05 June, 2008

Afghan Realities pt. 1: Economic Crisis

Geneva—In Khost province Afghanistan a man cannot enter his brother’s home without first knocking. It is simply considered common courtesy. So, when an explosive charge is used to blow open a door in the middle of the night, it is, to say the least, rude.

As the smoke clears, the sleeping inhabitants of the house awake to the terror of men with machine guns storming in. They grab the husband of the household, drag him into the front yard, bind his hands and place a black bag over his head while his wife and children powerlessly look on with tears in their eyes. As the U.S. soldiers drag him off for interrogation it is uncertain as to whether they will ever see him again.

“This,â€