Particular areas to be careful of include
dry riverbeds, drainage ditches, dykes, irrigation channels and anywhere else
where water and gravity will combine to wash the UXO and channel them towards.
Also be weary of any footpaths in or around Afghan National Police compounds,
as they will be used for foot patrols and often mined.
NEVER EVER, trust an Afghan telling you an
area that you are not extremely sure of is okay to walk.
Afghan's will tell you what they think you
want to hear and cultural issues will cause them to always err on the side of
giving the Faranji (Thats you) what they want.
It is a twisted form of hospitality, unless
they are 100% sure there are mines there, they won't tell you it is dangerous.
The flip side is most Afghans simply don't
know where the mines and UXO are after thirty years of war, and there are a lot
of one legged Afghans to testify to the fact.
Also you will often see stencil painted
'HALO Mine Trust verified' and similar around Afghanistan in ruined buildings
and the myriad of ruined armoured vehicles and tanks. This does not mean they
are safe, or haven't been booby trapped, it simply means that once, a few years
ago, the HALO guys or someone like them came along, decommissioned the vehicle
and checked it for ammunition, UXO and booby traps then.
(to be continued)
