Provincial Council

At the OCCP meeting they told us that we were supposed to take part in an escorting convoy for a prisoner transport. The time of the transport was not revealed until late last night, and nobody at the OCCP had been kind enough to forward the information to us, so we were somewhat surprised at the request. At one hour's notice MOT D was still able to pull it off and they did the whole joint patrol. Well done. By the time that D was leaving, we went back from the OCCP to the PO to collect the nurse to be able to act as a QRU (quick response unit) for D should they get into trouble.

At 1000, it was time for a meeting with the Provincial Council. Although I had never met them before and I knew practically nothing about who the council are and what they do, I had a fairly good idea of what the meeting was going to be all about: complaining and begging. And, sadly, I was right. At first they complained about how the PRT and development organisations have done nothing in Samangan in the last five years, and how all other provinces get much more development aid, and how terribly concerned they are about this. I told them that their information was false, and listed up some of the major projects that are ongoing and have been started during my five months here. I emphasized that we are a security organisation, not a development agency. Then they went on to tell us what they would need: a computer, a copying machine, a scanner... It's ridiculous. Who do they think we are? After the meeting the IP told me that there is a common belief among the locals that we carry thousands of dollars in our vehicles. Some people still think that we should build them houses with bathrooms and showers and paved roads. Anyway, it was a good meeting. They were educated people, and half of them were women. It's really extraordinary to have women in any positions of power here.

I spent the afternoon writing reports, responding to messages and doing various paperwork. I'm really looking forward to getting a second in command and an operations' officer here soon to share some of the work.


The neighbours were burning plastic and whatnot in their stove again. And all the arid fumes plummeted straight into our yard. Again.