Yesterday I told everyone at the briefing, that there would be no patrols the next morning. That decision lasted for about 30 minutes, which is not too bad in Afghansistan - most decisions are much more short-lived. The provincial governor told me, when I called in the evening, that the men from the Barakat office, which is some kind of land register, were in Aybak, and that they would be available to see me today at 1000. They weren't. At 0915, the chief of the Agricultural Department turned up at our gate and said that the men from Barakat were now here. I was busy writing the weekly operational update, so I told them that we agreed to meet them at 1000, if they would be so kind to come back then. We made up a patrol and got ready to go out and look at a land area that we had reconnoitred yesterday. To get a good satellite signal to the communications equipment, we rolled out the vehicles in the street at 1000 sharp. At 1048, the white Toyota Hilux of the Agricultural Department appeared.
We drove to the area. The gentlemen from the Barakat were the first Afghans around this issue that had any kind of comptence or interest to deal with it. I gave them both a camouflage-patterned ball-point pen of the Finnish Defence Forces as a sign of appreciation of the co-operation, which was much appreciated.
After lunch it was time to leave for Camp Marmal. Four members of the PO staff were going on leave, and three of us were staying at Marmal to take the vehicles for periodical maintenance, and to take part in some first aid training with the three guys who are coming from leave.
There was an old, Soviet sidecar motorcycle at Camp Marmal, that someone had in vain tried to disguise as a BMW. Not such a smart thing to try in a German camp.
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