Counterterrorism Blog's Bill Roggio in Kabul.

Received two e-mails from Bill (yesterday and early this morning)...

Hello,

The good news is I've safely landed in Kabul. The somewhat bad news is the UN flight to Kandahar is booked, so I will head down there on Monday. But there is plenty to do in Kabul, and I've already dug around a little bit about the violence in the city yesterday after a US vehicle killed 1 to 3 Afghans during a traffic accident. The consensus among the folks I spoke to is the protests after the accident were staged by groups waiting for such an event to happen. I made the comparison to the reaction by some Islamist groups in Afghanistan (and elsewhere) after the Muhammad Cartoon riots, where the "spontaneous protests" were anything but. there was agreement on this point. I will likely post about this tonight or tomorrow.

I drove through the city twice today, and it is an interesting place. The city is scarred from decades of combat, however you can see people are working to rebuild. Shops are open, people and traffic are on the streets, and there are signs of new construction and rebuilding/repair projects. I saw several "land/title offices," as well as signs for rooms for rent. Security is tight, and it seemed as if police were on every corner, no doubt a reaction to yesterday's events. Unfortunately my camera was packed away, but I'll get some shots tomorrow.

Best,

Bill Roggio

Hello,

Attached are two photos I took from the rooftop of the building I am staying in. The first is a shot of Afghanis rebuilding a rooftop structure. The second is last night's sunset in Kabul. The city is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides which makes for a beautiful view.

I'll be out on the town today taking care of some administrative tasks as well as looking around and gathering more information on the Kabul unrest that occurred on Monday. I will post on this tonight.

I've had several questions about my personal security while here. This is a direct quote from a recent Wall Street Journal article on the security situation in Kabul: "Since the kidnapping of an Italian woman in May 2005, there have been no attacks on foreigners in Kabul--no robberies, kidnappings, assaults or murders." This doesn't mean I am not taking security seriously. The group I am staying with while in Kabul is an experienced security company with years in Afghanistan, and they are providing for my travel as well. Security is always on my mind.

Finally, I'll be on the radio tonight with Rob Breakenridge at 10:30 pm Mountain / 8:30 pm Eastern to provide a live update. I'll post a link to the online live audio feed when I post tonight.

And Happy Belated Birthday, Mom!

Best wishes,

Bill Roggio
Bill will be blogging about his embed in Afghanistan at the Counterterrorism Blog soon - be sure to check often for his updates.