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| Afghanistan |
| Gunfighters holed up in |
| 2002-04-28 |
| In Khost, Bacha Khan's [the Post is referring to Padshah "Mr Big" Khan Zadran] forces were involved in another armed clash. The city is one of the most lawless in the country. Gunfire can be heard every half-hour or so, shopkeepers close for fear of violence and residents complain of marauding, drug-influenced gunmen stopping them in the street and stealing their cars. The Dick Durbin gang hangs out at the local saloon, and Jesse and Cole drop by now and then, when they're not robbing trains or rustling cattle... Karzai's appointed governor, Hakim Tanaiwal, has not yet dared come to Khost from Kabul. The governor's compound is occupied by Kamal Khan's fighters and guarded by a tank and artillery. "If he comes down here, he will come with a flood of bloodshed," Kamal Khan said of the new governor. Kamal is Padsha's brother, aka Mini-Me. Nobody's ever accused him of being a nice guy. Don't even think about messin' with his girl, Miss Ayesha. Some say he's a crazed killer, but not within his hearing... Four days ago, in a dispute over control of security in Khost, police officers led by a chief named Mustafa [Mujibur The local saloon girls are sneaking them food and ammunition... City officials said appeals to U.S. commanders based nearby to intervene have been rebuffed. "We got the citizens to tell them that we're sick and fed up with these guys, please take over the city," said Mohammed Akbar, the deputy mayor. "They went and nothing happened." Brig. Habib Nurzai, a senior police official, said he spoke with the U.S. officers on Friday. "They haven't taken a solid step to stop this," he complained. Their response was prob'ly, "You outta your mind, Jack?" They're probably under the impression that it's not our country and the Afghans are free to screw it up any way they want. We're there to kill al-Qaeda. That's a point that keeps getting lost in the mud and the blood and the beer. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |