January 21, 2008
2007 Emmy Award
Three videos were produced and aired on KGW.com from Operation Mountain Thrust in July of 2006. These videos captured Canadian soldiers in heavy fighting in Panjawi, Hydarabad and Sangin. This was some of the first footage of Canadians in combat since the Korean war. The videos played on KGW.com, YouTube and were awarded the Emmy for Best Photography for web-based media in May of 2007 from the Lone Star Chapter of the Emmy Awards
To view the Lone Star Chapter's 2007 Advanced Media Awards webcast, click here and scroll to the bottom to of the page for the video link.
Links to the three videos are listed below:
Sangin - Ambush: Click here
Hydarabad - Dawn Raid: Click here
Panjawi - Firefight: Click here
Of these three videos, the Hydarabad - Dawn Raid was selected this month as one of their Top 20 Shock and Awe videos for 2007 by Military.com. You can find that video here and then click on the number 15 at the bottom of the player.
YouTube views on these videos have had a combined hit count of over one million views. The YouTube links are below:
Sangin - Ambush: click here
Hydarabad - Dawn Raid: click here
Panjawi - Firefight: click herre
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 10:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
January 20, 2008
AOL Visions Gallery
AOL Visions has set up an AT WAR gallery from images I shot during my year in Afghanistan.
To view the gallery, click here
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 4:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Kesterson and Afghanistan Related Links
Over the course of the year, a number of articles have appeared on the web about my work and the Afghanistan project. Links to these articles are below.
KGW News: click here
OregonLive.com: click here
Huffington Post: click here
Sony Broadcast and Business: click here
HD Studio: click here
Government Video: click here
Kwantlen Chronicle: click here
Digital Content Producer: click here
Doonesbury - The Sandbox: click here
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 4:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Blog Talk Radio Interviews
Over the course of the year in Afghanistan, I was featured in (8) phone-in interviews for BlogTalkRadio. To listen to these interviews, click here
For BlogTalkRadio's related blogs, click here
In addition, Taylor Marsh also interviewed me on her Blog Talk Radio program. To listen to that interview, click here
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 3:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
January 19, 2008
Video: AT WAR Trailer #3
Trailer #3
Synopsis: The third trailer from the upcoming documentary by Scott Kesterson and David Leeson titled, AT WAR featuring music by P.W. Long.
For video: Click here
Other videos: Click here for video page
To view the AT WAR film site, click here
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 5:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Video: AT WAR Trailer #2
Trailer #2
Synopsis: The second trailer from the upcoming documentary by Scott Kesterson and David Leeson titled, AT WAR.
For video: Click here
Other videos: Click here for video page
To view the AT WAR film site, click here
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 5:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Video: AT WAR Trailer #1
Trailer #1
Synopsis: The first trailer from the upcoming documentary by Scott Kesterson and David Leeson titled, AT WAR.
For video: Click here
Other videos: Click here for video page
To view the AT WAR film site, click here
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 5:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Video: Scott Kesterson's Afghanistan War Coverage
Synopsis: Scott Kesterson began his embed in March 2006 as a citizen-photojournalist and blogger. What resulted was a body of work that far exceeded his reporting from the field leaving a large portion of the story untold. To better tell the bigger story, some of the material is now being incorporated into a feature length documentary. Titled AT WAR, the documentary, directed by Kesterson and produced/ edited by Pulitzer Prize winner David Leeson from The Dallas Morning News, is a story of both Kesterson and citizen soldiers in their combined journey in Afghanistan and the human cycle of war. The film has been given the endorsement of KGW. In this video, KGW interviews Kesterson on his 15-month embed and the project as a whole.
For video: Click here
Other videos: Click here for video page
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 4:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
December 17, 2007
Souvenirs and Tokens
Souvenirs and Tokens: the reality of consequence...
As I sat at my desk, I opened the email that had been sent to me from a soldier that I had come to know over the course of the fifteen months I was embedded. In it he wrote, "The thing that scares me the most is that the war will be over and there will be no place for me at all." His words were a snapshot of a generation of people who have been forever changed and who will never be able to view this place they call home the same way again, "I forgot how much I don’t fit in here." This soldier had served three tours and was now preparing for a fourth.
Wars are not so much forgotten as misunderstood. The change that war brings to those that walk within its shadow is, at first, only recognized by those who wait anxiously for their loved one's return. It is a collision of two worlds, a supper alone with the kids and a loved one five-thousand miles away finding the other in the scent of a letter. War is the slayer of innocence, a giver of dark dreams with an impact on life just shy of death itself. War becomes the undeclared mistress whose embrace we never fully escape.
War could be reduced to the experience of moments; a series of "tomorrows" disappearing as if waking from a dream. Our lives in war are shaped by a culture where death becomes a vanishing point on the horizon, replacing our mortality with the promise of eternal life through honor and bravery. Yet, our lives are not defined by futures unwritten, or the accumulation of wealth, but by the lasting relationships and respect that we forge over the span of years we call, "life."
Those that pass through its portal, discover that war never allows us to return. Instead, we are left with the echos of emotions that chews our guts. War is intoxicating within its vortex of pain. It nurtures us like an orphan on the street. War is the elixir that reveals our common roots in humanity.
In quiet hours of self-reflection, in the aftermath of its wake, war leaves us without refuge. Life in the safety of home presents the challenge of offering the same meaning and purpose that forms every breath in war. War tugs at our soul even from the comfort of distant soil. War beckons with a call from extended hand, wanting us back.
Copyright 2007, Scott Kesterson
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 9:58 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
December 16, 2007
Death Of A Title
Death of a title: the rise of meaning...
I remember sitting in front of my computer one evening back in December of 2005. What I began to write was the proposal that would redirect my life. I titled it The Forgotten War, detailing my desired intentions of embedding for a full tour as part of the 41st Brigade's deployment to Afghanistan. Twenty-one months later, my thoughts laced with the memories of a country some 8000 miles away, I picked up my glass of wine and sat quietly looking over the themes of a film that was beginning to take shape. After a short discussion, we agreed that the title The Forgotten War was no longer enough.
It began as a project to document war from a soldier’s point of view. Where we arrived was at a place much deeper and unending, drawing our focus to topics that are not only universal to war, but formative to all of humanity, both past and present. A story filmed in Afghanistan, but not limited by its politics or borders.
War is death, for it brings with it a transformation that leaves in its wake the shadows of pasts that once were. Every person who has ever entered into its lair has never returned unchanged. I am no exception.
Amidst the rubble of the aftermath of fighting, the flag -draped coffins, and the daily rhythm of leather boots and guns, was the death of a title and birth of something new. At my feet now lies the white board, covered with phrases and thoughts, our sketches of the voice that the film was struggling to find. I picked up the white cloth and erased The Forgotten War with a single swipe. Another memory that fell to the shadows of time.
I looked to the notes on the board behind my head, "Our failure is not that we forget, but that we don’t know." War is the myriad of extremes, pushing us closer to the roots of our very being. From within stirs the passions of love, hate, fear, courage,and ultimately chaos. For those that walk the timeless path of conflict, war is never forgotten but entombed within their souls for the remainder of their lives. It becomes a reminder of all that is and all that can be lost. A symbol of our inner struggle to exist, for war is what ultimately defines us and what we all are. The title was there before us. It spoke, we listened. At War.
Copyright 2007, Scott Kesterson
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 8:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Photo Gallery 3 - (10) Images
Documentary filmmaker, Scott Kesterson, began his career as an embedded journalist with the Army National Guard 41st brigade in Afghanistan. His one year spent with troops brought the world an inside look at the forces of war in places few had seen before.
His combat footage, aired on both Frontline and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and through the internet has been viewed worldwide creating an iconic image of a war that only those who have “been there” could know.
Kesterson was the first full-time embedded news blogger and captured the first footage of Canadian troops in combat since Korea. In May 2007 he earned a regional Emmy Award for his combat photography.
An Afghan commander shares chai, a traditional Afghan tea, with his soldiers at a base near the village of Khakaran, Zabul Province, Afghanistan. Sharing chai is an essential part of Afghan culture and friendship. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
An Afghan soldier pauses during a mountain patrol near the village of Kesay, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan while searching for weapons caches and Taliban hideouts. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
Afghan soldiers sweep for mines and IEDs in the Chimbarak Pass, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
An elderly Afghan removes his artificial leg to show injuries sustained during a mine explosion while on patrol near the village of Tarin Kowt, Oruzgan Province. Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. (Photo Copyright 2007:\: Scott Kesterson)
Utah Army National Guard soldiers practice carrying a coffin in preparation for a ceremony for 2LT Scott Lundell at Kandahar Air Field, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
An Afghan soldier, at right, sweeps for mines during a patrol near Terin Kowt, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. Even in small villages, the presence of soldiers and the continuing threat of Taliban attacks have become part of daily life. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
US Army Staff Sgt. Dustin Gladwell scans the horizon through a rifle sight as locals watch during a patrol near the village of Kakrak, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. In a country ravaged by decades of war, chaos has become part of daily existence. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
An Afghan boy tending his goats watches a patrol of Afghan soldiers with Canadian advisors during operations in Panjawi, Kandahar Province. Though early education is compulsory for youth, economics, tradition and threats from Taliban keep enrollment to less than 55%. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
A US Army National Guard colonel grieves the loss of one his soldiers during a memorial service at Kandahar Air Field, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. The fallen soldier from the Utah Army National Guard died during combat operations outside the village of Terin Kowt, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
US Army National Guard soldiers prepare for a ride to Kabul International Airport and their flight home. The soldiers, along with 3,500 other guardsmen from 49 states, were deployed for 15 months as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
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December 15, 2007
Universal Themes
Universal themes: the timeless nature of conflict
From the comfort of tile floors and the Oxford sofa, the white board began to fill with the interlinking themes that would shape the film. "The power of war images lies in the messages that convey the universal truths of humanity." It was a quote shared with me by David Leeson during one of our many email exchanges over this past year. As we pushed on through the early hours of the morning, that quote began to take tangible form.
Historically humanity has never existed without conflict. Driven by the uncounted aberrations of moral reasoning, it is perhaps best summarized by Robert Louis Stevenson's fictional characters, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, "…that man is not truly one, but truly two… committed to a profound duplicity of life [defined] by the good and the evil." Few groups know that statement as well as the soldiers who find residence within the culture of war.
AT WAR is a film driven by a belief that one of the most misunderstood stories of war is war itself and the soldiers who are called to fight them. It is the attempt to present a film devoid of political persuasion, presenting the chaos of war and the humanity caught in it's grasp whether soldier or civilian.
As our sessions blurred into nights and nights into days, what began as a loosely threaded theme was taking shape to express the messages both universal and specific to ourselves, humanity and the ongoing war in Afghanistan. A subject that is both timeless and pressing to our realities that are shaping around our modern lives.
At the close of the week's sessions, we had achieved our goal. And in the quiet of the morning I found myself reflecting on a conversation I had with a Special Forces Operative following one of our patrols, "On the ground, politics disappear; the moments become defined by the person on your left and on your right and the commitment to keep each other alive." He continued, "No one who has ever been in combat wants more fighting. We accept it as part of our job. Our goal is to do our job, do it well, and come home alive... all of us."
Copyright 2007, Scott Kesterson
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 3:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Photo Gallery 2 - (10) Images
Documentary filmmaker, Scott Kesterson, began his career as an embedded journalist with the Army National Guard 41st brigade in Afghanistan. His one year spent with troops brought the world an inside look at the forces of war in places few had seen before.
His combat footage, aired on both Frontline and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and through the internet has been viewed worldwide creating an iconic image of a war that only those who have “been there” could know.
Kesterson was the first full-time embedded news blogger and captured the first footage of Canadian troops in combat since Korea. In May 2007 he earned a regional Emmy Award for his combat photography.
US Army 10th Mountain Division soldiers watch as a CH-47 Chinook helicopter lands at the forward operating base near the village of Terin Kowt. The US soldiers were heading back to Kandahar to prepare for their return home following a 15-month deployment in Afghanistan. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
A NATO C-130 Hercules drops needed supplies to the US Army Special Operations forward operating base near the village of Oshay, Oruzgon Province, Afghanistan. Air resupply is often the only way to deliver supplies due to difficult terrain and limited road access. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
A US Army National Guard advisor listens to an Afghan commander talk by radio from his forward operating base in Khakaran, Zabul Province, Afghanistan. The commander was trying to find out why critical supplies were not delivered with the recent helicopter re-supply. The base in Khakaran could only be re-supplied regularly by airlifts. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
An Afghan soldier climbs through a window during a search for weapons near the village of Sera, Oruzgon Province, Afghanistan. Weapons cache searches are a regular part of the daily operations for both US and Afghan soldiers in the area. On this day, no weapons were found. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
Afghan soldiers along with their Canadian advisors conduct a routine “presence” patrol in the Panjawi Valley, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Patrols such as this are part of the strategy of stabilization in the region, by attempting to maintain a visible presence in local villages. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
A man accused of rape hears the charge A man accused of rape hears charges against him read by an Afghan police constable near the village of Khakaran, Zabul Province, Afghansitan. His swollen feet are the result of an interrogation the night before that included a beating with a truncheon. He now awaits an unknown fate as the constable functions as judge and jury. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
A US Army advisor grabs an Afghan soldier to advert him from danger as a rocket propelled grenade misfires during a training exercise at the forward operating base near Oshay, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. The grenade landed on the ground several feet ahead of the soldier but did not detonate. No one was injured. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
1st Lt. George Leverton, an Army advisor, rides a donkey along with two Afghan soldiers during operations in Zamburay Valley, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. Due to the rugged terrain, much of the operations in Afghanistan prevent use of modern transportation. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
Villagers struggle over radios given out by US Army 10th Mountain Division soldiers near Ghazni, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. Humanitarian assistance is a regular part of the US Army’s mission in Afghanistan. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
An Afghan soldier sits watch above the Chimbarak Pass, Oruzgon Provence, Afghanistan. The pass, a critical trade route for Afghan commerce, has been a target of Taliban attacks. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
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December 14, 2007
Subject-driven Storytelling
Subject-driven storytelling : allowing the truth of the moment to speak
I reached between the seats of the truck for another can of "Rock Star." It was now close to 3am as I drank my fourth can of the Taurine based energy drink in less than three hours. The trip to Austin, Texas was one of those down-and-back, same night exploits for the purpose of securing the release of music from an Indie band we had been introduced to. Seven hours of driving, a 30-minute meeting, and a pending agreement that brought us one step closer to a musical composition that added the desired dimension to the visual experience that was evolving on our editing screens.
Documentary films, like most films, are usually created from a script. The creative direction is established first, and the footage is then captured that will fit the needs of the story’s vision. The process is a time honored practice of filmmaking, bringing to the viewing audience an experience that begins and ends with the filmmaker’s script.
AT WAR film is different. Breaking from past trends, it is based on subject- driven storytelling that allows the truth of the moment to speak without the interference of personal bias. There was no script; rather, the filming was grounded in witnessing the experiences as they evolved over time. It is based on the tenets of ethical photojournalism with the constant requirement for context to better understand the truths. The goal being to ultimately assure ourselves that we have been as fair and accurate in the way the story has been told, to include mood and feel.
As I pulled into the drive-way, the first glimmers of dawn could be seen on the horizon. My thoughts took me back to one of the many mornings awaking in the rural landscapes of Afghanistan. A world thousands of miles from where I sat in that moment, yet seemingly so close that all I had to do was close my eyes to see. A waking dream of sorts, bringing with it the many sites, sounds and smells that could not be conveyed by images alone. The music began to play. The images raced by. The feelings' of the moments stirred from deep within. I knew then we were one step closer to our goal.
Copyright 2007, Scott Kesterson
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 2:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
December 5, 2007
Photo Gallery 1 - (10) Images
Documentary filmmaker, Scott Kesterson, began his career as an embedded journalist with the Army National Guard 41st brigade in Afghanistan. His one year spent with troops brought the world an inside look at the forces of war in places few had seen before.
His combat footage, aired on both Frontline and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and through the internet has been viewed worldwide creating an iconic image of a war that only those who have “been there” could know.
Kesterson was the first full-time embedded news blogger and captured the first footage of Canadian troops in combat since Korea. In May 2007 he earned a regional Emmy Award for his combat photography.
An Afghan soldier mounts the national flag on the roof of their truck before leaving on patrol near Solemanbad, in the Daikondi Province, Afghanistan. The Afghan soldiers, in conjunction with US Army Special Operations, were in the village to return the body of an Afghan soldier to his family. The soldier had been killed by an IED. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
US Army 10th Mountain Division soldiers fire a 105mm Howizter in support of operations in the Zamburay Valley, Oruzgon Province, Aghanistan. Taliban fighters used the Zamburay Valley as an base of operations for attacks throughout the area. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
Afghan soldiers following intelligence leads, remove children from a room before searching for weapons near the village of Hesar, Oruzgon Province, Afghanistan. No weapons were found during the search. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
A US Army National Guard advisor, scales a mountain in the Zamburay Valley, Oruzgon Province, Afghanistan in search of Taliban fighters hiding in the rocks above. The yellow smoke was used to locate his position after a short firefight with the Taliban that resulted in the death of one Afghan soldier. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
Local Afghan children spontaneously raise their hands to show that they do not have weapons as an Afghan army patrol approaches. Searches are a part of daily life in Afghanistan. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
Afghan soldiers wait outside a village near Tarin Kowt, Oruzgon Province, Afghanistan, during an early morning patrol. Intelligence reports had sighted possible Taliban activity in the area. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
An Afghan soldier is rushed to the medical clinic at the Canadian forward operating base near the village of Panjawi, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. The soldier collapsed from heat exhaustion during 100 degree temperatures. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
An Afghan soldier practices tactical movement during training operations with US Army Special Operations at the forward operating base near the village of Oshay, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. The primary role of US Army Special Operations and US Army National Guard advisors is to train the Afghan National Army. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
Afghan police watch as Afghan soldiers and US Army Special Operations construct a new check point near the village of Kesay, Oruzgon Province, Afganistan. Check points are used throughout the region as way of providing security along roads and near villages. The strategy was proving successful in the region by helping local villagers re-establish trade and commerce. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
An IED is destroyed after being discovered by US troops during a patrol to the Chimbarak Pass, Oruzgon Province, Afghanistan. IED’s have become an increasing threat in Afghanistan, as Taliban fighters adopt tactics used by insurgent fighters in Iraq. (Photo Copyright 2007: Scott Kesterson)
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September 9, 2007
Whiteboards and Annotations: shaping the story
"That is where we will begin - sitting down to sketch out the key elements of the narrative...It's going to be intense and, wonderful. But by the time we finish you'll know that the hardest part of your trip occurred in Dallas." Words sent to me in an email from David Leeson during his recent trip to Australia.
The process of making a documentary film on the war in Afghanistan is an integration of extremes. From a year of living amongst soldiers and their continued mission supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and the War on Terror, the setting has now shifted to the quiet rooms, long desks, computer monitors and the hum of terabyte drives in the background. Dallas, Texas has become my new home in the final leg of a fifteen month journey to bring an understanding of the culture of war to the Silver Screen.
Instead of body armor, foot patrols and a camera, the daily operations now revolve around ergonomic chairs and tens of hours of footage streaming by on high resolution monitors. Clips are grouped, annotated, and then organized as the vision of the film is mapped on a large white board on the wall to my right. It is a vision that begins at a starting point and continues to evolve as the film finds the voice that will resonate to tell the story of the soldiers and their experience in the culture of war.
The initial focus of the editing process is to sort the footage, create a working movie-trailer, and to settle on the official title of the film. Though the title "The Forgotten War" was created as the working title for the project, it has historically been used in reference to the Korean conflict. We are now in the final stages of review of the title that will encapsulate the experience of Afghanistan.
There is a great deal of work that lies ahead. Yet as the project continues, there is little doubt that before us is a pallet of images that will provide us with access into one of the most misunderstood groups and cultures in our time. the world of the soldier in a world at war. Stay tuned...
Copyright, Scott Kesterson 2007
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 9:47 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
March 24, 2007
The Politics of Eurocentrism
"There are just so many people running around. Doing different things-no kind of unity." Syd Barrett, founding member Pink Floyd
I sat down at my computer yesterday to find a piece of paper from the US Army command resting on the keyboard:
"The US government has received the information below and classified the information as "Unclassified" to ensure the widest dissemination as possible to include NGO's.
Due to the release of the Italian journalist, the US government has credible information that the Taliban, buoyed by their recent success in obtaining the release of five imprisoned Taliban members in exchange for an Italian journalist, will undertake additional kidnappings of foreigners in southern Afghanistan, especially Helmund Province. This threat extends to and includes main highways as well as more rural areas."
Daniele Mastrogiacomo. An Italian freelance journalist who writes for La Repubblica was working in an area in Helmund Province where there is little to no Coalition force presence; it is an area that is reported to be under narco-Taliban control. Using a "fixer" or guide to take him in to the area he stated in an interview that, "... he had not been looking for a scoop at all costs. He said he did not expect anything to happen." His statement either reflects complete disregard for the current state of unrest in the Helmand Province, or he's downplaying his intended purpose. He was abducted with his driver and interpreter. The driver was allegedly beheaded in front of him, with the head later delivered along with the demands for Mastrogiacomo's release.
Working through the Italian aid agency Emergency as the intermediary, British sources have confirmed that the Italian Embassy sent representatives down to negotiate Mastrogiacomo's release. AP reported that a spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai's has said the exchange came about after Karzai told authorities to find a solution to the kidnapping, citing Afghanistan's good relations with Italy. That may very well be, but only after strong Italian pressure. One can easily imagine that the Italians, having narrowly missed a Parliamentary recall of troops and now facing a new government, pressured the Karzai government to free the prisoners in exchange for Mastrogiacomo, and help keep the Italian public opinion from swaying against their presence in Afghanistan, thus losing support for the their involvement here.
Following his release, Mastrogiacomo commented that, "If things are done to save a human life… this is a positive thing." Especially since the "human life" that was saved was his. His driver wasn't so fortunate, and his interpreter's whereabouts are still unknown as rumors continue of his possible release, or that he is still being held captive or is already dead. Italy seemed to forget that NATO and ISAF forces promote the idea that Afghans are equal. According to US intelligence, Afghan citizens are expressing deep discontent with the Afghan government over this matter, since there was no equal effort to seek the release of the Afghan interpreter that was with Mastrogiacomo. While Italians celebrate, Afghans mourn. An odd juxtaposition.
The Taliban militants who abducted Mastrogiacomo initially accused him of being a spy for British forces. The journalist denied ever being a spy, and the Italian government has put forth a strong effort to prove this case with the production of documents and work histories. However, the amount of effort put forth by the Italian government to secure Mastrogiacomo's release, leaves an outside observer with doubts. Joe Mellott, the spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, said: "The U.S. does not make concessions to terrorist demands. End of story." The Italians apparently do, however. Quid pro quo.
The ramifications of the Italian action will be lasting. As was written in an article dated 21 March 2007 on Stratfor.com, " This means that reporters (and other Western noncombatants) have now become a valuable commodity in Afghanistan -- a "get out of jail free card" for jihadists or criminals." Furthermore, the Italian governments actions have gone further put in question the true motives of all journalist... are they here to get the story, or are they working to get information for their governments and essentially acting as spies? It's a slippery slope of assumptions by association that implicates the entire community of journalists working here in Afghanistan.
Assuming that the actions to free Mastrogiacomo were nothing more than actions to free an Italian citizen, Italy's agreement to pay a ransom for his freedom has now placed an entire journalist community at greater risk. "We Italians are by now considered unreliable by our own allies," a statement made by former premier Silvio Berlusconi. Considering the Italian's shaky commitment to Afghanistan and political volatility back home, the motives surrounding Mastrogiacomo's release seem little more than actions driven by self-serving agendas.
Mastrogiacomo's release marks the beginning of a new hunting season... with journalists being this seasons prize big game.
Copyright Scott Kesterson, 2007
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 10:01 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
March 20, 2007
Perspective...
A year ago I stood in an armory in NE Portland, watching the final goodbyes of the families and the soldiers that I had yet to come to know. As B. Company was called to formation, the order was given to move out, and the cold chill of reality set in. It was a moment of finality, in which everyone one present said farewell to the person they were, and accepted a fate of unknown change. As the soldiers moved with quick steps out the back door and onto the waiting bus, a little girl's voice pierced the moment with an echo that I have heard everyday since... "Goodbye, Daddy."
We now sit with less than three months remaining on this tour. We have come full circle. As we settled into Camp Shelby last March, home seemed so close, it's memories working to pull the focus from the training and daily pace of regular Army life. And now home has come into focus once again, as we sit less than 90 days from our return. The issues are no longer training, but completion, and the closing of this chapter of our lives. But unlike Camp Shelby, the loss of focus here carries a risk of consequences that affect our physical well-being. As my father would say to me when I was growing up, "The most dangerous part of the journey is the last five miles from home."
I have seen a great deal over this past year, and interacted with as many as I could. I have experienced the extremes and the quiet moments, as well as the many places in between. I have lived the lives of soldiers through my lens and through my words, always remembering that little girl's parting voice. There are some "daddy's" that won't come home; for those of us that do, we need to be thankful and embrace all that has been given and all that has been gained. Every soldier is a hero... I wrote it in the beginning, and I write it again now. It matters not where their place was on this tour, only that they served for something that they believed in, something greater than self, and something worth giving over a year of their life to.
The efforts of this year won't in themselves change a country, nor will it bring peace or the closing to this war. Afghanistan is a country that is like the many stones of its landscape, each with a history and reason for being, each willing to be used for the construction of something greater, but only able to be moved slowly and with caution. The efforts put forth over this past year, however, will leave a lasting impression, offering hope and evolution through the process of time. Soldiers have become the modern emissaries of change.
In my reflections of the year, I found myself looking over photos of the many faces that began back in Portland. We have all changed. There is an innocence of sorts that is lost, as the eyes now peer back not with eagerness, but with introspection. What began as duty, is now winding down with a realization that each of us has become citizens of a world in between. I have watched it pass through my camera, recording a change that is expressed in the many moments of the entire year. The world of our home and the world here are destined to be memories, as we step forward and embrace a new view on all things we only thought we knew.
This is the gift of the citizen soldier.
Copyright 2007, Scott Kesterson
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 9:22 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)
March 6, 2007
Shell games...
Oshay, Afghanistan - As the US Apache helicopter flew over head, two other helicopters, a US Blackhawk and a Dutch Cougar touched down on the gravel landing zone on the edge of the fire base. A vehicle was pulled up near by, as several US soldiers quickly unloaded the bags. From the Cougar two Dutch Army personnel from the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Terin Kowt stepped out and were directed towards the entry gate of the fire base, while another US soldier moved to the Blackhawk to greet the representative from the US State Department. Keeping her head low and quickly walking beyond the limit of the rotor blades, she joined up with the two Dutch visitors as the three of them were escorted off of the air field. In the background the two helicopters took flight again disappearing into the valley with the Apache escort close behind.
The fire base sits on the edge of the village of Oshay situated in the northeast part of Uruzgan Province. As early as October of this past year, one could hardly leave the base without getting attacked. With the arrival of a new US Special Operations team back in November, work began immediately to implement the fundamentals of US counter insurgency tactics. Using a mix of combat patrols and area reconstruction "cash for work" programs, the US Special Operations team began by employing local villagers for projects within the limits of Oshay while increasing its presence in the areas surrounding the village itself. Roads that had been pocketed by erosion and neglect where re-graded and re-graveled. Drainage networks were added to take waste water outside of the village limits. Local labor was hired to refurbish the village bizarre, a key part of Oshay's economy. All the while US Special Operations teams supported by Army National Guard Embedded Trainers and Afghan Army soldiers maintained a regular combat presence both in and around the village. What had been a village with only a few shops in the bizarre, skepticism towards Americans and heavy with Taliban presence, was transformed. On the day that the helicopters landed, one could walk from the fire base into the village safely, greeted by friendly faces eager to talk and do business.
Uruzgan Province has been assigned to the European Community as the source of funding for reconstruction projects. Additionally, the Dutch have been given the responsibility for developing and implementing the majority of the reconstruction effort in the province through their Provincial Reconstruction Team headquartered in Terin Kowt. In spite of this arrangement, all of the reconstruction success in Oshay was funded by US dollars. The EU and the Dutch have been failing to keep their promise of funding, bringing the US to dispatch a US State Department representative to tour the village of Oshay with the Dutch representatives in order to identify the needs, and try and resolve the issue of their contractual default.
Through the remainder of the day and into part of the next, negotiations continued between the US and the Dutch. The local medical clinic was identified as the primary project, with the Dutch promising $150,000 US for the purchase of the buildings, remodeling and equipment for the facility. Contracts were signed, and assurances shared with the US Special Operations team members assigned to reconstruction, thus concluding the visit for the State Department representative who flew out a short while later. As one of the Special Operations team members stated at the time, "This is huge. We can finally establish a regional clinic in Oshay that will be run by Afghans for Afghans."
One of the key elements of US counter insurgency operations is to train and empower the Afghans to not only be participant in operations and programs, but to eventually take the lead. This strategy is cornerstone to the US vision of an eventual end-game and the return home of US forces. In the case of the proposed village medical clinic, it was designed to be run by Afghan trained medical professionals providing health care as basic as personal hygiene education, to medical triage for transport to larger medical facilities. It is a project that allows Afghans to take the lead and to bring the talk of a new unified Afghanistan to the village at a hands on level, effectively, translating the new government's promises into concrete examples of action with Afghans in charge.
The next day I was asked to follow along on the tour of the site for the new facility. Myself, the two Dutch officers, and a Special Operations Civil Affairs medic by the name of Suss walked into the village of Oshay. Suss talked of his vision for the clinic, discussing not only the locals needs for medical services, but of the greater opportunities to use the facility to train health care providers for the region, effectively extending the reach of the clinic to the many smaller outlying villages in the area. As we talked we arrived at a locked metal gate at the front of a compound bordered by ten foot high earthen walls. Removing the lock, Suss pushed the gate open and we went inside.
The clinic was divided into two parallel wings that ran from front to back with a covered breeze-way spanning between. There was a well to my right as I walked up the four steps that lead to the open porch at the front. As I stepped onto the landing, Suss directed me to the first room on the left, "Here we have our pharmacy. The stock is a bit low right now, but we keep a variety of items on hand to cover everything from personal hygiene to the various medical problems that come in here." We continued down the breeze-way looking at other rooms that Suss had set up. "This is our waiting room, and this is a triage/ emergency care room." The facilities looked primitive by US standards, yet they were typical of Army efficiency, placing emphasis on need rather than aesthetic. More to the point, however, the facility was geared towards the needs of the village, providing a level of care that was not available prior to the clinic's inception.
After viewing the rooms, I took a moment to speak to the Dutch officer. He was excited, seemingly overflowing with eagerness to begin the reconstruction. I asked him if the money that the Dutch were providing for the project was US funds. He responded, "No, this will be Dutch money for this project." He continued, "The Afghans do not easily trust. There were many promises broken in the past. First with the Russians, then the Taliban, so it takes time to build trust. Now it is our turn. We need to accomplish this because we will be leaving Afghanistan in two years."
Shortly after the tour, the two Dutch Army officers sat down at a table in the dining facility on the fire base, directing their focus to a map that they had laid out before them. On the map were areas shaded in different colors, with a portion of the village of Oshay shaded in blue. As they talked between themselves in their native tongue, a US Special Operations Civil Affairs team member by the name of Stew sat down across from them. "What is this area in blue?" The two officers looked up, one of them responded, "These are the areas that we have surveyed and identified for additional projects." Stew narrowed is stair, "What survey?" The Dutch officer went on to describe the surveys that their commander had reported doing over the past few months. Stew responded firmly, "There has not been a Dutch team here at this fire base or in the village of Oshay since last September."
The village of Oshay and surrounding areas have a history of being a Taliban strong hold. Fighting through last summer was regular and intense. US Special Operations Teams along with Army National Guard Embedded Trainers and soldiers of the Afghan National Army have made up the fighting force. Through the Fall the Dutch began to establish a presence in Uruzgan Province, with the anticipation of taking over military operations for all bases in Uruzgan by the end of January 2007. However, the restrictions placed on the Dutch by the Dutch government have not only restricted their visits to the outer fire bases but have kept them from becoming fully engaged in operations in areas with a high threat of enemy contact. As the visiting Dutch officer stated, "We came up here in September and it wasn't safe to walk into the village. When we came up here last month the village had become safe enough to walk through, so now we can begin our work." The obvious point that was not stated is that the village had become safe because of the risks taken and successful operations completed by the US Special Operations teams that worked in and round Oshay.
The Dutch are under a great deal of pressure to fulfill their commitments. In this case, it appears that the photographs that the Dutch commander had gathered during his visit in September were then subsequently released over a period of several months to provide visual "evidence" of ongoing work that the Dutch were doing in the outer reaches of Uruzgan Province and the village of Oshay. Yet, as Stew had pointed out, there had not been any Dutch presence at the fire base for months. The two Dutch officers sitting at the table appeared shocked, having little to say in response. A few days later the Dutch team left, returning to Terin Kowt.
Over the next few weeks, the US Special Operations Civil Affairs team continue to push forward with the clinic. The Dutch team pressured the US team to establish contracts with locals to complete the medical clinic remodel per the proposed budget and design set forth by the Dutch. However, no money's were forthcoming from the Dutch. The US team refused to comply with the Dutch request, insisting that the Dutch provide funds first so as not to leave the US with outstanding debts they could not pay. In the end, the Dutch failed to produce any funds, leaving the completion of the clinic to the US Special Operations Team, their resources and their own personal labor. As Stew stated, "Had we set up the contracts that the Dutch wanted us to, and allowed the work to begin,we not have had the funds that we were promised, and the United States would have ended up being the "bad guys" with the locals, not the Dutch. We could have undermined all of the relationships we have worked hard up here to build."
Near the end of February, the clinic was finally opened. Lacking the promised Dutch funding, the US Special Operations Civil Affairs team took matters into their own hands. Using a limited amount of funds that were available to them through US channels, as well as their own labor and labor donated by the locals, the majority of the clinic was completed. The finishing touch came one afternoon with the arrival of a contracted supply truck that had been dispatched by the Afghan government with over $50,000 US worth of supplies for the clinic. Where the Dutch had failed, the Afghan government had come through.
Examples like this remain an ongoing problem here in Afghanistan for US command. While NATO and ISAF forces have deployed here, many of the promises and commitments made to the US are not being upheld. As one US soldier stated, "NATO and ISAF are unwillingness to accept risk, but are more than willing to accept credit for the work done by US forces." In this case, it's unclear who will officially get credit for the medical clinic at Oshay, even though the credit rests solely with the efforts and accomplishments of the US Special Operations Civil Affairs team lead by Stew and Suss. As for the the Dutch officers comment about trust and promises, it appears that they have a ways to go to fulfill their commitment.
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Copyright, Scott Kesterson- 2007
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 7:46 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)
February 18, 2007
OpEd: Guilt and the Daily Contribution to Terror
Two years ago his sister was burned when she fell into the open cooking fire inside their mud hut. As he sat talking to to the US Army Special Forces Medic, he pleaded for help. One of his sister's hands had been burned to stubs; her face left with visible scars. The young girl's eyelids were no longer able to close; her family would place a cloth over her face at night so that she could sleep. There was no medical care available at the time of her accident; and now the damage was so severe that there was nothing that the Medic could do for her. Her fate was sealed.
Back home a group of people sits around a table at a local pub. They talk about politics, the problems of the world, the problems of America even though most have never left the country. As the conversation continues it strays to the new car, the house they want to buy, the cost of day care and Johnny's private school. With the arrival of their food comes another round of beer as the conversations continue. At last the evening begins to wind down, as they pay their tab, say good night, and drive home to the comfort of a clean sheets, thermostatically controlled heat and the relaxing grip of a down filled pillow.
... the consequential politics of a spoiled nation.
The United States is currently in a period of doubt. We are asking the hard questions about our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, now that the threat of 9-11 seems a distant memory. We are quick to pass blame as a society, targeting the usual subjects of political and corporate figure-heads, while we fail to take a hard look at ourselves as citizens of a country, rather than individuals in a race to consume and hoard.
Wars begin by various motives, but are ultimately driven by economics. We live in a world of shrinking resources, and expanding global economies. The safety and security of the United States detaches us as a public from the hard truth that our consumptive lifestyle is not separate from conflict, but is in fact the very catalyst and principle driver. The hard truth is that there are consequences for consumption. We involve ourselves in countries militarily for economic reasons and we fortify our military might to ensure protection of our way of life. Soldiers are deployed directly by actions of our government and President, and indirectly by the consumptive actions of the 300 million citizens of the United States.
And while we continue to point the blame at the government it is not the problem, people are. After all, those in office are elected by the action or inaction of the vote. It's all too easy to target the President as the fault of things we don't like. It's all too difficult to accept that our way of life breeds enemies, breeds hate and contempt for what we have. When you live around people that scrape daily to survive, you realize how much we have and how fortunate we are. Given the option I doubt any American would choose to live a daily life of an Afghan. Sadly, passing the buck has become more than a trend, it has become a way of life in the United States. After all, we will change a presidency over the cost of gas, but continue to buy our SUVs.
From within our bubble of safety and idealistic visions of the world spring forth aberrations of truth that marginalize the harsh realities the exist outside of our borders. No matter how much new age love is extended to the world, there are the many that will still hate you. They hate you for what you have, for what you represent, for what you deny them... and they seek only one thing... the total destruction and subjugation of the United States to the wills and ways of a vanguard of extremists leading this new era of fight.
As our debates rage on, they constantly emanate from the place where an obsessional fear of being hated is put in conflict with a fear of losing what we have. So the discussions lash out with misdirection taking target at the easy prey of soldiers, politicians, and government, while ignoring our responsibility as citizens. Face it, you can't have all that you have and want without consequences. If you want change, look no further than yourself... it's a process that begins every morning when you look in the mirror.
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Copyright, Scott Kesterson- 2007
Posted by Scott Kesterson | 9:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
February 15, 2007
The Thin Veil of Hate
He lay on the ground with bullet wounds near his heart. There was nothing that could be done as his life became defined by minutes. He was Taliban, and moments before he had ambushed an Afghan soldier killing him with a shot to the head that removed part of that soldier's skull. Now a victim himself, this Taliban fighter lay at my feet, choking out a dull moan of pain as his breath slowed. A shaved head, a trimmed beard, dressed in brown Afghan pants and top, he turned to his side to die.
Hate is shown in the eyes. A life focus that drives their every move. It consumes them, and becomes a part of a belief system that they erect. In itself, hate becomes a religion, tied to promises of redemption and reward through killing and dying for a professed righteousness in cause. It is not Muslim, though they claim it to be. It matters not, for hate is rooted in a belief structure that seethes from the bowels of frustration, emptiness, jealously, and want. It is a vile emotion that provides no middle ground, only life as they see it, or release through death.
As he lay there on the ground I watched his eyes dart back and forth; the visual groping that seeks answers to all of the promises that were made. In these last few moments, his eyes spoke the prayers of the Koran, asked Allah for his blessing, and reached for the sight of the promised seventy-seven virgins. All he saw was blue sky, green grass, and the hand of an American medic pulling back after trying to stay his death. I watched as he exhaled, then turned his head to the side as if to vomit, only to find a dry mouth and coagulated phlegm.
As the seconds ticked on, and his life drew to a close, the veil of promise and hate began to recede. His desire for life returned, as he now searched desperately to live; his eyes hopelessly seeking help from the very people he lived to destroy. He was beyond the reach of the medic now. He was slipping away to the greater mystery of our existence: death. He was in the final moments of discovery, in which the truth of all that he had lived for and now died for would be revealed. He would soon know the variety of the promise's made, as his eyes revealed the most most powerful emotion stored within his soul- he revealed fear.
As the body of the dead Afghan soldier was carried down from the mountain, this Taliban who lived for the destruction of all things western, all things infidel, died. Abandoned in the fight by his comrades, his final darting glances of desperation revealed the ultimate truth: he was now alone.
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