Still having challenges with building schools in areas that aren't yet
permissive. This weekend we traveled to a project in Zormat, the site
of several attacks on our convoys. The Haqqani network runs around in
the mountain passes east of us but down here in this valley it's all
Taliban, former and current. The tribes and sub-tribes here are very
fractured and fiercely independent. They will play any and all sides to
their advantage. There is a saying attributed to the Pashtuns here I
don't know if they actually say it but it goes: "Me against by brother,
my brother and I against my cousin, my cousin, my brother and I against
the world!" Sounds pretty cool anyway.
The district looks a lot like Mars: flat, dusty and rocky. It is one
of the most populated districts in the province and everyone lives in
fortified Qalats with plots of corn, nuts or wheat around their forts.
To the east are the Shah-i-Kot Mountains. The last scene of Act 1 of
this opera called OEF. This is where, in February 2002, Special
Operations and a Brigade of the 101st Airborne tried to seal off the
passes leading to Pakistan. It basically ended in a draw and the
Al-Qaeda and Taliban cadres were able to sneak off to the tribal areas
of Pakistan to regroup and recruit before coming back in force four
years later.
Today we go with a lot of firepower and vehicles, as the local unit's XO
puts it: "with more soldiers than Xerxes took with him to Greece". I
thought that was funny but there is a reason. Every time the PRT has
attempted to inspect the quality of the construction here we have been
attacked. Last time, from the tree line 400 meters away, came AK-47
fire and from further back rockets. There is also a Pakistani in the
area known as "82" because he is handy with the 82 mm mortar. He also
took some pretty accurate pot shots. This time however it goes quietly
and the work here has actually improved from a few months ago when you
could crumble the concrete with your bare hands.
The following day we went into downtown Zormat for a shura, a large
meeting with all the local elders. This is the most run-down, dusty
town I have ever seen. Open sewers in the street (read dirt road) and
trash piled everywhere, and this is the main drag! Shops keepers came
out to see the crowd walking down the street to the district center.
Nobody looks particularly friendly. In a decrepit park, (triangle
shaped patch of gravel at the intersection of three roads with a water
well in the center and more trash all around), three women in Burkas
with little children sit begging or waiting for their male chaperone,
not sure which. The dust was like baby powder and covered everything,
kicked up constantly by the passing trucks and marching feet. At the
Shura, there were about 150 locals and the discussion was development
and our other large road project the Gardez to Ghazni (or GG) Road. The
Deputy Governor and Chief of Police gave encouraging statements and
asked the locals to support security so that this development could
continue unabated. We returned without any incident. Life goes on
in Z-town and October is flying by thankfully.
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