content. Kent assures me that I will like it and it's coming soon.
Three months and counting.....
