Battlefield Tourist

I'm finally tired of waiting for things to get worked out, so I deccided to head out on my own. Now mind you, there is a specific threat against journalists regarding kidnapping, specifically journalists who are trying to get insurgent video, which I was so venturing out, alone, is generally not a good idea. Don't get me wrong, Kabul in my opinion, is a relatively safe place. The problem is that there an element in the city looking for people specifically like me, so it's something that is always on your mind.
I decided to walk down to Chicken street where the grenade attack happened a few days before. I was interested in talking to the multitudes of vendors to find out how business was. I took a left on Flower Street, which is just an extension of Chicken Street, walking through the carpet shops and food stands of downtown. Back in the 60's and 70's, this place was a hippie magnet that has now fallen on much harder times. If you use your imagination, the feel is still there; it's clearly a place that caters to foreigners with incredible deals on antique weapons, carpets and looted antiquties of all sorts. It is a place where someone with money can make a lot of money.
I spend a couple hours talking to store owners, including the store where the bomber blew himself up in front of. Everyone was desperate and looking for sales. No business, at all, for three days. These people are great salespeople, but there was nothing I could do, I was broke as they were. Which really is too bad because I was being offered some deals. My favorite was an 1850's flintlock pistol that was decorated with gold and camel bone. Authentic as hell... $50!! Holy cow! Of course I can't buy anything so I shoot some pictures, do some iinterviews and head back to the office.
On the way I notice Apache choppers overhead. That means two things: First, there's an important person moving about town or second, there's trouble. So I trake some shots and move on down the road when I spot two U.S. Humvees stopped in traffic. You can never get enough video of the patrols because it's hard to get. I get harrassed nearly every time I take video of the coalition in Kabul, this time would be no different. I raise my camera and get a nice shot of the hummers going by when one of the turret gunners points me out. This brings three soldiers to my side, one grabbing me pretty hard with them demanding I give them my camera. I politly make a protest and give it up. They tell me I can get it at the front gate.
So I head toward the Kabul Compound where I get to wait a half hour for the Provost Marshall to join me. Two guys in civillian clothes come up and protest they can't watch my tape because the battery was dead (ooops). So I replace the battery, show them the harmless tape and they let me go. Real anti-climactic, but a definite pattern in the way journalist are treated here in Afghanistan.
Back at that office, I learn that three UN workers have been kidnapped in Kabul (chopper). So we all moved into overdrive and filed two different stories. One was on the abduction and mine was mutated into a "city on the edge story". Since I had fortunately shot the security out and about, we were able to have a good day of solid, good looking video for a story that is sure to become a big imnternational situation.