Kabul and Crime

[Jedburgh]

From CRG, 23 Aug 06:

...Two black 4WD vehicles with tinted windows and provincial governor licence plates followed a civilian vehicle to the Setara Hotel in Shahr-i-Naw Park. The occupants of the 4WDs ambushed and opened fire on the civilian vehicle in front of the hotel. The driver was seriously injured, but the other passengers were unhurt. There is no information about the identity of the passengers, but they are not believed to be foreign nationals. The gunmen stole a bag from the ambushed car. The well-organised and executed nature of the attack suggests that it was carried out by a professional gang. While financial gain may have been the immediate motivation, there could also be other business or political disputes or rivalries behind the attack.

Officials have suggested that the rise in crime is related to the UN disarmament and mobilisation programme, which has produced a large number of unemployed former soldiers with few job opportunities. According to officials and locals, many of these people have turned to crime. The problem is also related to the large number of weapons in circulation in post-conflict Afghanistan...

...yet another indicator, along with booming narcotics production and trafficking, that neglecting the "R" (Reintegration) in the DDR program is developing into a significant problem...