Kabul security

I've had a few people write to ask about the security situation here in Kabul and where I'll be travelling in Afghanistan.

The facts about abductions are interesting and not as bad as people seem to think.

In Afghanisan so far in 2007 there have been 142 abduction cases involving 350 people. Twenty seven of those people have been foreigners but 23 of those should be discounted. Those 23 were the special case of the South Koreans who were traveling in a known dangerous area with few security precautions, illegally evangelizing their Christian faith, and in the country without the blessing of their own government. (The Afghan government is also to blame for giving them visas.) I am extremely sorry that two of them were killed and relieved that the others were released but we can discount them from the representative statistics. In 2007 there have been four other international abductions - all of whom were released (although one died of a heart attack).

My organization is being careful not to provide a fifth victim. I think our rules are very appropriate - neither over reactions or carelessness. We do not have a curfew because it would not be relevant - the problems seem to happen in the daytime. We are not allowed to walk around Kabul and are not allowed in taxis. (We rely on our own driver or a reliable minicab company.) The rules in the other towns I've been to vary by situation - I was free to walk alone around Bamiyan but not Mazar-e-Sharif, Herat or Jalalabad. We get excellent reports and alerts from both a private security company and an international agency. We are careful but realistic - we need to be able to breathe to do our jobs.

I am touched by all the caring messages and encourage everybody not to worry. I'm enjoying my work and life and I'll be safe.