"War + Poverty = Chaos"

The King Palace of Afghanistan is seen on top of a hill in the

southside of Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 28, 2009. At one

point in history, Afghanistan used to have its own king 

and queen and each one used to have their own palace.

The palaces still exist, but they were heavy damaged after 

the Afghan-Russian War in the 1980s. 

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade/Released)

     The Queen Palace of Afghanistan is seen a top of a hill 

in the southside of Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 23, 2009.

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade/Released) 

                                                                                                            

The pictures above are just a little glimpse at the reality of life in Afghanistan.  In the first photograph, the Darul Aman Palace, or the King Palace, and the second the Tajbeg Palace or the Queen Palace.  Both palaces were constructed during the 1920's by European contractors under the ruling of King Amanullah Khan.  He helped secured Afghanistan independence in 1921 from the United Kingdom and used his then recent popularity to attempt to modernize the country. Unfortunately, King Amanullah Khan was only in power for 10 years, from 1919 to 1929. He was overthrown mostly because of a backlash created by his rapid modernization of the country and the drastic changes in old traditions. Afghanistan subsequently had Habibullah Kalakani as the next king for a very short time, then replaced by King Nadir Khan until  his assassination in 1933. Nadir Khan was then succeded by his son Mohammed Zahir Shah who ruled the country for four decades as the last King or Shah of Afghanistan until 1973. He is now considered the “Father of the Nation.” Amanullah Khan (the first king) was never able to return to Afghanistan even thought he tried numerous times.

Since its beginning as a nation Afghanistan had a turbulent political and socio-economic scenario.  The situation worsened after the Soviet invation in 1979. During the Soviet –Afghan War, the Soviets used the Queen Palace as the headquarters for the Soviet  40^th Army.  During the war, The King Palace housed to the Afghan Defense Ministry , which was set on fire during the Saur Revolution  in the 1980s.  After the Soviets retreated in 1989, both palaces where destroyed by rival Mujahideen factions.  Ironically the  Mujahideen are considered among heroes in Afghanistan because they fought the Soviet in the 80s. After the mujahideen, the Taliban then took control of the country until 2001, when the U.S. led an invasion of Afghanistan. Now these palaces are seen as fossils and reminders of the decades of war and instability in Afghanistan.

SPANISH

Las fotos que se encuentran arriba son solamente una rapida ojeada a la realidad que se vive en Afghanistan.  En la primera fotografia es de El Palacio Darul Aman o El Palacio del Rey, la segunda es de El  Palacio Tajbeg or El Palacio de la Reina.  Los palacios fueron construidos por ingenieros Europeos bajo el poder del Rey Amanullah Khan en los años 1920s. El aseguro la independencia de Afghanistan de el dominio de El Reino Unido (Inglaterra) y uso su reciente popularidad para tratar de modernizar el pais. Desafortunadamente, El Rey Amanullah Khan solo estuvo en poder por un espacio de 10 años, desde 1919 hasta 1929. EL fue derrocado en su mayoria por el digusto que causo en un sector de la  poblacion por la rapida modernizacion del pais y los cambios drasticos en la viejas tradiciones establecidas por siglos. El proximo rey fue Habibullah Kalakani pero solo por un corto tiempo, el fue reemplazado por el Rey  Nadir Khan hasta su asesinato en 1933. Nadir Khan fue suplantado por su hijo Mohammed Zahir Shah quien governo el pais por cuatro decadas como el Rey o Shah de Afghanistan hasta 1973. El es ahora considerado “El Padre De La Nacion.” Amanullah Khan (El primer Rey), nunca pudo regresar a Afghanistan a pesar de que trato en muchas ocasiones

Desde su principio como nacion Afghanistan ha tenido un escenario politico y socio-economico turbulento.  La situation empeoro mas aun despues de la invasion Sovietica en 1979.  Durante la guerra Sovieta – Afghanistana, los Sovieticos usaron el Palacio de la Reina como Comandancia de la Armada 40^th Sovietica. Durante la guerra, El Palacio Del Rey fue la casa de el Ministerio de Defensa Afghanistano, el cual fue encendido en llamas durante la Saur Revolution de los años 80s. Despues que los Sovieticos se retiraron de Afghanistan en 1989, los dos palacios fueron destruidos por facciones rivales del Mujahideen.  Ironicamente, a los Mujahideen se les considera como heroes en Afghanistan por que peliaron en contra de los Sovieticos durante la guerra en los 80s. Despues de los Mujahideen, el Taliban tomo control de el pais hasta el año 2001, cuando los Estados Unidos invadieron Afghanistan. Ahora estoy palacios son visto como fosiles y como recuerdo de las decadas de guerra y inestabilidad en Afghanistan.  

Two Afghan nationals pull a cart through the middle of a crowded street in Kabul, Afghanistan on July 23, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade/Released) 

An Afghan man riding a donkey approaches a bridge over the 

Panjshir River in Mahmood Rahqi, Afghanistan on Sept. 9, 2009. 

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released)

La Pobreza/Poverty

Algunos tienen carros, muchos usan burros, mulas y hasta a ellos mismos para alar carretas cargando comida o mercancia en las calles de Kabul, Afghanistan. Es a veces increible el nivel de pobreza y de atraso en que esta gente vive. Pareciera que todavia vivieran el en siglo 19th, pero en contraste muchos toman sodas y golosinas de marca, y hasta usan celulares. Tanto modernizacion alrededor de ellos, pero las necesidades basicas todavia no han sido suplidas. Falta de luz electrica en la mayoria del pais, gente muriendose de hambre, falta de centros de salud y falta de agua potable.

Some of them own cars, some use donkeys, mules and even themselves to pull carts carrying food or merchandise in the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan. Sometimes is incredible the level of poverty in which these people live. It looks like they were still living in the 19th Century, but in contrast many drink brand name sodas and candy, even use cellphones. So much modern technology around them, and still the basic necessities are not met. Lack of  electric power in most of the country, people dying of hunger, lack of hospitals and even lack of potable water.

 

An Afghan boy drinks non-potable water from a creek next to a dirt road while U.S. Army Soldiers and Air Force Airmen from the Kapisa-Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team conduct a reconnaissance mission to evaluate the progress of different construction sites across the Kapisa Province of Afghanistan on Aug. 9, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released)