Photo: A Destroyed Royal Palace

I spent two days riding through the streets of the city in an armored Humvee, first with Vermont guard members who conduct patrols and then with members of the brigade support team, who ferry passengers and gear between the 11 forward operating bases located in the Kabul area. Like cities I've visited in the Middle East, Kabul is a chaotic place. There's a feeling of impending vehicular mayhem at every intersection. Rickety stalls line the streets, with big yellow and green melons and other fruit piled in the dust. Goats nose through the debris and rubble strewn along the streets. We've seen lots of people flying kites, but 'gaity' is not a word that comes to mind when describing Kabul.

We passed a massive building that stood on a knoll on the outskirts of the city. It looked like it had once been a spectacular place, but now its roof is gone and entire sections of the facade are missing. Sergeant Kevin Clark of Bellows Falls who was commanding the convoy I was in, explained that the building was a royal palace destroyed by the Taliban. The past weekend was Eid, the feast ending the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The children of Kabul were dressed in their best clothing: Little boys in dark green and purple crushed velvet suits with neatly knotted ties, young girls in colorful flowing scarves and dresses. The bright cleanliness of their outfits was a stark contrast to the drabness of Kabul where the buildings are dun colored and covered with dust.

Steve Zind  ReportFromAfghanistan@gmail.com