(a)

General Populace: While people are suffering from cold and poverty including lack of food, the general mood is positive in at least Mazar-e-Sharif (hereafter Mazar). The mood amongst Afghans in Peshawar is also positive with an atmosphere of excitement, hope and expectation prevalent. Every soldier, civilian and official I talked to spoke optimistically about the future and welcomed foreign intervention by the UN including PKF, and, NGOs. Afghans have extremely high expectations of the international community. No matter how much the support Afghanistan receives, these expectations may not be fulfilled. This could lead to resentment later.

(b)

Security: While we encountered no security problems in Mazar, Sribanghan or Sar-e-Pol, there was a heavy military presence wherever we went. I was assured that even those armed wearing civilian clothing were legitimate Northern Alliance soldiers. Wherever we traveled in Afghanistan we were escorted by 2 armed vehicles as a safety precaution. This was probably due to the parliamentarians traveling with us. NGO vehicles such as those of Medicins San Frontiers (MSF) were traveling independently in and around Mazar. In the early hours Dec. 21, one of the parliamentarians’ secretaries and I took a stroll around central Mazar. We encountered no problems and people were friendly and welcoming. We spoke to many locals with the help of some young men who spoke good English. Everyone pleaded with us to help Afghanistan regain its greatness. Having said that, due to the nature of the internal conflict, it is impossible to distinguish Taleban and other anti-foreign elements amongst the crowd. As Gen. Dostum correctly pointed out, “The war is not over. The Taleban soldiers have simply shaved their beards, changed their turban and blended back into society, and may just be waiting for an opportunity to rise again.” Due to the proliferation of arms it would be easy for someone to walk up to you in the street and shot, especially in remote areas.

(c)

Infrastructure: Many buildings in Mazar, Shibarghan and Sar-e-Pol were badly damaged or totally destroyed. Especially in rural areas many dwellings were destroyed by either war or due to neglect after being abandoned by people fleeing war and drought. In Mazar (population 200,000) markets were busy but 50% of established shops were closed. Taxis and cars were running. Telephones were not in use. Electricity was mainly OK but there were blackouts from time to time. The climate in Mazar is milder than Kabul and Tokyo due to the low altitude so the housing situation is not as critical as colder regions. In Sar-e-Pol there was no electricity although some lines were evident. There were virtually no cars and generally the situation looked desperate. Even in Kabul telephones are currently extremely limited with long lines for the few public phones.

(d)

Living: Food is readily available in the markets in Mazar and there are restaurants open. In remote areas people are starving as aid agencies can’t easily reach them. However, cities and main towns have food. Accommodation in the form of hotels is not readily available. We stayed in government guesthouses. If political connections can be made, some temporary accommodation could be arranged. Other options for Kabul include using a room in PWJ’s office as suggested by Ohnishi san or sharing with an Afghan NGO with whom we have a connection with already. Positive discussions were held about this with the Welfare and Development Organisation (WDO) in Peshawar.