Taliban Country
45 minute script
Carmela Baranowska: The C120 Lands in complete darkness. There is no landing strip. Not even the US Air Force flies here.
We are in one of the most remote and inaccessible parts of Afghanistan.
Title: Taliban Country
American Marine: When the shit hits the fan it’s going to get…that’s when the fuckin’ Taliban, man, is going to fuckin’ hit us, you understand? Don’t let your guard down at all.
CB: The Marines are at the sharp end of the US military. They go in first and hard to the msot dangerous places.
American Marine: Let me see you fuckin’ walk around here like you don’t give a fuck and somebody’s going to get fuckin’ killed. You understand me? I will go fuckin’ go spastic on every fuckin’ single one of you. You better fuckin’ wake up. You better get some fuckin’ intensity. You better fuckin’ realise what the fuck is going on. This is serious fuckin’ business. You’ve got two more fuckin’ weeks here and I’m not in the mood for somebody who doesn’t give a fuck. You understand?
Marines: Yes
American marine: Do you fuckin’ understand? I swear to God. Do you understand? Do you understand? Garcia you’d better wakt the fuck up. Do you understand? Mcbride, do you fuckin’ understand? Let’s clean our fuckin’ weapons, get in the fuckin’ vehicles and ready to fuckin’ go.
Off camera: Standby – Detail Attent-ion.
CB: For the past month, the marines have been travelling to the surrounding villages. They are hunting for Taliban and Al-Qaida.
Gunnery Sergeant: When Charlie company, helicopter company first makes their insertion, we’re going to move into the town. There’s at least five vehicles and the infantry company. If you want to go somewhere, let us know, you know. If you can hear someone start to yell “Indian head”, it means something’s about to happen. So either someone’s going to start shooting or something else. So that’s…so if one of us grabs you, then you know, that’s why. You’ll be good.
CB: Working with the marines on their sweeps through the villages are the Afghan militia. They are under the command of the local governor, Jan Mohammad, he’s seen here with the brown cloak and brown turban.
Governor Jan Mohammad (translation) Tell everyone, if you have any guns, explosives, or anything, if you have mines or anything, bring them out now voluntarily. If we find these things later, don’t complain to us then. Do you hear?
Villagers (trans)Yes, we heard you.
Lt Col Khan: Quick initial screening. Let’s start moving them. Keep them separate once they’ve been screened.
Narrator: Lieuftenant Colonel Khan is the commander of this operation. He’s a Pakistani – American and one of the few commanders in the US military who is a Muslim. Khan also speaks basic Pashtun and this helps him establish a working relationship with Jan Mohammad’s militia.
CB: Governor Jan Mohammad, local warlord, police force and judiciary.
Governor Jan Mohammad: (trans) I fuck his wife’s vagina, whatever type of person he is. Isn’t it true that I, as governor, have come to you before? If those things are found here again, I swear I’ll set fire to your houses.
Villager: (trans) Last time they came they seized 150 guns and we cooperated with them.
Governor Jan Mohammad: (trans) That’s enough. I’ve warned you.
CB: After two hours the Marines and militia move on to the next village.
US Marine: Keep going. Open up. Can you open? He said there’s another door around that way. It’s locked. There’s a chain on the door. There’s another entrance that way. Go. Go.
Jannan (translation): Listen…where is your translator? The one doing the communicating…where is the person who translates?
Marine: Yes.
Marine: I gotcha
CB: For the US Marines it’s like being in the Wild West – they don’t know what’s around the next corner.
Carmela: Where’s your interpreter?
Marine: He’s with them (points offside)
Jannan: (trans) Where is that translator?
Marines: over here, Marines over here.
CB: It’s unclear but it appears that this young man, Jannan, is under arrest.
Lt Col Khan: Roger, continue (speaks into mic)
CB: After 20 minutes Jannan is brought to the side of the house for interrogation by the governor, Jan Mohammad.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: What’s up Bud?
Marine: This AK 47, they found this magazine, belongs to this man too OK?
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: OK. Good job. This is for your gun.
Gov Jan Mohammad: (trans) OK that’s fine.
CB: Some photos have been taken from Jannan’s house.
Gov Jan Mohammad: (trans) Ask him about these photos to see if he’s being truthful because we know these people.
Translator: (trans) What is he doing now? He was in the Taliban. They’re Taliban.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps (off camera) Bin Laden’s son.
Other marine: That’s him.
Governor Jan Mohammad (trans) They say you’re Bin Laden’s son.
CB: Governor Jan Mohammad turns the exchange into a joke but you can’t help feeling the threat behind it.
Gov Jan Mohammad (trans) Where did you find these boys? O Allah, what good looks? Aren’t they heavenly creatures? What beautiful boys they are. I wish I was young again. They’re more beautiful than 10 women.
Militia member (trans) We found this is the open field. Is this the one?
Gov Jan Mohammad (trans) Yes, it’s another one.
Militia: (trans) Is that another one?
Governor Jan Mohammad: (trans) Yes, it’s another one.
CB: As both militia leader and governor Jan Mohammad has huge power in these villages. He can effectively do and say what he likes.
Gov Jan Mohammad (trans) Come on, man. You say this is the photo of a lion. It looks like a donkey. I fuck the vagina of your mother. I stick my penis in your head. Tell the colonel we’ll take him along with us and for a few nights he will keep us entertained. He will do his thing with us and then we’ll see. Nine guns.
Kahn: (off camera) A total of nine AKs and 2 grenades.
CB: Nine guns. In a country awash with weapons and from a major operation involving a convoy of humvees, helicopters and up to 50 marines, this number is hardly significant. Jannan is arrested and the convoy moves on.
Marine: There’s a little girl back there. It scared the crap out of me.
CB: In the next village Lieutenant Colonel Khan believes he’s found an important lead in his search for the Taliban.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: This used to be an old Taliban leaders compound and the guy that we captured just a few minutes ago is a known Taliban leader in this area. We’ve been looking for him for the last three years. So that was a good find…look at this
Carmela: Where did you find him?
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: He was sleeping in a field with a loaded weapon.
CB: As the sweeps wind down for the day, Lieutenant Colonel Khan makes a joke about the surrounding poppy fields with the militia leader who calls himself the minister for agriculture.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: Tell him he’s doing a very lousy job. I don’t see any agriculture.
US Marines translator: (trans) You’re doing a lousy job. I don’t see any agriculture here.
Lt Col Khan, US marines: Is that correct?
Agriculture Minister (trans) Tell him I may have been less responsible in agriculture but I’ve been clever in this war.
US Marines translator: He says if I didn’t take any action of my agriculture but I am too busy fighting.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: Too busy fighting.
Tell him, Inshallah, when we get rid of the Taliban and Al-Qaida here and improve the security of this nation and then he can have more agriculture and water. How’s the water situation?
Agriculture Minister (trans) There’s no water at all. On this side there’s a river, then from here and the entire region over there …that side is completely dry.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: Tell us which villages need wells so that we can start digging wells and make an impact in the villages.
CB: While the US Marines sweep the nearby fields, others take a break.
US Marine: Don’t worry, when we’re done with the war on terrorism, we start the war on drugs, you’re not going to be our friends anymore.
CB: The Marines say you’ll find them in the worst places with the worst food and the worst pay. For weeks and weeks 800 Marines live in a one man tent city. At night they sleep in a desert in Central Afghanistan. During the long hot days they wait for the next operation.
Marine 1: Gravity fuckin’ blows.
Marine 2: It’s all about the G
Marine 3: Charlie Company has been active in conducting cordon and search operations.
Marine 4: And so to make it sound good the results – found several weapons caches and ensured that the Taliban was not using those areas as safe havens, pretty much.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: One of the big differences that you see in these MAGTAF operations up here is we’re in Taliban Country. We’re not operating from a remote FOB where we come in for a day or two. We’re here, we’ve established a presence here and they know it. They monitor us and we closely monitor their activities. Yesterday you observed the people that we detained. That was from local sources. They told us where the leadership was living and we went to those compounds and we picked those people up. So the people are starting to provide us essential information for us to be able to conduct precision operations and that’s what we’re doing here. And our focus is disrupt them, don’t allow them to operate. It’s a long term commitment, it’s a long-term reference.
Colonel Mackenzie: We’re here principally to improve the general security environment which in turn will lead to elections for the Afghan people. The registration component, which is occurring now and is what we’re most directly concerned with but mostly to improve the general security situation, work closely with the UNAMA people to facilitate the transition to a long term Afghan government.
CB: Apart from the search for the Taliban, the Americans are also conducting civic operations. This is essentially a hearts-and-minds campaign to convince the locals that the Americans are their friends.
Major Cook: We’re going to walk to the other side.
CB: In charge of civic operations is Major Alva Cook, who used to be a cop in Mississippi. He’s actually with the Army and the Marines are providing force protection.
Villager: (trans) How are you? Are you OK?
Major Cook: Introduce please.
Translator: (trans) You know me, but I’ll introduce these gentlemen. He’s in charge of security. I forgot your name. Major Sergeant Ski. She’s our colleague from the Marines. She assists us in all areas. And he’s the Marine in charge of security. And this is another friend of ours. Shall I introduce her…adding to the news.
Major Cook: If you feel that’s right.
Translator: (trans) She’s our reporter.
Carmela: Documentary.
Translator: (trans) She’s working on a documentary.
Major Cook: Tell him I apologise for all the traffic and extra dust. Ask him does he have any issues or any points that he would like to bring up in reference to that.
Villager (trans) That’s a public road. You can’t help it. It’s a public road. You didn’t put it through the village. If we have any trouble, it’s a public road and we can’t help it. The militia is carrying out a lot of atrocities in this area. People are suffering unimaginable atrocities. They went to the other village and wanted to carry out a search operation. I told Colonel Khan about this the other day. Any searches must be done with care. You must give us a letter stating that the operation was carried out.
CB: On the ground, the civic operations are not going according to script. The army translator steps in to stop the conversation in its tracks.
Army translator: (trans) Stop your private discussions. You can discuss those things after evening prayers. This is not the place for such discussions. They might ask me what you’re saying.
Villager: (trans) They must have their doubts about us.
Marine: Goodbye.
CB: This area of central Afghanistan – Urozgan Province – is so remote and dangerous that the Afghan central government, United Nations and aid agencies have no presence here.
Soldier 1: Make an animal with it.
Soldier 2: How can I do that?
Soldier 3: Does he know how many men can read and write in the village?
Villager: (trans) No, there is no one. There isn’t any school. There are only young kids. In the whole valley, no one can read at all. If you have a letter, you won’t find anyone in the whole valley to read it.
There are no medical facilities in this region and Major Cook often gets involved in medical matters even though he is not equipped to do so.
Major Cook: How old is she?
Nomad: (trans) There’s no medicine. Tell the doctor she’s too thin.
Major Cook: How old is she?
Nomad: (trans) 8 months
Major Cook: The problem’s going to be the mother’s probably a little malnourished, she’s not producing enough vitamins or anything in her milk. We don’t have any prenatal vitamins and that’s what she needs.
Nomad (trans) That’s right, she’s malnourished. OK, she doesn’t have any milk.
Major Cook: The mother needs more vitamin D for the calcium. Vitamin D is in the milk. The one thing I can think of is to drink, like, goat’s milk, or the cow’s milk.
Nomad: (trans) Doesn’t he have any medicine?
Army translator: (trans) No, we don’t have anything.
CB: After three weeks I’m choppered back to Kandahar Air Force Base. My embed with the US Marines is over. It’s a few weeks later and I decide to head back independently to the same area of central Afghanistan without the presence of the Marines and the militia. I want to find out the real story behind the American and militia operations.
I travel Afghan style, with a driver, translator and two armed policemen. Their brief is to safeguard us from roadside robbers but we all realise that there is no real protection against the Taliban. After six hours we’re back in the village of Mossazai. This is where the young man Jannan was arrested by governor Jan Mohammad. I ask Jannan whether the Taliban were active in his village.
CB: Here, in this area, is this Taliban Country?
Jannan (trans) This isn’t the Taliban’s territory. The Taliban come here but they don’t stay. If one night they do come and confront us or someone else or the government, the Taliban won’t let us go. We’re like lambs to the slaughter.
Translator: (trans) Do they stay or not?
Jannan: (trans) No, they don’t stay. How can they stay? But the Taliban come two or three days before the Americans, then the Americans just arrest you and me and hassle us…normal people going about their business. They don’t have the means to arrest the Taliban. They’re usually three days late so they just hassle us. I said nothing to the Americans. There was a high-ranking officer whom I don’t know. He’s got at interesting name.
Translator: (trans) Asad Khan?
Jannan: (trans) He was an officer…she might know him. He was sitting over here the other day. The officer next to Jan Mohammad, ask her.
Translator: (trans) And?
Jannan: (trans) Because of this officer I was really scared of the Americans. He had asked Jan Mohammad whether I could be handed over to him for six hours. He wouldn’t hand me over. Then, late evening, he asked I be handed over for an hour. So I didn’t talk to the Americans. I was scared of them.
CB: According to Jannan, the reason his village is targeted by Governor Jan Mohammad and the militia is because they belong to a different tribe.
Jannan (trans) Their tribe, in their areas, have never been searched or had anything to do with them. For example, in searches in this area, they imprison people according to their tribe.
Translator: (trans) The people here say this?
Jannan: (trans) Yes, that’s what they say.
CB: Jannan has told us about others in the valley who have been persecuted because of their tribal group. On the way to see them we are stopped at a militia checkpoint and decide to interview the commander. We want to know whether the Taliban are still in the area.
Commander (trans) I told you that in this area, under the Taliban there were prominent commanders. Of those prominent commanders, surely there would be some remnants. Naturally, these remnants would be part of the community. They might have established relations with others. They might have hidden a few bullets or guns somewhere. These issues or the fact that there may be someone here who communicates with the Taliban…these are the two possibilities which may evantuate, that we are trying to stop. Other than that the people here are very poor and very helpless.
CB: The commander volunteers to send this tribal elder with us. He tells us that if the Taliban kidnap me, then they will kidnap the tribal elder as well and the commander will negotiate with the Taliban for both of us. The only problem with this ingenious scheme is the tribal elder’s participation is not guaranteed.
Translator (trans) If you would like to come with us, we’ll take you, if you don’t, then stay.
Tribal elder: (trans) I want to stay. (laughter)
Commander (trans) She’s come from far away and you’re not prepared to go.
Tribal elder: (trans) I’ll go anywhere but not there.
CB: We decide to leave our two policemen at the militia checkpoint. The less protection we have the more secure we feel. In the first village the locals tell us the militia have been here.
Young man (trans) The other day they caught some children, beat and interrogated them.
Trans: (trans) who beat them?
Young man: (trans) Jan Mohammad, his people. The boys said they did not know where or who the Taliabn were. For this people are imprisoned.
Trans: (trans) About how old were they?
Young man: (trans) Seven or eight. They’re uneducated.
CB: In the valley we begin to hear rumours of a man who’s been beaten, but this time by the American Marines.
We see our first US Marine convoy in the distance.
One week before the US Marines had conducted a major operation in the village of Passau. The elder begins to tell us what happened.
Village leader: (trans) This is a helpless land. Never in the world have the Taliban come to us, nor have we helped them or set eyes on them. We have tribal enemies. We have no place in government and no role in voting. The skies have fallen upon us over and over. The hardships we’ve suffered this time round would never be suffered by infidels. I myself asked the interpreter “what crime have we committed?” This is based on tribal issues but it’s as if we’re harbouring Al-Qaida.
Man: (trans) Three to five helicopters were there and three over there. The Americans had a sledgehammer this big to force open the gates. They broke down the gates.
Village leader: (trans) They broke the windows, everything in the house. They broke the china and other things. They broke into the chests. They used axes. They took us over into they open. Then they turned to the women. We couldn’t tell what happened there. They searched everyone and took their picture.
Village leader: (trans) Only 35 of us were arrested. Over there the entire village was arrested.
Carmela: When they were up in the mountain what did the American soldiers say to them?
Man 1: Cuba. Guantanamo. Cuba. Guantanamo.
Man 2: (trans) People were taken away in three rounds by helicopter.
CB: (trans) At the forward operating base the Marines processed and tagged the 35 villagers.
VILLAGER HOLDS UP CARD – ENEMY PRISONER OF WAR
DEPARTMENT OF NAVY – EVIDENCE TAG.
CB: This man, Wali Mohammad, was arrested by the US Marines Force Recon Unit, their forward operating intelligence unit. He spent three nights in detention.
Wali Mohammad: (trans) When they took us away from here, this is what happened to us. They made us stand like this. They fingered us, beat us and humiliated us.
Old man (trans) I was imprisoned too. No Muslim should suffer that.
CB: This elder, Noor Mohammad Lala, who is the father of Wali Mohammad, also spent three nights indetention.
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) They tied my hands and then they put me in a container. They removed my clothes. I pleaded through an interpreter that it was against Islam. “Don’t make me stand here, naked”. But they said no. I said “For the sake of Allah and the Koran, don’t do this.” They said “you can’t get away”. They took my clothes, I couldn’t do anything. I was told to look up and put my hands on the container. I couldn’t see behind me, but someone was fingering me. Some of them were pulling my testicles.
Wali Mohammad: (trans) There was no food, my legs gave way. We were asking desperately for food, there was nothing. They gave us water but spilt it over our mouths, noses and eyes. They shovelled snuff up our nostrils and into our eyes. They told us not to look at them. This type of cruelty has never been done to us or seen by us. We’ve never seen this type of cruelty. We couldn’t understand them and there was no interpreter. They were all Americans.
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) There were blacks as well. The black ones were the cruel ones.
Wali Mohammad: (trans) They put me on the ground and they were sitting on me. I had wounds. My chest hurts.
Carmela: Did anybody explain to them why they were in jail?
Village leader (trans) They said they had a report and accused us of providing food and shelter to Al-Qaida and the Taliban. What we went through was a breach of Islamic tradition.
Translator: (trans) As far as your customs…?
Village leader: (trans) We are all dead, we have no more honour. We’d prefer death to this humiliation.
Man: (trans) I tell you this, my brother. Look here. Nothing made me cry more than…are you listening?…than seeing my Koran lying open over therre with its covers over there. I’d sacrifice myself for this Koran. I’d sacrifice myself. My honour is my sister. I can’t stand to see her and the Koran uncovered and bare. What sort of Islam would that be?
CB: An elderly woman tells me what happened to the women.
Translator: (trans) Did they search you?
Woman: (trans) Yes, they did. They unveiled me and put my hands on my head and touched my neck, shoulders, stomach.
Translator: (trans) Were they soldiers…male or female?
Woman: (trans) there were males for males, females for females. They said they were females but we didn’t know, they were wearing uniforms, like you.
Translator: (trans) Of course you could tell. Don’t compare me to infidels.
Woman: (trans) I’m not comparing you. I’m talking about Americans.
Man: (trans) Look, he’s Pashton wearing a uniform…
Woman: (trans) They were pushing the women like this. The way they treated us, the cruelty they showed, you wouldn’t treat an animal that way.
CB: I ask to interview the father and son who were abused away from the other villagers because of the deep cultural sensitivity involved.
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) They told me to take off my shirt. I said, “How can I do that?” Then I told myself “Take your shirt off”. When I took off my shirt, they told me to undo my belt. “Undo your belt ‘. I found that very painful. I felt like I was having a nervous breakdown. In my entire life I’d never exposed myself. With respect, I have a bladder problem and couldn’t stop urinating. After that I was so humiliated I couldn’t see for my pain. When they took off my trousers I had my eyes closed. I was totally disoriented, they stood me up in the container.
Trans: (trans) How?
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) Like this. When they stood me up like this, they took off all my clothes. I was completely naked, I’m not telling you a lie. They told me to look straight ahead, not to look around.
Translator: (trans) You’re looking ahead.
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) While I was standing, I’m not lying to you, they kicked my feet apart with their boots and they were touching me. That’s how it was, I didn’t know what was going on. That’s the sort of treatment I received. That’s what they did. When I looked around there was only an interpreter, no one else. He told me to get dressed. My bottom was wet. I would not be a Muslim if I lied to you. When I put on my clothes, I rubbed it off.
They asked me questions and asked me who I know. I told them I knew no one. Except in my daily work, I wouldn’t know anyone.
Translator: (trans) This was the second day?
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) Yes, it was.
Translator: (trans) And the third day?
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) They took us out of the container and released us.
And this happened when I’m old, white-bearded with no teeth. And this outrage happened to me.
Wali Mohammad: (trans) They took off my clothes I can’t tell you…
Translator: (trans) Did they dishonour you?
Wali Mohammad: (trans) Fingering the anus is against Islam, since I know what is good and bad.
Translator: (trans) Were they American soldiers?
Wali Mohammad: (trans) Yes.
Translator: (trans) Were they laughing?
Wali Mohammad: (trans) Yes, they were. They were all laughing and mocking. It was more than 20 Americans. They were throwing my brother down and choked him. I looked and they said “Don’t look”. They hit me on the shoulder and told me not to look.
When they took me a second time they stripped me again. The second time, there were interpreters and Americans. They made me take off my trousers and put them on again.
Translator: (trans) They forced you to take off your trousers?
Wali Mohammad: (trans) Yes, for the second time they took them off. What sort of life is this?
They disrespected us and undermined our dignity. They brought shame on us before the whole world. They shamed us before the whole world. They’ll show the world our naked bodies.
Translator: (trans) Do you think they photographed you?
Wali Mohammad: (trans) Yes they took our pictures. I do believe they took our picture. They had cameras on us over here. I assume for photographing us naked. If they did when we were getting dressed why not when naked? There were over 20 people around us, many carrying cameras and they were laughing at us and that’s the treatment we had.
CB: The American raid was so confronting the villagers want to show me every indiscretion.
Villager: (trans) Look here, you can see some marks. They scratch these lines. It happened to my neighbour as well. They used it as a toilet.
CB: This field is where the helicopters landed and destroyed the wheat harvest. For the Marines all doors look the same. They did not realisy that what they hacked through was the door to the mosque. As I am leaving my translator asks the villagers not to reveal our presence.
Translator: (trans) If anyone asks, don’t say we came here with a lady journalist. Or that we asked you questions.
Villagers: (trans) OK, we won’t tell anyone.
Translator: (trans) May Allah be with you.
Villagers: (trans) Stay with us for lunch.
CB: But only 10 minutes later we come across our second Marine patrol for the day. They are constantly patrolling this valley.
CB: We hear that Major Cook of the Civil Affairs Unit visited this area yesterday. When we returned to Jannan’s village of Mossazai one of the leaders tells us how the stories of abuse have tainted the US Military’s entire efforts in this valley.
Translator: (trans) Did they give you medicine?
Village leader: (trans) Yes they did. And also a radio and corn seed. He asked if we needed anything. I said “we don’t need anything. Don’t humiliate us. Don’t rob our country. Don’t commit crimes. We don’t need anything”.
My last word was “Don’t humiliate us”.
He told me “some of our soldiers are youngsters”.
He told me “Our peole are killed here and there and we become so frustrated and then we have to do something”.
I said his people were killed in Daychopan or other places…I even named some of the provinces.
“But it wasn’t people from here. Why are you doing this? I said “it’s against human rights”.
“We have different schools of thought and we’ll report to our superiors that such conduct should not occur.”
Translator: (trans) He didn’t know about all this?
Village leader: (trans) No.
Village leader: (trans) They sexually assault youngsters, you don’t see them, they’ve already fled. You heard the old people say how they were undressed, how they fingered their anuses and excuse me, touched their penises.
Man: (trans) Show us how we can get rid of this menace and cruelty. How we can stop this torture? Who can we complain to? We can’t get to the Americans. We don’t have access.
CB: The next day we return to the militia checkpoint where I left my armed policemen. We hear that the BBC Pashtun service has mistakenly reported that I am missing. We don’t have much time left in Oruzgan province. Our pooliceman tells us that the UN is trying to reach me.
Policeman: (trans) We’ll tell him you’re here.
Translator: (trans) Sit down. We’ll talk later.
Translator: (trans) The whole world is talking about us.
Policeman: (trans) If we don’t get a move on, everything will go wrong.
Translator: (trans) No, everything’s fine, but the whole world is searching for us. Was it only the UN that rang you?
Policeman: (trans) Yes, they rang our superior.
Translator: (trans) Thank you.
CB: I return to Passau. By now the villagers have heard of my disappearance on BBC Radio.
Man 1: (trans) I don’t know, it might be dangerous.
Man 2: (trans) Of course it is, if she has come from Australia, to travel secretly in Afghanistan, in this difficult situation. It’s 100% dangerous.
Man 1: (trans) Danger from the government, the US, the Taliban. Danger on all sides.
CB: Many people have already left this village. The elders tell me it’s because of the abuse and maltreatment by the Marines.
Man 2: (trans) Almost all the families are gone. There were more than 200 people in the village. They have all gone except for 10, 15 people. Who’ll look after the kids?
Translator: (trans) They’ve gone to Tarin Kowt?
Villager: (trans) Yes some have gone there.
Translator: (trans) And some to Pakistan?
Villager: (trans) Pakistan as well.
CB: In this remote corner of the country the Marines are turning the local people against them. They’re either driving them away into Pakistan or worse, driving them to join what remains of the Taliban. The Marines created a desert and they called it peace.
Village leader: (trans) These Americans who’ve come here either of their own accord or sent by the international community, they carry their guns with a licence to do as they like. After all, they must be accountable to somebody. Enough is enough, we can’t accept it any more. Our people are being forced to pack up and leave. If I was forced to leave, I swear I wouldn’t be interested in leading a normal life. I wouldn’t farm the land or do anything else. I know how to find them and I swear I won’t let them live. Whether I do good or bad, you’re the ones responsible. You humiliate my elders, my tribe and my land. So again you bring violence to my Afghanistan. And the coalition forces will be responsible.
45 minute script
Carmela Baranowska: The C120 Lands in complete darkness. There is no landing strip. Not even the US Air Force flies here.
We are in one of the most remote and inaccessible parts of Afghanistan.
Title: Taliban Country
American Marine: When the shit hits the fan it’s going to get…that’s when the fuckin’ Taliban, man, is going to fuckin’ hit us, you understand? Don’t let your guard down at all.
CB: The Marines are at the sharp end of the US military. They go in first and hard to the msot dangerous places.
American Marine: Let me see you fuckin’ walk around here like you don’t give a fuck and somebody’s going to get fuckin’ killed. You understand me? I will go fuckin’ go spastic on every fuckin’ single one of you. You better fuckin’ wake up. You better get some fuckin’ intensity. You better fuckin’ realise what the fuck is going on. This is serious fuckin’ business. You’ve got two more fuckin’ weeks here and I’m not in the mood for somebody who doesn’t give a fuck. You understand?
Marines: Yes
American marine: Do you fuckin’ understand? I swear to God. Do you understand? Do you understand? Garcia you’d better wakt the fuck up. Do you understand? Mcbride, do you fuckin’ understand? Let’s clean our fuckin’ weapons, get in the fuckin’ vehicles and ready to fuckin’ go.
Off camera: Standby – Detail Attent-ion.
CB: For the past month, the marines have been travelling to the surrounding villages. They are hunting for Taliban and Al-Qaida.
Gunnery Sergeant: When Charlie company, helicopter company first makes their insertion, we’re going to move into the town. There’s at least five vehicles and the infantry company. If you want to go somewhere, let us know, you know. If you can hear someone start to yell “Indian head”, it means something’s about to happen. So either someone’s going to start shooting or something else. So that’s…so if one of us grabs you, then you know, that’s why. You’ll be good.
CB: Working with the marines on their sweeps through the villages are the Afghan militia. They are under the command of the local governor, Jan Mohammad, he’s seen here with the brown cloak and brown turban.
Governor Jan Mohammad (translation) Tell everyone, if you have any guns, explosives, or anything, if you have mines or anything, bring them out now voluntarily. If we find these things later, don’t complain to us then. Do you hear?
Villagers (trans)Yes, we heard you.
Lt Col Khan: Quick initial screening. Let’s start moving them. Keep them separate once they’ve been screened.
Narrator: Lieuftenant Colonel Khan is the commander of this operation. He’s a Pakistani – American and one of the few commanders in the US military who is a Muslim. Khan also speaks basic Pashtun and this helps him establish a working relationship with Jan Mohammad’s militia.
CB: Governor Jan Mohammad, local warlord, police force and judiciary.
Governor Jan Mohammad: (trans) I fuck his wife’s vagina, whatever type of person he is. Isn’t it true that I, as governor, have come to you before? If those things are found here again, I swear I’ll set fire to your houses.
Villager: (trans) Last time they came they seized 150 guns and we cooperated with them.
Governor Jan Mohammad: (trans) That’s enough. I’ve warned you.
CB: After two hours the Marines and militia move on to the next village.
US Marine: Keep going. Open up. Can you open? He said there’s another door around that way. It’s locked. There’s a chain on the door. There’s another entrance that way. Go. Go.
Jannan (translation): Listen…where is your translator? The one doing the communicating…where is the person who translates?
Marine: Yes.
Marine: I gotcha
CB: For the US Marines it’s like being in the Wild West – they don’t know what’s around the next corner.
Carmela: Where’s your interpreter?
Marine: He’s with them (points offside)
Jannan: (trans) Where is that translator?
Marines: over here, Marines over here.
CB: It’s unclear but it appears that this young man, Jannan, is under arrest.
Lt Col Khan: Roger, continue (speaks into mic)
CB: After 20 minutes Jannan is brought to the side of the house for interrogation by the governor, Jan Mohammad.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: What’s up Bud?
Marine: This AK 47, they found this magazine, belongs to this man too OK?
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: OK. Good job. This is for your gun.
Gov Jan Mohammad: (trans) OK that’s fine.
CB: Some photos have been taken from Jannan’s house.
Gov Jan Mohammad: (trans) Ask him about these photos to see if he’s being truthful because we know these people.
Translator: (trans) What is he doing now? He was in the Taliban. They’re Taliban.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps (off camera) Bin Laden’s son.
Other marine: That’s him.
Governor Jan Mohammad (trans) They say you’re Bin Laden’s son.
CB: Governor Jan Mohammad turns the exchange into a joke but you can’t help feeling the threat behind it.
Gov Jan Mohammad (trans) Where did you find these boys? O Allah, what good looks? Aren’t they heavenly creatures? What beautiful boys they are. I wish I was young again. They’re more beautiful than 10 women.
Militia member (trans) We found this is the open field. Is this the one?
Gov Jan Mohammad (trans) Yes, it’s another one.
Militia: (trans) Is that another one?
Governor Jan Mohammad: (trans) Yes, it’s another one.
CB: As both militia leader and governor Jan Mohammad has huge power in these villages. He can effectively do and say what he likes.
Gov Jan Mohammad (trans) Come on, man. You say this is the photo of a lion. It looks like a donkey. I fuck the vagina of your mother. I stick my penis in your head. Tell the colonel we’ll take him along with us and for a few nights he will keep us entertained. He will do his thing with us and then we’ll see. Nine guns.
Kahn: (off camera) A total of nine AKs and 2 grenades.
CB: Nine guns. In a country awash with weapons and from a major operation involving a convoy of humvees, helicopters and up to 50 marines, this number is hardly significant. Jannan is arrested and the convoy moves on.
Marine: There’s a little girl back there. It scared the crap out of me.
CB: In the next village Lieutenant Colonel Khan believes he’s found an important lead in his search for the Taliban.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: This used to be an old Taliban leaders compound and the guy that we captured just a few minutes ago is a known Taliban leader in this area. We’ve been looking for him for the last three years. So that was a good find…look at this
Carmela: Where did you find him?
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: He was sleeping in a field with a loaded weapon.
CB: As the sweeps wind down for the day, Lieutenant Colonel Khan makes a joke about the surrounding poppy fields with the militia leader who calls himself the minister for agriculture.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: Tell him he’s doing a very lousy job. I don’t see any agriculture.
US Marines translator: (trans) You’re doing a lousy job. I don’t see any agriculture here.
Lt Col Khan, US marines: Is that correct?
Agriculture Minister (trans) Tell him I may have been less responsible in agriculture but I’ve been clever in this war.
US Marines translator: He says if I didn’t take any action of my agriculture but I am too busy fighting.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: Too busy fighting.
Tell him, Inshallah, when we get rid of the Taliban and Al-Qaida here and improve the security of this nation and then he can have more agriculture and water. How’s the water situation?
Agriculture Minister (trans) There’s no water at all. On this side there’s a river, then from here and the entire region over there …that side is completely dry.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: Tell us which villages need wells so that we can start digging wells and make an impact in the villages.
CB: While the US Marines sweep the nearby fields, others take a break.
US Marine: Don’t worry, when we’re done with the war on terrorism, we start the war on drugs, you’re not going to be our friends anymore.
CB: The Marines say you’ll find them in the worst places with the worst food and the worst pay. For weeks and weeks 800 Marines live in a one man tent city. At night they sleep in a desert in Central Afghanistan. During the long hot days they wait for the next operation.
Marine 1: Gravity fuckin’ blows.
Marine 2: It’s all about the G
Marine 3: Charlie Company has been active in conducting cordon and search operations.
Marine 4: And so to make it sound good the results – found several weapons caches and ensured that the Taliban was not using those areas as safe havens, pretty much.
Lt Col Khan, US Marine Corps: One of the big differences that you see in these MAGTAF operations up here is we’re in Taliban Country. We’re not operating from a remote FOB where we come in for a day or two. We’re here, we’ve established a presence here and they know it. They monitor us and we closely monitor their activities. Yesterday you observed the people that we detained. That was from local sources. They told us where the leadership was living and we went to those compounds and we picked those people up. So the people are starting to provide us essential information for us to be able to conduct precision operations and that’s what we’re doing here. And our focus is disrupt them, don’t allow them to operate. It’s a long term commitment, it’s a long-term reference.
Colonel Mackenzie: We’re here principally to improve the general security environment which in turn will lead to elections for the Afghan people. The registration component, which is occurring now and is what we’re most directly concerned with but mostly to improve the general security situation, work closely with the UNAMA people to facilitate the transition to a long term Afghan government.
CB: Apart from the search for the Taliban, the Americans are also conducting civic operations. This is essentially a hearts-and-minds campaign to convince the locals that the Americans are their friends.
Major Cook: We’re going to walk to the other side.
CB: In charge of civic operations is Major Alva Cook, who used to be a cop in Mississippi. He’s actually with the Army and the Marines are providing force protection.
Villager: (trans) How are you? Are you OK?
Major Cook: Introduce please.
Translator: (trans) You know me, but I’ll introduce these gentlemen. He’s in charge of security. I forgot your name. Major Sergeant Ski. She’s our colleague from the Marines. She assists us in all areas. And he’s the Marine in charge of security. And this is another friend of ours. Shall I introduce her…adding to the news.
Major Cook: If you feel that’s right.
Translator: (trans) She’s our reporter.
Carmela: Documentary.
Translator: (trans) She’s working on a documentary.
Major Cook: Tell him I apologise for all the traffic and extra dust. Ask him does he have any issues or any points that he would like to bring up in reference to that.
Villager (trans) That’s a public road. You can’t help it. It’s a public road. You didn’t put it through the village. If we have any trouble, it’s a public road and we can’t help it. The militia is carrying out a lot of atrocities in this area. People are suffering unimaginable atrocities. They went to the other village and wanted to carry out a search operation. I told Colonel Khan about this the other day. Any searches must be done with care. You must give us a letter stating that the operation was carried out.
CB: On the ground, the civic operations are not going according to script. The army translator steps in to stop the conversation in its tracks.
Army translator: (trans) Stop your private discussions. You can discuss those things after evening prayers. This is not the place for such discussions. They might ask me what you’re saying.
Villager: (trans) They must have their doubts about us.
Marine: Goodbye.
CB: This area of central Afghanistan – Urozgan Province – is so remote and dangerous that the Afghan central government, United Nations and aid agencies have no presence here.
Soldier 1: Make an animal with it.
Soldier 2: How can I do that?
Soldier 3: Does he know how many men can read and write in the village?
Villager: (trans) No, there is no one. There isn’t any school. There are only young kids. In the whole valley, no one can read at all. If you have a letter, you won’t find anyone in the whole valley to read it.
There are no medical facilities in this region and Major Cook often gets involved in medical matters even though he is not equipped to do so.
Major Cook: How old is she?
Nomad: (trans) There’s no medicine. Tell the doctor she’s too thin.
Major Cook: How old is she?
Nomad: (trans) 8 months
Major Cook: The problem’s going to be the mother’s probably a little malnourished, she’s not producing enough vitamins or anything in her milk. We don’t have any prenatal vitamins and that’s what she needs.
Nomad (trans) That’s right, she’s malnourished. OK, she doesn’t have any milk.
Major Cook: The mother needs more vitamin D for the calcium. Vitamin D is in the milk. The one thing I can think of is to drink, like, goat’s milk, or the cow’s milk.
Nomad: (trans) Doesn’t he have any medicine?
Army translator: (trans) No, we don’t have anything.
CB: After three weeks I’m choppered back to Kandahar Air Force Base. My embed with the US Marines is over. It’s a few weeks later and I decide to head back independently to the same area of central Afghanistan without the presence of the Marines and the militia. I want to find out the real story behind the American and militia operations.
I travel Afghan style, with a driver, translator and two armed policemen. Their brief is to safeguard us from roadside robbers but we all realise that there is no real protection against the Taliban. After six hours we’re back in the village of Mossazai. This is where the young man Jannan was arrested by governor Jan Mohammad. I ask Jannan whether the Taliban were active in his village.
CB: Here, in this area, is this Taliban Country?
Jannan (trans) This isn’t the Taliban’s territory. The Taliban come here but they don’t stay. If one night they do come and confront us or someone else or the government, the Taliban won’t let us go. We’re like lambs to the slaughter.
Translator: (trans) Do they stay or not?
Jannan: (trans) No, they don’t stay. How can they stay? But the Taliban come two or three days before the Americans, then the Americans just arrest you and me and hassle us…normal people going about their business. They don’t have the means to arrest the Taliban. They’re usually three days late so they just hassle us. I said nothing to the Americans. There was a high-ranking officer whom I don’t know. He’s got at interesting name.
Translator: (trans) Asad Khan?
Jannan: (trans) He was an officer…she might know him. He was sitting over here the other day. The officer next to Jan Mohammad, ask her.
Translator: (trans) And?
Jannan: (trans) Because of this officer I was really scared of the Americans. He had asked Jan Mohammad whether I could be handed over to him for six hours. He wouldn’t hand me over. Then, late evening, he asked I be handed over for an hour. So I didn’t talk to the Americans. I was scared of them.
CB: According to Jannan, the reason his village is targeted by Governor Jan Mohammad and the militia is because they belong to a different tribe.
Jannan (trans) Their tribe, in their areas, have never been searched or had anything to do with them. For example, in searches in this area, they imprison people according to their tribe.
Translator: (trans) The people here say this?
Jannan: (trans) Yes, that’s what they say.
CB: Jannan has told us about others in the valley who have been persecuted because of their tribal group. On the way to see them we are stopped at a militia checkpoint and decide to interview the commander. We want to know whether the Taliban are still in the area.
Commander (trans) I told you that in this area, under the Taliban there were prominent commanders. Of those prominent commanders, surely there would be some remnants. Naturally, these remnants would be part of the community. They might have established relations with others. They might have hidden a few bullets or guns somewhere. These issues or the fact that there may be someone here who communicates with the Taliban…these are the two possibilities which may evantuate, that we are trying to stop. Other than that the people here are very poor and very helpless.
CB: The commander volunteers to send this tribal elder with us. He tells us that if the Taliban kidnap me, then they will kidnap the tribal elder as well and the commander will negotiate with the Taliban for both of us. The only problem with this ingenious scheme is the tribal elder’s participation is not guaranteed.
Translator (trans) If you would like to come with us, we’ll take you, if you don’t, then stay.
Tribal elder: (trans) I want to stay. (laughter)
Commander (trans) She’s come from far away and you’re not prepared to go.
Tribal elder: (trans) I’ll go anywhere but not there.
CB: We decide to leave our two policemen at the militia checkpoint. The less protection we have the more secure we feel. In the first village the locals tell us the militia have been here.
Young man (trans) The other day they caught some children, beat and interrogated them.
Trans: (trans) who beat them?
Young man: (trans) Jan Mohammad, his people. The boys said they did not know where or who the Taliabn were. For this people are imprisoned.
Trans: (trans) About how old were they?
Young man: (trans) Seven or eight. They’re uneducated.
CB: In the valley we begin to hear rumours of a man who’s been beaten, but this time by the American Marines.
We see our first US Marine convoy in the distance.
One week before the US Marines had conducted a major operation in the village of Passau. The elder begins to tell us what happened.
Village leader: (trans) This is a helpless land. Never in the world have the Taliban come to us, nor have we helped them or set eyes on them. We have tribal enemies. We have no place in government and no role in voting. The skies have fallen upon us over and over. The hardships we’ve suffered this time round would never be suffered by infidels. I myself asked the interpreter “what crime have we committed?” This is based on tribal issues but it’s as if we’re harbouring Al-Qaida.
Man: (trans) Three to five helicopters were there and three over there. The Americans had a sledgehammer this big to force open the gates. They broke down the gates.
Village leader: (trans) They broke the windows, everything in the house. They broke the china and other things. They broke into the chests. They used axes. They took us over into they open. Then they turned to the women. We couldn’t tell what happened there. They searched everyone and took their picture.
Village leader: (trans) Only 35 of us were arrested. Over there the entire village was arrested.
Carmela: When they were up in the mountain what did the American soldiers say to them?
Man 1: Cuba. Guantanamo. Cuba. Guantanamo.
Man 2: (trans) People were taken away in three rounds by helicopter.
CB: (trans) At the forward operating base the Marines processed and tagged the 35 villagers.
VILLAGER HOLDS UP CARD – ENEMY PRISONER OF WAR
DEPARTMENT OF NAVY – EVIDENCE TAG.
CB: This man, Wali Mohammad, was arrested by the US Marines Force Recon Unit, their forward operating intelligence unit. He spent three nights in detention.
Wali Mohammad: (trans) When they took us away from here, this is what happened to us. They made us stand like this. They fingered us, beat us and humiliated us.
Old man (trans) I was imprisoned too. No Muslim should suffer that.
CB: This elder, Noor Mohammad Lala, who is the father of Wali Mohammad, also spent three nights indetention.
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) They tied my hands and then they put me in a container. They removed my clothes. I pleaded through an interpreter that it was against Islam. “Don’t make me stand here, naked”. But they said no. I said “For the sake of Allah and the Koran, don’t do this.” They said “you can’t get away”. They took my clothes, I couldn’t do anything. I was told to look up and put my hands on the container. I couldn’t see behind me, but someone was fingering me. Some of them were pulling my testicles.
Wali Mohammad: (trans) There was no food, my legs gave way. We were asking desperately for food, there was nothing. They gave us water but spilt it over our mouths, noses and eyes. They shovelled snuff up our nostrils and into our eyes. They told us not to look at them. This type of cruelty has never been done to us or seen by us. We’ve never seen this type of cruelty. We couldn’t understand them and there was no interpreter. They were all Americans.
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) There were blacks as well. The black ones were the cruel ones.
Wali Mohammad: (trans) They put me on the ground and they were sitting on me. I had wounds. My chest hurts.
Carmela: Did anybody explain to them why they were in jail?
Village leader (trans) They said they had a report and accused us of providing food and shelter to Al-Qaida and the Taliban. What we went through was a breach of Islamic tradition.
Translator: (trans) As far as your customs…?
Village leader: (trans) We are all dead, we have no more honour. We’d prefer death to this humiliation.
Man: (trans) I tell you this, my brother. Look here. Nothing made me cry more than…are you listening?…than seeing my Koran lying open over therre with its covers over there. I’d sacrifice myself for this Koran. I’d sacrifice myself. My honour is my sister. I can’t stand to see her and the Koran uncovered and bare. What sort of Islam would that be?
CB: An elderly woman tells me what happened to the women.
Translator: (trans) Did they search you?
Woman: (trans) Yes, they did. They unveiled me and put my hands on my head and touched my neck, shoulders, stomach.
Translator: (trans) Were they soldiers…male or female?
Woman: (trans) there were males for males, females for females. They said they were females but we didn’t know, they were wearing uniforms, like you.
Translator: (trans) Of course you could tell. Don’t compare me to infidels.
Woman: (trans) I’m not comparing you. I’m talking about Americans.
Man: (trans) Look, he’s Pashton wearing a uniform…
Woman: (trans) They were pushing the women like this. The way they treated us, the cruelty they showed, you wouldn’t treat an animal that way.
CB: I ask to interview the father and son who were abused away from the other villagers because of the deep cultural sensitivity involved.
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) They told me to take off my shirt. I said, “How can I do that?” Then I told myself “Take your shirt off”. When I took off my shirt, they told me to undo my belt. “Undo your belt ‘. I found that very painful. I felt like I was having a nervous breakdown. In my entire life I’d never exposed myself. With respect, I have a bladder problem and couldn’t stop urinating. After that I was so humiliated I couldn’t see for my pain. When they took off my trousers I had my eyes closed. I was totally disoriented, they stood me up in the container.
Trans: (trans) How?
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) Like this. When they stood me up like this, they took off all my clothes. I was completely naked, I’m not telling you a lie. They told me to look straight ahead, not to look around.
Translator: (trans) You’re looking ahead.
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) While I was standing, I’m not lying to you, they kicked my feet apart with their boots and they were touching me. That’s how it was, I didn’t know what was going on. That’s the sort of treatment I received. That’s what they did. When I looked around there was only an interpreter, no one else. He told me to get dressed. My bottom was wet. I would not be a Muslim if I lied to you. When I put on my clothes, I rubbed it off.
They asked me questions and asked me who I know. I told them I knew no one. Except in my daily work, I wouldn’t know anyone.
Translator: (trans) This was the second day?
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) Yes, it was.
Translator: (trans) And the third day?
Noor Mohammad Lala: (trans) They took us out of the container and released us.
And this happened when I’m old, white-bearded with no teeth. And this outrage happened to me.
Wali Mohammad: (trans) They took off my clothes I can’t tell you…
Translator: (trans) Did they dishonour you?
Wali Mohammad: (trans) Fingering the anus is against Islam, since I know what is good and bad.
Translator: (trans) Were they American soldiers?
Wali Mohammad: (trans) Yes.
Translator: (trans) Were they laughing?
Wali Mohammad: (trans) Yes, they were. They were all laughing and mocking. It was more than 20 Americans. They were throwing my brother down and choked him. I looked and they said “Don’t look”. They hit me on the shoulder and told me not to look.
When they took me a second time they stripped me again. The second time, there were interpreters and Americans. They made me take off my trousers and put them on again.
Translator: (trans) They forced you to take off your trousers?
Wali Mohammad: (trans) Yes, for the second time they took them off. What sort of life is this?
They disrespected us and undermined our dignity. They brought shame on us before the whole world. They shamed us before the whole world. They’ll show the world our naked bodies.
Translator: (trans) Do you think they photographed you?
Wali Mohammad: (trans) Yes they took our pictures. I do believe they took our picture. They had cameras on us over here. I assume for photographing us naked. If they did when we were getting dressed why not when naked? There were over 20 people around us, many carrying cameras and they were laughing at us and that’s the treatment we had.
CB: The American raid was so confronting the villagers want to show me every indiscretion.
Villager: (trans) Look here, you can see some marks. They scratch these lines. It happened to my neighbour as well. They used it as a toilet.
CB: This field is where the helicopters landed and destroyed the wheat harvest. For the Marines all doors look the same. They did not realisy that what they hacked through was the door to the mosque. As I am leaving my translator asks the villagers not to reveal our presence.
Translator: (trans) If anyone asks, don’t say we came here with a lady journalist. Or that we asked you questions.
Villagers: (trans) OK, we won’t tell anyone.
Translator: (trans) May Allah be with you.
Villagers: (trans) Stay with us for lunch.
CB: But only 10 minutes later we come across our second Marine patrol for the day. They are constantly patrolling this valley.
CB: We hear that Major Cook of the Civil Affairs Unit visited this area yesterday. When we returned to Jannan’s village of Mossazai one of the leaders tells us how the stories of abuse have tainted the US Military’s entire efforts in this valley.
Translator: (trans) Did they give you medicine?
Village leader: (trans) Yes they did. And also a radio and corn seed. He asked if we needed anything. I said “we don’t need anything. Don’t humiliate us. Don’t rob our country. Don’t commit crimes. We don’t need anything”.
My last word was “Don’t humiliate us”.
He told me “some of our soldiers are youngsters”.
He told me “Our peole are killed here and there and we become so frustrated and then we have to do something”.
I said his people were killed in Daychopan or other places…I even named some of the provinces.
“But it wasn’t people from here. Why are you doing this? I said “it’s against human rights”.
“We have different schools of thought and we’ll report to our superiors that such conduct should not occur.”
Translator: (trans) He didn’t know about all this?
Village leader: (trans) No.
Village leader: (trans) They sexually assault youngsters, you don’t see them, they’ve already fled. You heard the old people say how they were undressed, how they fingered their anuses and excuse me, touched their penises.
Man: (trans) Show us how we can get rid of this menace and cruelty. How we can stop this torture? Who can we complain to? We can’t get to the Americans. We don’t have access.
CB: The next day we return to the militia checkpoint where I left my armed policemen. We hear that the BBC Pashtun service has mistakenly reported that I am missing. We don’t have much time left in Oruzgan province. Our pooliceman tells us that the UN is trying to reach me.
Policeman: (trans) We’ll tell him you’re here.
Translator: (trans) Sit down. We’ll talk later.
Translator: (trans) The whole world is talking about us.
Policeman: (trans) If we don’t get a move on, everything will go wrong.
Translator: (trans) No, everything’s fine, but the whole world is searching for us. Was it only the UN that rang you?
Policeman: (trans) Yes, they rang our superior.
Translator: (trans) Thank you.
CB: I return to Passau. By now the villagers have heard of my disappearance on BBC Radio.
Man 1: (trans) I don’t know, it might be dangerous.
Man 2: (trans) Of course it is, if she has come from Australia, to travel secretly in Afghanistan, in this difficult situation. It’s 100% dangerous.
Man 1: (trans) Danger from the government, the US, the Taliban. Danger on all sides.
CB: Many people have already left this village. The elders tell me it’s because of the abuse and maltreatment by the Marines.
Man 2: (trans) Almost all the families are gone. There were more than 200 people in the village. They have all gone except for 10, 15 people. Who’ll look after the kids?
Translator: (trans) They’ve gone to Tarin Kowt?
Villager: (trans) Yes some have gone there.
Translator: (trans) And some to Pakistan?
Villager: (trans) Pakistan as well.
CB: In this remote corner of the country the Marines are turning the local people against them. They’re either driving them away into Pakistan or worse, driving them to join what remains of the Taliban. The Marines created a desert and they called it peace.
Village leader: (trans) These Americans who’ve come here either of their own accord or sent by the international community, they carry their guns with a licence to do as they like. After all, they must be accountable to somebody. Enough is enough, we can’t accept it any more. Our people are being forced to pack up and leave. If I was forced to leave, I swear I wouldn’t be interested in leading a normal life. I wouldn’t farm the land or do anything else. I know how to find them and I swear I won’t let them live. Whether I do good or bad, you’re the ones responsible. You humiliate my elders, my tribe and my land. So again you bring violence to my Afghanistan. And the coalition forces will be responsible.