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Afghanistan: A Look BackI slipped into Afghanistan across the...
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Afghanistan: A Look Back
I slipped into Afghanistan across the border with Pakistan in 1979. I went with a couple of guides who did not speak English. I certainly didn’t speak Dari nor Pashto so our only form of communication was improvised sign language.I was woefully unprepared. Among my belongings were a plastic cup, a Swiss Army knife, two camera bodies, four lenses, a bag of film and a few bags of airline peanuts.
My naiveté was breathtaking, yet my Afghan guides protected me and treated me as their guest. It was my first experience with the legendary Afghan hospitality.
I went back when the Russians invaded.I traveled with many different mujahideen and militia groups. We mainly traveled at night to avoid being spotted by the Soviet helicopters. Most of the time we walked, but a few times we were able to borrow horses.
I was always astonished at the continual pipeline of weapons and supplies going into Afghanistan from Pakistan around the clock. Rockets, mortar rounds, ammunition, were carried in by camels, donkeys, and fighters. It was only later that we found out the staggering amount of money supplied by the U.S. to make it happen.
When I went back over the border into Pakistan, I had blisters, saddle sores, and filthy clothing into which I had sewn rolls of film, which were among the first images of the conflict.
