Murphy's Law: Life Threatening Exit Interview

Archives

February 23, 2011: South Korean troops in northern Afghanistan recently suffered an RPG attack on their base. The five rocket powered warheads caused no casualties. The 369 South Koreans are there to provide humanitarian assistance, and hire local tribesmen to help with security. No one claimed credit for the attack, and suspicion turned to local families feuding over who would get the security jobs at the South Korean base.

While 277 South Korean troops are there to help protect the South Korea civilian aid workers, some tribesmen are hired to buy some good will from the locals, and provide additional protection from bandits and larcenous tribesmen. But most aid workers in Afghanistan have found that you have to be careful who you hire. In a country with such high unemployment, these jobs are considered very valuable, and more powerful clans or families expect to get them. If they don't, or do and lose them (for stealing, not showing up or just being troublesome), you have to be careful who you hire as replacements. It's believed that the RPGs were fired by some former security guards who are sending a message. Negotiations are underway to try and avoid future misunderstandings and violence.

 

 


Article Archive

Murphy's Law: Current 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 


X

ad
0
20

Help Keep Us Soaring

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month.

Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage. A contribution is not a donation that you can deduct at tax time, but a form of crowdfunding. We store none of your information when you contribute..
Subscribe   Contribute   Close