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Images of Musa Qala

Photographs by Aziz Ahmad Tassal (ARR No. 275, 27-Nov-07)
By IWPR Afghanistan - Afghanistan
ARR Issue 275,
27 Nov 07
  • A bystander offers a rose to the Taleban.
  • Taleban troops parade through Musa Qala.
  • Armed to the teeth.
  • Warriors in dishevelled turbans, their legs dangling over the sides of their trucks.
  • Reporters interview local commanders.
  • In between interviews and the military parade, we broke for lunch with Taleban fighters.
  • Some of Musa Qala's younger residents. Taleban control has restricted the flow of aid to the district, with the exception of a polio vaccination campaign.
  • There is no state schooling for girls like this young burqa-clad child in Musa Qala.
  • The district chief said schooling had stopped because the Taleban disapproved of the current Afghan curriculum.
  • "We've received no assistance from the foreigners other than bombs" - local resident.
  • None of the journalists on the trip was threatened by the Taleban. But Ariana TV reporter Abdul Wadood Hejran (third from right) was arrested by government security forces and imprisoned overnight upon returning to Lashkar Gah.

Pictures giving a unique view of life in a Taleban-controlled town.

Also in this issue

Images of Musa Qala
Photographs by Aziz Ahmad Tassal (ARR No. 275, 27-Nov-07)
Introduction
In early November, a team of Afghan journalists went to Musa Qala at the invitation of the Taleban. It was the first time since the insurgents took over the town in February that the media had been allowed in. IWPR’s reporters came back with different, sometimes conflicting impressions.
Musa Qala: The Shape of Things to Come?
The Taleban who control this northern district are confident that they will extend their reach to the rest of Helmand over the coming winter.
Taleban Ghost Town
The atmosphere is subdued as many residents have left town and local business has declined.
Winning Hearts and Minds
The Taleban have avoided the worst excesses of the past in a bid to win popular support.