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Where your heart goes, there your feet will go. Afghan proverb

Having spent a week in Afghanistan doesn’t make me an expert on the current situation. There is no explanation to the killing of Gayle on Monday – but it is a sign that the situation is getting worse. NGOs in Afghanistan are an important part of the country’s development process and (I read it somewhere) combined, form the largest employer in the country. The Taliban are playing a scare technique, now inside Kabul, to distabilise the situation and possibly drive out the foreign nationals out of the country. The killing of an aid worker in Kabul is obviously having a great psycological effect, outstretching the real consequences. They want the locals to belive that the aid workers are a there to undermide the country’s values and impose the western beliefs. Maybe it’s also an attempt to demonstrate that the military forces occupying the country are not even able to protect their own nationals (not that the two related). It’s an attempt to scare, destabilise, blocade. It’s a war of perception. Taliban are trying to win back people’s trust, “defending” what is at the very hart of every Afghani national – their culture and religion. (We’ve seen it before. In Russia. Once being dismantled and declared illegal in the arly 90’s, the communist party is back in full swing, with a strong following of people claiming that the “old times” were better than present). It reminds me that verse from the Big Book: “Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.” (Proverbs 7.10).

We have dear friends working in Kabul who are going through tough times. Should they stay or should they go? We obviusly want them to be safe, but whatever decision they make we will sure support them.

And now I want to state something very obvious, which I feel I just need to say: Most, the great majority, of people living in Afghanistan are good, nice people. These are the people our frieds are helping.

And here is that “Clash” song for Phil..

Darling you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
If you say that you are mine
I’ll be here ’til the end of time
So you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go?

It’s always tease, tease, tease
You’re happy when I’m on my knees
One day is fine the next is black
So if you want me off your back
Well come on and let me know
Should I stay or should I go?

Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An’ if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know…