The Difficult Case of 'Bacha Bazi'

摘要

Major Andrew Ito arrived in Afghanistan in early spring. "It's been a particularly cold winter," SFC (Sergeant First Class) Kevin Sandler told him, "but things are warming up now - both the weather and the OPTEMPO." Major Ito was there with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF); he would serve as a mentor to Noor Saifullah, an Afghan Border Police (ABP) Chief at the Paktika District, a province that borders Pakistan. SFC Sandler was the NCOIC (Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge) of the small cell of US Army mentors, in charge of the team's logistical requirements. He had been in-country for about six months and his region encompassed Khost, Paktia and Paktika - all quite busy provinces when it came to trade activity with Pakistan.