Sean Carberry

Afghan Mineral Treasures Stay Buried, Hostages To Uncertainty

Sean Carberry — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:13:00 +0000

For years, reports have suggested that Afghanistan is sitting on massive deposits of copper, gold, iron and rare earth minerals valued up to $3 trillion. This provides hope for a future economy that would not have to rely so heavily on foreign donations.

But with an uncertain political, regulatory and security environment, international investors are hesitant. And it could be many years before Afghanistan begins extracting its mineral wealth.

The Afghan Geological Survey office in Kabul is one of the few agencies in the country that measure up to international standards. Here, a U.S.

U.S. Hands Over Nation-Building Projects To Afghans

Sean Carberry — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:02:00 +0000

On a sunny spring day in eastern Afghanistan's Paktia province, Afghan officials and U.S. troops and civilians gather inside the ancient mud fort in the center of Forward Operating Base Gardez. They're attending a ceremony marking the formal end of the work of the provincial reconstruction team, or PRT.

As the international military presence in Afghanistan draws down, so too are these small units, which often consist of dozens of military personnel along with a few civilians.

Heavy Metal In Kabul? It's The Music, Not The Munitions

Sean Carberry — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:20:00 +0000

When 23-year-old Solomon "Sully" Omar felt the music scene in his native Denver wasn't giving him what he was looking for, he made a radical move.

Afghans Confront Senstive Issue Of Ethnicity

Sean Carberry — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:55:00 +0000

In Afghanistan, where most people are illiterate and live in areas without paved roads or regular electricity, a state-of-the-art smart-chip ID card may seem extravagant. But the government believes it can help with everything from census data to voter registration to health care.

The format of the proposed card, however, is fueling debate over ethnicity and identity at a time when anxiety is already high over the drawdown of NATO troops.

Each citizen's ethnicity will be embedded in the electronic data in the new ID, or "e-taskera," rather than printed on the face of the card.

Afghan-Pakistani Forces Exchange Fire Along Shared Border

Sean Carberry — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:11:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Some other news. For the second time in less than a week, Afghan and Pakistani forces have exchanged fire along their shared border. The countries clashed again yesterday over a gate that Pakistani forces have been building on what Afghans say is their side of the line.

Secret Cash To Afghan Leader: Corruption Or Just Foreign Aid?

Sean Carberry — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:16:00 +0000

After a report in The New York Times this week, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has acknowledged that the CIA has been secretly delivering bags of money to his office since the beginning of the war more than a decade ago.

The money is allegedly used to buy loyalty — that of Karzai and the people he doles the cash out

For Afghan Policewomen, Danger Often Comes From Colleagues

Sean Carberry — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:24:00 +0000

It seems almost trivial at first: the latest Human Rights Watch report on Afghanistan says female police officers need their own toilets. Sure, who's going to argue with that. But why is it a big deal?

Here's how it unfolds.

Female police officers are experiencing high levels of harassment, sexual assault and rape — often at the hands of their male colleagues. Where is most of this activity taking place?

Taliban Says It Will Begin Spring Offensive Sunday

Sean Carberry — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 12:47:00 +0000

The Taliban will launch their annual spring offensive on Sun., April 28, the group said Saturday.

In a press release, the Taliban said that the offensive will target "America, NATO and their backers for the gratification of Allah Almighty, independence of Afghanistan and establishing in it an Islamic government while we humbly raise our hands towards Allah Almighty for its success and hope for a favorable and triumphant end."

The militant group says it will use "every possible tactic" to inflict casualties on foreigners in Afghanistan.

Young Staffer's Death Binds U.S. Embassy, Journalists

Sean Carberry — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 16:29:00 +0000

Death comes with the territory when you work in conflict zones. On sometimes a daily basis, those of us who have worked in Iraq and Afghanistan in particular have filed stories with headlines like, "Four troops killed during insurgent attack," or "IED kills 10 civilians and wounds six."

It's a blur of numbers and uniforms. When we get word of an incident, we scramble to determine what happened, the nationality of the victims and any other pertinent details. But it's all very anonymous and impersonal, most of the time. It's reporting.

Afghanistan, Pakistan Struggle To Find Common Ground

Sean Carberry — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:27:00 +0000

Much has changed since last November, when Afghans were praising Pakistan for saying it would no longer support the Taliban and would instead work for peace.

"We believe that relations between the two countries are deteriorating," says Aimal Faizi, spokesman for President Hamid Karzai.

Faizi says the downward slide started last month. The two countries had agreed to convene a conference of religious scholars, or ulema, to denounce suicide bombing.

Afghanistan's Forests A Casualty Of Timber Smuggling

Sean Carberry — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 07:25:00 +0000

Despite Afghanistan's fierce winter, it's rare to find a house with insulation or a modern heating system. So Afghans rely on bukharis, stoves that look like an oil drum with a big rusty pipe growing out of the top that bends off into a hole in the wall.

That fact keeps the hundreds of wood vendors around Kabul quite happy.

With Withdrawal Looming, U.S. Troops Shift Their Aim

Sean Carberry — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:36:00 +0000

The NATO campaign is now in a new phase. After years of fighting the Taliban and bolstering anemic local governance, NATO troops are handing those responsibilities over to the Afghans. NPR's Sean Carberry recently embedded with U.S. troops in the southern province of Kandahar as they worked on this new mission.

The fertile Arghandab Valley in Kandahar province is considered one of Afghanistan's breadbaskets. For years it was also a valley of death for NATO troops.

Security in the region has improved dramatically since the U.S.

Sniffing Out Bombs In Afghanistan: A Job That's Gone To The Dogs

Sean Carberry — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 09:39:00 +0000

Lucy is a stereotypically giddy black labradoodle. She's not what you picture when you think of a military dog serving on the front lines in Afghanistan. She wiggles around the room chasing her tennis ball and thinks my microphone cover is a chew toy.

But her handler, Spc. Heath Garcia, says when Lucy is on a mission, she's all business. She's highly trained to sniff out improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, which are the No. 1 killer of civilians and troops in Afghanistan.

"I always tell the guys that work the mine detectors, 'Hey, you can pick up metal; I can't.

New Afghan Challenge For U.S.: Shipping Stuff Out

Sean Carberry — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 07:59:00 +0000

In addition to training and equipping Afghan soldiers, U.S. forces in Afghanistan have another critical mission: packing up more than 11 years worth of equipment and sending it home. The number of containers to move out is in the six figures, and some question whether everything can be shipped out by the end of 2014.

Forward Operating Base Frontenac sits amid jagged mountains in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province. It's an area that saw a lot of action during the U.S.

The Afghan Battle Over A Law To Protect Women

Sean Carberry — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:57:00 +0000

Afghan President Hamid Karzai issued a decree in 2009 banning violence against women. But the parliament, which is currently on its winter recess, has been unable to pass it and give it permanence as a law.

There's major disagreement on key provisions where Islamic and secular law come into conflict.

Civilian Casualties In Afghan War Dip For First Time In Six Years

Sean Carberry — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:24:00 +0000

The U.N. reports that for the first time in six years, casualties in the Afghan war have decreased. There was sharp drop in the number of dead and wounded attributed to attacks by Afghan government and Western forces.

Searching For Ibrahim

Sean Carberry — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 10:20:00 +0000

Over the years, al-Qaida has recruited young men in the Arab world, Africa and Central Asia, including Afghanistan. The group has also had some success in luring followers from Turkey.

Last month, Fahrettin Gumus, a retired security guard from Turkey's northwestern province of Bursa, went to Afghanistan in search of his son, who he had last heard from three years earlier.

The small-framed 57-year old says he often worried about his son Ibrahim, but he never through he'd go through with his plan to join al-Qaida.

"My son is very emotional," Gumus says.

Airstrike In Afghanistan Renews Concerns Over Civilian Casualties

Sean Carberry — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:07:00 +0000

Gen. Joseph Dunford, the new U.S. and International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, commander in Afghanistan, has only been in charge for a few days, and already he's been summoned to Afghan President Hamid Karzai's office for what looks like a dressing down, according to a press release from the president's office.

Dunford was called in to discuss what was initially reported as an ISAF airstrike in Kunar province that killed 10 civilians late Tuesday night.

Civilian casualties — especially as a result of ISAF or U.S.

Afghanistan, Pakistan Seek A Fatwa Against Suicide Attacks

Sean Carberry — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 10:09:00 +0000

The Muhammad Mustafa mosque sits in a fairly well-off part of Kabul where government employees and some high-ranking officials live. Muhammad Ehsan Saiqal, a moderate, 54-year-old Muslim who welcomes girls into his Quran classes, is the imam. The slight, gray-bearded cleric preaches against suicide bombings.

"Islam doesn't permit suicide attacks," he says.

U.S., Afghanistan At Odds Over Weapons Wish List

Sean Carberry — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:52:00 +0000

The U.S. and the international community have pledged $16 billion to support Afghan security forces after NATO troops complete their drawdown at the end of 2014. That money covers the cost of troops and equipment.

But just what equipment will be provided? Afghan military officials want big-ticket planes, tanks and other conventional weapons.

The U.S., however, says the Afghans need to get their strategic priorities in order, and focus less on prestige hardware and more on weaponry and equipment suitable for counterinsurgency warfare.

The opinion of Afghan Col.

From A Land Where Music Was Banned — To Carnegie Hall

Sean Carberry — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 10:21:00 +0000

In Afghanistan, there was no sound of music when the Taliban ruled from 1996 to 2001. The Islamist militants destroyed music CDs and instruments and even jailed musicians.

Today, there are music schools and young Afghans playing in public. And, this weekend, 48 Afghan boys and girls are traveling to the U.S. to perform at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.

At a recent performance in Kabul, young musicians sat on the stage tuning saxophones and sitars — some of the instruments bigger than the children themselves.

Women In Combat: What Do Troops In Afghanistan Think?

Sean Carberry — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:00:00 +0000

The new U.S. military policy on women serving in combat roles was crafted in Washington, but it will play out in places like Afghanistan.

And sitting outside at the military base at the Kabul airport, male and female troops offered their thoughts on what the new policy might mean.

"I wasn't completely surprised with it. It's not anything we haven't discussed before," said Capt. Monica Paden, a military intelligence officer from San Diego.

One Small Step For Democracy: Afghan Governors Chosen On Merit

Sean Carberry — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 18:48:00 +0000

Regularly ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, Afghanistan has implemented what for it is a novel new program: selecting provincial and district officials on the basis of their skills, rather than connections.

By all accounts, Afghanistan's corruption is endemic at all levels of government. It's hoped the new effort will begin to curb graft, patronage and nepotism in the country's 34 provinces and roughly 360 districts.

Akin to states in the U.S., the provinces each have a governor, but they're appointed by President Hamid Karzai rather than elected.

As Karzai Visits U.S., What Are The Prospects For Afghan Peace?

Sean Carberry — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 21:58:00 +0000

As Afghan President Hamid Karzai comes to Washington to meet with President Obama and other U.S. officials this week, there is renewed discussion in Afghanistan about the possibility of a negotiated end to the country's war.

Recent talks hosted by France have rekindled hopes for some sort of reconciliation between the Taliban and Karzai's government.

Afghan Woman Carves Out An Entrepreneurial Niche

Sean Carberry — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 08:32:00 +0000

Behind a tall metal gate in a nondescript nook of Kabul sits the Bamboo Wood Industries factory. It's not a place you're likely to stumble across by accident. Inside, a handful of men are cutting, painting and assembling desks and cabinets. The pieces being made are chocolate brown and quite modern looking.

Afghan Contractors Feel Pinch Of Drawdown

Sean Carberry — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 10:10:00 +0000

The Afghan construction industry has been one of the big winners since the fall of the Taliban. NATO and the international community have pumped billions of dollars into building roads, schools and bases.

With the drawdown of troops and NGOs, however, comes a drawdown in construction spending, and that has Afghan contractors scrambling to find new business.

The offices of Mustafa Omid Construction Co. in Kabul are silent, its jackhammers still and cement trucks parked.

Kabul's Roads, Paved With Good Intentions

Sean Carberry — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 22:31:00 +0000

Sometimes, you don't have to go far to find a story. For the past few months, just stepping outside NPR's Kabul office has been a drama.

The neighborhood is in the midst of a major road and sewer renovation project. It's just one of many such projects that is badly needed in Kabul and elsewhere in the country.

But as is often the case, the pace and quality of the work has been uneven. And residents aren't so sure whether the final product will be worth the months of gridlock, power outages and business interruption.

The street outside of our office is complete dirt.

Afghans Begin New Exodus, Often At Great Cost

Sean Carberry — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 10:58:00 +0000

Convulsed by war and civil strife for decades, Afghanistan has experienced some of the largest ebbs and flows of migration anywhere in the world.

It began with the Soviet invasion in 1979, which sent millions of Afghans fleeing to Iran and Pakistan.

Afghan Women Make Their Mark On The Soccer Field

Sean Carberry — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 10:14:00 +0000

Afghanistan first established a national women's soccer team just five years ago, and while they aren't yet World Cup material, they are making strides.

Last week, they got a little help from former U.S. Olympic soccer player Lorrie Fair, who staged a clinic in Kabul that was set up by the State Department.

Clad in her blue U.S. national team sweatsuit, Fair led the Afghan women through a series of exercises on the tennis court at the U.S. Embassy.

"I'm constantly inspired by the things they do, because we're very lucky in the U.S. to have support for women's sports," Fair said.

Afghans Wary Of Pakistan's Overture To Taliban

Sean Carberry — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 09:13:00 +0000

Afghan officials welcomed the release of Taliban prisoners by Pakistan in an attempt to jump-start a shaky peace process with the militant group. But many Afghans are wondering about the timing and the motive.