News from Afghanistan

[glocke]

Im really not one to post political topics, at least not on this forum, but I figured not many people on here have a first hand civilians account of what things are like in Afghanistan.
 
My oldest brother who I have not seen in almost 15 years works almost exclusively in the middle east and the Caribbean as a university teacher.  For the most part he only spends a couple of years at a school before he wants to move on to some new location.  
 
 
Recently he took a job at the American University in Kabul, I hope he gets hazard pay!.  Today I recieved this email from him:
 
 
I would say that this place is undergoing a rapid deterioration.
 
25-50% was from Obama opening his mouth about the troop pull out which caught even the generals by surprise. Within days of that poison gas attacjs against high schools that were coed, a car bombing and other activity.
 
40%-50% from the quran burning.
 
Massive demonstrations here now all anti western as well as tribal clashes As long as they thought that the USA was going to stay here most opposed the Taliban. Not safe even for me to go outside. I went to the gym this afternoon and when I went out to meet my driver 4-5 other gym people walked out with me surrounding me until I was in the car.
 
 
Here the situation is such that if it deteriates further there will be mobs and they will drag you out of the car and kill you. Nothing that you can do about that. But it is not at that point yet.
 
 
In previous emails he would talk about his students, and how excited they were to have an American as a teacher.  This is the first he has mentioned how unsafe it is there.

[musashi]

Thanks for sharing this.

[hb3]

Wow! That is interesting.

[tmoney61092]

i'm sure he/you are already thinking this but, get out! i hope everything goes well for him, along with all other Americans over there, thanks for the info
 
~Taylor

[thumbsup]

Thats an Obamanation...Very Scary!

[hydrargyrum]

Our current drummer will be leaving in October for Afghanistan.  I am filled with dread every time I hear about someone I know being placed in this situation.  My best wishes to every human being who only wishes to live in peace.

[Enzo]

This makes you think.
 
Thanks for sharing.

[terryc]

I cry every time I see a british soldier come home in a coffin at Wooten Bassett.
In all honesty this is going to get worse for both UK & USA troops

[pace]

Here the situation is such that if it deteriates further there will be mobs and they will drag you out of the car and kill you. Nothing that you can do about that. But it is not at that point yet.  
 
I wonder if Talibani spokesman Rahmatullah Hashemi had these same fears while attending Yale in 2005.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayed_Rahmatullah_Hashemi
 
My heart goes out to your brother and all other western civilians over there....

[masterofmanystrings]

I hope he makes it out alive.  If he were my brother or friend, I'd do everything I could to encourage him to get out before it's too late.
 
The clock is ticking and time is running out.  Those who study the big picture see how the dominoes are already lined up and falling.  Europe will be relatively safe for a few more years, and the U.S. probably has at least a decade -hopefully much more if/when the current trend is reversed.
 
For those who aren't paying attention, the IAEA predicts Iran having the capability for nuclear weapons by 2014; there is absolutely positively NO POSSIBILITY that Israel will permit them to get that far.
 
Barring an extremely unlikely turnaround in Iranian policy, they'll be bombed by either Israel or the U.S. in the next 3 years, guaranteed... and then it'll really hit the fan, quite possibly even WWIII.

[hb3]

I wonder if Talibani spokesman Rahmatullah Hashemi had these same fears while attending Yale in 2005.
 
Um...somehow I doubt that.

[adriaan]

I would like to say that the original post is thought-provoking, and that the responses have all been fairly civilized. In view of the topic being discussed that is a commendable achievement.
 
However, as moderator I have to observe that the discussion is moving away from personal interest, into political matters.
 
Out of respect for the original subject, at this point I would like to point out the posting guidelines, which clearly state no politics, rather than close this thread.

[jacko]

My thoughts are with your brother, gregory.
 
Graeme