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Camp Julien, Task Force Kabul
5 December, 2003
Hello!
I’ve been here four months now, and my leave is now two weeks away (till I DAG anyway).
I’m excited about leave, but I’m also fairly busy.
I spend two days out of six with the Afghan National Army as an LO. I sleep in a Polytechnic
college that looks like it dates from the Soviet times. The machines in the shop class date from
1965 and have CCCP markings. I work with a small team of Brits, Norwegians, a French
officer and a Kiwi officer. We’ve made ourselves comfortable, but I’m on the lookout for
anyone pulling a Col Kurtz (just kidding). The ANA guys seem like a good bunch.
I spend my free time on the roof. It is a somewhat precarious climb up and down but the view
is nice. Night and early morning are my favourite times. I like being up there during the call to
prayers. Some people find it annoying, but I find it somewhat comforting and yet haunting at
the same time.
From the roof I can observe a group of six apartment buildings (long, three story affairs). I
think that it is a middleclass neighbourhood, as the kids seem well fed and go to school. Some
people even have cars. The little kids speak English, and we talked through the fence. The
kids all play outside, watched over by a couple of older siblings and there is usually one adult
in the vicinity. It seems like a nice place to live. They even have some dogs on leashes! The
cats are well fed on rats and mice (I watch them hunt). A dog was frustrated by the chainlink
fence that has been built for the activity I am over watching. The dog took a long run at a cat
on the other side, apparently unaware of the new obstacle. At least our fence can stop dogs!
I have included a picture that LCol Clarke took from the backseat of my Iltis the other day. I
saw these kids, and guessed that they weren’t a danger. I got out to tell them what they were
doing could get them killed, but they ran away. Scared ten year olds can outrun angry 32 year
olds wearing 50 pounds of gear, but I think that they got the message.
See you soon,
Love
Iain
liaison team which was assisting
the ANA to set up security for the
constitutional conference held at
the polytechnic school later in
December
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