A Trip To Kandahar

Last week I had an opportunity to visit the Operational Coordination Centre (OCC) in Kandahar City. It is one of the provincial centres that reports events to my regional centre. Kandahar City is about 25 kms away from Kandahar Airfield so I would have to either drive or fly to make the visit. As it turns out my bosses vehicles became available so I drove. I know, I know, I said many times before I left that I would not be driving the roads, but the job's gotta get done. Also, it was during the quietest Eid-al-adha in eight years The surge of NATO forces into Kandahar City has made it very difficult for the insurgents to do anything like plant IEDs.

So I met the vehicles that were to take me to KC (like the one pictured) and we set off for the 45 minute drive to the city. It was uneventful (see!) and we drove up to the Governor's Palace where the OCC is located. The palace was renovated by Canada and is quite picturesque. It is across the street from the Mosque of the Cloak of the Prophet, where Mohammed's cloak is held as a relic. Mullah Omar took it out of storage in 1994 when the Taliban took control of Kandahar.

Once inside the grounds we attended our meetings and toured the site. At the back is an old concrete building that was Mullah Omar's operations centre during the Taliban years. It is planned to turn the space into a media centre. After lunch we headed back to Kandahar Airfield the same way we came, but not before witnessing a sheep round up. The Coalition staff at the OCC had purchased a sheep to sacrifice for the Eid holiday and enjoy a festive meal with their Afghan colleagues. No doubt sensing its imminent demise the sheep made a break for it and a merry chase round the Governor's garden ensued. Mechui, as we named the sheep, was quickly apprehended and pegged to the lawn to await the arrival of the mint sauce.