District Center

I spend a lot of time at District Centers (DC).  They are the Afghan equivalent to your town hall, mayor's office, and hub of city or county government life in the U.S.  This is where the ANP has their headquarters, where the District Governor and his line ministers work, and where the judicial sector (where it exists) operates.  The DCs are generally the safest places in the districts thanks to the presence of ANP (and sometimes still CF) followed probably by the bazaars.  Most of the DCs I have been to have no heat (the chai is a decent remedy), minimal office furniture (the furniture that does exist has obviously been provided within the last few years), and let's just say my husband may be shocked by the newfound strength of my bladder when I get home.  The districts I am working in are fairly fortunate to have office space that is more functional than some others I have seen around Afghanistan.  They also have most of their key govt officials actually in place and working for them.  Are some corrupt and taking bribes?  I'm sure.  The salary system for GIRoA is skewed in certain sectors and not everyone makes a living wage.  Most people will do what it takes to support their families and changing a system riddled by corruption does not happen overnight -- or in a decade apparently.  So far I have come away from the work I've been doing with a sense of optimism.  The Chief Judge in one of my districts in particular shows a real passion for holding public trials and an energy that is not always apparent in GIRoA officials.  AND b/c LT said my blog was good blackmail, I'll say that 3 Charlie is my favorite platoon to roll with.  Here's a shot of LT, myself, and Ric.  The photographer wasn't terrible -- I cropped our interpreters out.  Snow capped mountain is beautiful from afar -- but leads to a pretty dangerous valley.

 
  

Happy Husband = Happy Wife

Glad the chips and salsa of the month club is keeping you fed my love!  Miss you!

Land Disputes

Afghanistan’s total land area is 652,090 square kilometers.  While agricultural land accounts for 58% of the total land area, only 12% is useable farmland.   Of its population of 32 million, 78% live in rural areas and 20% are classified as nomadic.

Decades of conflict, population displacement, and changes in national political and economic beliefs and systems have resulted in a complex and dynamic land ownership and management landscape.  As a result, land rights are perceived to be highly insecure and disputes over land are widespread, frequently driving criminal activity.  

As I have been making the rounds meeting with the judicial sector the last month, it is obvious what a huge problem this is.  There are largely two types of cases in Afghanistan:  1) insurgent/national security cases, and 2) crime that in some way involves a dispute between two parties over land.

The Afghan Constitution (enacted in 2004) establishes a legal framework for property rights and protects the right of individuals to own property.  The Law on Managing Land Affairs (2008) lays out principles of land classification and documentation and governs the settlement of land rights.  Interestingly, this law recognizes Sharia and defers to principles of Sharia in some areas.  Issues not covered by the law are governed by the Civil Code, which largely reflects Sharia.  Bottom line is you have the statutory legal system intersecting with Sharia and traditional forms of dispute resolution when it comes to land disputes.  It’s a complex legal landscape and people choose the system they see will most benefit them (forum shopping anyone?).

Combat Penguin, at the Ready

Thanks to a great care package, P.J. is ready to go -- notetaking materials and combat coffee mug in flipper :)

The Air Up There

I do quite a bit of flying around the province.  Here are a few pics from today with some weather rolling in.

The Soldiers I Serve With

Ever since I joined the Air Force (and probably a good 5-10 years before), a great deal has been written about the high prevalence of sexual assault and rape in the military and at the military academies.  In fact I still recall the story of Jamie Jones and her testimony before the House Judiciary Committee about being raped in Iraq.  It is a very real problem.  I also think that it is a problem that Commanders and DoD leaders at every level take incredibly seriously and have been doing everything within their power to address.  I would even argue that some of the new steps being taken (Congressionally mandated and/or DoD self-imposed) are inadvisable overreach.   

I am still on the front end of my deployment, but when I go to bed tonight I will be the only female on the COP.  And I am completely comfortable with that.  I have been treated with nothing but respect and professionalism by the soldiers I am currently serving with, from the BSO and company commanders down to the young privates I am getting to know as we roll around in MATVs talking about hometowns and college football ("ND has a great recruiting class ma'am."..."Yes, but something happens when we actually make them go to class...we'll see").  I would characterize myself as more of a media defender than basher, but I would hope that the intense spotlight on this issue does not deter women from serving in the military.  We need more women in the military like we need more women in government, research labs, big business, and tenured professorships.  And to bring it back around -- like Afghanistan needs more women as participants in EVERY aspect of its society.

No More M&Ms!

The 27 Nov 11 AFPAK border incident has officially hit home.  FLUOR put up a sign in the DFAC informing everyone that the border closure will begin to affect supplies and food in the DFAC.  Now granted, the same signs were up when I arrived in country in Kandahar in December so I’m not sure how much of a decline we’ll really see.  Thus far I have only noticed a lack of coffee creamer, which when the coffee already tastes like sludge, is more necessary than ever.  I also heard there was a two week period during the current battalion’s deployment when they only had banana milk.  I don’t know that I’ve ever had banana milk and I’m not really eager to try.  So we’ll see.  I’ve read as I’m sure you all have that Pakistan has rejected a meeting with the U.S. Envoy, but that the U.S. has resumed drone strikes.  All I can say is, please keep my supply of M&Ms coming – they are vital to RoL!