Like a few other things I’ve said Kabul is not like you ‘expect’…or more likely are lead to believe. I’ve hardly ever seen any military presence around the city, certainly not in an obvious manner. The most arms you see around the city are with the local police force, or private security guards. It is the first city I’ve ever been where the police have gun mounts on the back of their pick ups though :
There are a lot of police around the city although the general feeling I get is that they do little to protect the average citizen of Kabul. Unfortunately I’ve also heard they are very badly paid for what they are meant to do (I’ve heard $50 a month, whereas labourers can get more). There are a load of police checkpoints around although our car has never been stopped by one.
Today I had the most sightings of military but we were travelling out of the city around the airport area, and the industrial parks where the likes of the UN food program have their compounds. I reckon someone important must have been arriving as the traffic started backing up.
Today was also the first time I’ve been walked to a toilet by an armed guard! I got a bit too hydrated before leaving the fort this morning so we had to stop at a petrol station for some light relief.