Abstract: Four years of the Mujaheddin, five years of the Taliban, 22 years of war. Ten days ago, the Mujaheddin in their pakols, the legendary headgear ofAhmed Shah Massoud's Northern Alliance, drove the men in black turbans, symbol of the Taliban, out of Kabul. The Afghan capital had lived through five years of the Taliban regime. And, before that, four years of a civil war between rival Mujaheddin factions. And, before that, 13 years of Soviet occupation. Today, in this capital of a divided, chaotic Afghanistan, a heady scent of freedom is in the air. This city, which could have been so lovely were it not for the war, which still manages to be beautiful despite the war, seems to be seized by a fever of excitement. A city launching itself into the unknown but a city which is slow to react, which wearily understands that Afghan revolutions rarely do it any good ... Kabulis may be pleased, but they're not really sure what the word 'peace' means any more. A cinema projectionist, a bookseller and a schoolgirl, each tell their story: Taliban barbarity, the excesses of those who went before. Stories of broken lives.
Publication Year: 2002
Publication Date: 2002-04-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 30
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot