Working in Kabul

Kitty Dimbleby describes the quite ridiculous reality of working as a foreign correspondent in Kabul. It makes you wonder just what the value of the old parachuted in foreign correspondent really is – and what great expense it costs – when they can’t even get to the people to get a story beyond visiting a few Embassy approved places. However, as one Afghan old hand told me this “would be embarrassing if it weren’t so close to the reality for some people”. At least there’s a decent pasta dinner at the end of the day.

The next day, I went to an Italian restaurant, hidden – as with all places frequented by Westerners – behind steel gates, barbed wire and armed men. Inside you could be anywhere, wine flowed and the food was surprisingly good. But after their meals, diners were ushered quickly to their waiting cars and driven to the next ‘safe’ place. Hidden behind tinted glass, they are hardly able to glimpse Kabul and the people they have come to help. link via hat-tip Alex

Picture by David O’Neil.