Chances are you will be in and out so
quickly you're luck will hold, but you need to realize that your situational
awareness is extremely limited if not blind once in country, and you are just
going on a wing and a prayer.
All this information is provided to you
free of charge, so in the event you end up one legged from a mine, kidnapped,
found beaten to death in a ditch with your severed penis in your mouth, or on
Al Arabiya TV in an orange jumpsuit, that's how liable I am for it.
Use this information at your own risk. It
is a heads up, it is not definitive, up to the minute or guaranteed. You've
been warned.
Some
specific threats: (Note: This is a quick overview of specific
items and areas, this is not and does not intend to be a definitive list of
Afghan threats and highly susceptible to change. The bad guys learn faster than
we do.
Bombs:
Suicide Bombers (Vest and VBIED) This is
the one most potential tourists to Afghanistan seem to get all worried about,
but in reality, bombs should be the least of your worries. To be involved in a
bombing of these types you would have to be extremely unlucky. These can hit
anywhere and everywhere in Afghanistan (In fact are more likely in Kabul and
the North where security into towns is weaker), but try avoid crowds where
possible. They will often divert their target if they see westerners in the
area also.
VBIED's are always going to be a danger
near government buildings and any official gathering. These are the big guns of
the Taliban and relatively rare, but extremely deadly when they occur.
(to be continued)
