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 There
was peace in the wide streets of Kandahar. This ruggedly beautiful
city has been unofficially declared the capital of this war-torn
country instead of Kabul after the ruling Taliban militia came
into power in 1996.
A dull light emanating from a few streetlights on the main city
street encircled by shops of different kinds, was enough to see
the Taliban militia guards patrolling in military jeeps and
armoured personal carriers, from the small window of Khyber Hotel.
They were looking restive or perhaps somewhat panicky.
It was 9:40 p.m. of October 7 and perhaps my third day in
this rugged city encircled by ferocious mountains from two sides.
I had just offered Isha prayers and my guide provided by the
Taliban government, Kaleemullah, who has also been in Pakistan and
knows a good Urdu was seeking permission to go back to his
residence.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocked the entire main market
which was followed by panic-ridden screams of the men, women and
children residing in the area.
This was the first bomb dropped by a US aircraft on a so-called
military academy, only one kilometer away from Kyber Hotel. Giant
flames, which could have been seen licking from the empty building
of so-called military training academy brightened the dark
atmosphere.
For most of the Kandahar citizens, including me, the explosion was
an expected event as the United Stated reeling from massive
terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11, had
continuously been threatening to retaliate if the prime suspect of
these terrorist attacks Osma Bin Laden and his associates were not
handed over.
But, understandably, being a reporter rather than an
army soldier, I could not find the way to do. As I was making my
mind to either go out or remain indoor, the city reverberated with
hoarse sounds of B-1, B-2 and B-52 aircraft flying over Kandahar
in line with other Afghan cities.
A series of bombs and cruise missiles started falling
out from skies after short brakes. To be very frank, it was for
the first time when I thought I had made a sheer blunder to decide
to come here. But this was not the proper time for such feelings.
I step forwarded to go outside the room and later the hotel surely
in panic.
Kaleemullah, whom I had forgotten for a few minutes, prevented me
from doing that saying " We are much safer inside ".
The vociferous explosions of bombs and missiles were aggravated by
the firing of anti-aircraft guns by Taliban fighters. However,
they could not hit any of the planes flying out of reach for the
anti-aircraft guns.
The concrete walls of my room and of course the other rooms and
houses were jolting and it seemed if a tremor of higher intensity
had struck the city.
This arduous situation remained for next two hours. With
every explosion, I felt that it had been dropped next to my room.
The bombing continued even after two hours but the short breaks
turned into long intervals.
 I
don't know the more stronger word than 'sleepless as I did not
close my eyes for a second. This might be taken as spiced up
with exaggeration but a reporter like me who did not ( now I did)
cover any war-like situation even on the borders must have been
scared. Kaleemullah, however, was calm and sound as he had
been during my whole tour. Kaleem and I started reciting Durud
Sharif and Kalma-e-Shahadat. After every explosion, not sure
about Kaleem, but I had been desperately praying for a halt in the
bombing.
Time- tough or easy- always passes. It also happened on that
night. The bombardment was stopped after five hours. There was
nothing for me to remain lying on the bad. Kaleem started
preparations for Fajr prayer.
Kaleem and I offered prayer in the room for the first time during
my stay. " Brother, you will not be staying in the hotel any
more", said Maulvi Najebullah, a senior Afghan Defence
Ministry Official, with a wide smile on his face after listening
my ' tale of woes' on the next morning.
'Despite continuous claims by the Americans that they would not
bombard the civilians, we do not believe them', he maintained.
What about the damages? I was quick to ask as my reporting sense
had been instigating me for the same.
Not much, Najebullah said adding ' the Us planes were not able to
hit the targets but have killed around 7 people and injured more
than a dozen'. They have been sent to the hospital, he added.
' Amir-ul-Mominin's house was also hit but there was no loss of
life as he (Mullah Omer) had left the place a few weeks ago, he
said adding ' Osama Bin Laden is also safe at an unknown secret
hideout.
I met Murad Khan at General Hospital Kandahar where he was being
treated for minor injuries which were the gift of yesterday's
bombardment. Ambulances of Al-Rasheed Trust, a Pakistan-based
relief organization which has recently been banned by the US State
Departments for having links with Taliban and Osama Bin Laden,
parked outside the hospital. Most of the injured people and dead
bodies were taken by the trust ambulances to the hospital.
Are you scared? I asked a young Murad wearing a large beard. ' No!
not at all. By the grace of Allah I am feeling well and am not
scared. These are minor injuries and will inshaullah be heeled up
very soon', he said.
What will you do after being released from the hospital? It was my
second question. ' I will go back to my home village and will
reconstruct my home', he replied.
Murad's single storied two-room mud-walled house was collapsed in
the bombardment, where he had lived with his two minor kids,
Zareen Khan, 7 and Hussain Khan, 3 and a wife, who was also
injured in the air strikes.
Will you go there? I sought confirmation' Yes ', he had a point
blank yes.
Why don't you go to a safer place? I continued throwing questions
on him. ' There is no safer place than your homeland. I will stay
here till my death', a vigorous Murad maintained.
But a number of people are going to Pakistan, I said." let
them go. They are doing wrong thing. The respect they can
get here will never find anywhere in the world. Pakistanis are our
brothers who have helped us a lot. But your country is
your", Murad, who did not have any intellectual look said
adding " Now, our country needs us therefore we should stay
here. This is the actual time when your loyalty to your country I
tested".
But Osama Bin Laden is not from your country. Why doest your
government hand over him to USA, I asked. " No, never, he
should not be handed over to America. He is Muslim. He is our
brother. He is hero of Islam" , an emotional Murad said in a
chocked voice.
" He is not involved in terrorism in America. He is not
terrorist. America is terrorist. Look at the here", he
pointed finger on an adjacent bad where a minor kid was being
treated. " This is what America will never accept that it has
bombed civilians. Any way I am not complaining. We already were
expecting this from America", he said.
But, Rehmatullah appeared to be a totally different afghan. "
Everybody thought that the air strikes would be brief and only
military targets would be hit . But what we are seeing now, that
more and more civilians are being killed every day",
Rehmatullah who was ready to leave Kandahar for Chaman, a
Pakistani town which borders with Afghanistan, said.
" Most of people are now thinking of leaving the city. Only
those who cannot afford to leave, will be staying behind", he
claimed.
 However,
Najeebullah did not agree with Rehmatullah's contention saying
" Yes, I can believe that a minority is leaving Afghanistan ,
but why do you forget the millions of people who have chosen to
stay here. If 4 million Afghan people have become refugees in
different countries due to various reasons, 250 million people are
still here to defend their homeland", he raised a new point.
Next night saw the same explosions of bombing and firing of
anti-aircraft guns, but this I was confident not because I had
become a little bit use to, but also I was in an underground
bunker a few Kilometers away from Khyber hotel. I had already paid
the hotel bill on the next morning and thanked the administration
for great hospitality.
I along with the Taliban officials visited Rozgan area, which is
the home town of Taliban's Supreme Leader Mullah Muhammad Omer.
The area was severely bombed by US aircraft killing almost 16
people including four Taliban soldiers.
A brief visit to in and around Kandahar revealed that various
civilian areas have been bombed and are being bombed by the US
aircraft. Huge patches and debris of destroyed houses could be
seen at various places. However, the main Kandahar city is
relatively less affected.
Power supply system has been badly damaged and almost the entire
city was without electricity after three days of bombing. On the
fourth day, Taliban engineers were successful in restoring power
in a few areas.
Deep patches could be seen on the runway of Kandahar airport,
which is still being bombed by US aircraft. The Radar system
which was destroyed on the second day of bombing, has been
rectified.
Taliban administration had closed the main road and other ways
proceeding the airport as a precautionary measure because the
airport has been the main target of bombers.
During the night, a complete blackout is observed. The people
hotels have already been advised to keep the lights shut during
the night.
The third night of air strikes was more stronger than the past
two. I, on the next morning, was told that heavy causalities in
the civilian areas had been reported. Najeeb was about to leave to
visit some of the areas. I was also onboard.
Gritty sand was blowing across the badly damaged road, which of
course was the result of the continuous bombardment. We were on
our way to Maroof Town , some 10 Kilometers away from the city. We
reached there within half an hour.
Oh my God! What was it? It was a shattered lag of a child, lying a
few meters away from the place where we parked our four wheeler.
Heavy smell was just enough to asphyxiate.
We stepped forward. I admit that I am not a brave man, but what I
saw was sufficient to bully even extreme bravery into fear. Small
and big pieces of different body parts were lying on the debris
and wreckages of the destroyed houses of this village, called
Kasham.
Almost the whole village was wiped out. Before bombing, the
population was 200 but merely half of them could escape the
sudden death came in the form of 20 to 25 bombs. The gardens of
famous Kandahri pomegranate were rooted out.
Thousands of animals were also killed aggravating to the already
tottering economic condition of the area people..
" Most of the resdents of this village were farmers",
said Subhan Khan, a resident of the same village who managed to
escape the death last night. " I suddenly overheard the
explosions. I came out from my home, and it as the decisive moment
because as I stepped out a bomb hit my home destroying it and
killing all my family members".
Subhan's three minor children, wife and aging parents lost their
lives in the air strikes which were meant to target military
installations and Al-Qaida's training camps.
I also met another injured Lal Khan, later at General Hospital
whose 11 family members died in the attacks. I had no nerve to ask
him about the incident. Taza Gul was also being treated on the
next bad who lost 6 of his family members.
" On the one hand, America is dropping bombs on us and on the
other hand it is dropping food packets. We will die of hunger but
never accept this food", an emotional Subhan said.
Bombing and missile firing is continuing. I have some
newspapers in front of me containing the statement of President
Bush that USA is targeting only military installations of Taliban
government and Al-Qaida Training camps. However, it regrets the
deaths of a few civilians in the air strikes. I think, in the US
dictionary, the word ' Hundreds ' means ' few '. I have no more
words to explain my feelings.
Aamir
Latif is our
special correspondent from Kanadahar
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