Gnashing of Teeth

Panic reigns in Kabul. The south is heating up, Clementina has yet to be released, and most people are on strict lock-downs.

The good news is that even though the security situation now is worse than it was in the winter, it's a lot better than it was last insurgency season (spring/summer '04). However, most of the people running programs here weren't in Kabul during the last insurgency season, so they don't have that as a basis for comparison.

This is all leading up to the fact that I'm fed up with these ----ng curfews and restrictions, many of which don't make much sense, and are imposed by an agency which still insists on driving around in vehicles with giant identifying labels on the side. Why not a bullseye?

The average Afghan has good reason to be frustrated with the reconstruction process, which is sputtering along at a snail's pace. Donors push for quick wins they can write reports about, but those aren't the most effective development projects, and are pretty much doomed to failure. In short, the bureaucrats are running the show, and it's terrifying.