|
'Peace, stability and freedom': Battle cry of war-weary Kabul
November 2, 1996
Web posted at: 12:20 p.m. EST (1720 GMT)From Correspondent Anita Pratap
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The night the Taliban Islamic militia captured Kabul, Abdul Mateen ran in panic.
"I was terrified, because I saw government troops evacuating," the street vendor said. "There were sounds of shelling. I was desperate to get home."
Mateen hitched a ride home on a gasoline truck. Unfortunately, the truck was hit by gunfire. It exploded, adding Abdul to the list of innocent millions who've become victims of the Afghan war.
The Afghan conflict was once known as the forgotten war. No longer. Once again the world is paying attention to this conflict, because this time the main player is the Taliban Islamic militia.
But many believe attention must also be paid to the human suffering caused by the war. (22 sec./739K QuickTime movie)
Two decades of fighting have transformed Afghanistan into a land of destroyed neighborhoods and graveyards. The countryside is filled with widows, orphans, refugees and gunmen.
Changing leaders
Afghanistan is called the land of the rebels, but it is also a land where yesterday's rulers are today's rebels.
Shah Rasool was a former government soldier. Now he is on the run from Taliban fighters, who shot him in the leg.
"I fought as a Mujaheddin for 15 years, but then we were fighting Russian invaders," says Rasool. "I cannot understand why we Muslims are now fighting each other."
Rasool, at least, is alive, unlike another fellow government soldier whose body lay unclaimed for days, the front lines shifting back and forth over the stiffened corpse.
Families find themselves forced to resettle their homes as the battle lines shift, sometimes at a moment's notice.
Shopkeeper Mohammad Fatah decided not to flee. He and 30 other civilians were injured when the Taliban opened fire in a bazaar.
Like most Afghans, Fatah is tired of war.
"All the fighting groups must talk and negotiate," Fatah says.
"I hope for peace, stability and freedom so that we can repair our destroyed lives," says Mateen.
But as different groups battle for Afghanistan's freedom, the agony of this wounded nation drags on.
Related stories:
- Daylong battle rages north of Kabul, city bombed - October 31, 1996
- Afghanistan's orphans survived war, still fighting for their lives - October 29, 1996
- No progress on Afghan cease-fire - October 22, 1996
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser windowExternal sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
Tell us what you think!
You said it...
© 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.