Aid groups in Afghanistan weigh good deeds vs. safety

Taliban supreme ruler Mullah Mohammad Omar repeatedly praised demining groups for their work in ridding the country of millions of land mines and unexploded bombs left behind after the Soviet invasion. Many Taliban commanders, many of them victims of land mine explosions themselves, provided security for deminers to work.

But the Taliban have apparently changed their minds and their methods, arguing that any relief group that receives American funding or works in support of the US-backed government of President Hamid Karzai are deserving of attack.

In a statement faxed to the Associated Press this month, the Taliban explained their new strategy.

"Our government has always respected the people who are working in NGOs that really want to build Afghanistan," read the Taliban statement. "But there is another kind of NGO which only uses the name NGO but is actually working and spying for the United States. We advise Taliban all over the country to attack them and extradite them from Afghanistan."

However, attacks on NGOs have followed no such rhyme or reason.

In this new world where lines are blurred between combatant and relief worker, the MDC has continued to work. Using specially trained Belgian shepherds, the US- and UN-funded agency has cleared about 100 million square meters of minefields in the past nine years, the vast majority in high-density urban areas or agricultural zones and pasture lands where most Afghans make their livelihood.

At MDC headquarters in Kabul, deputy director Mohammad Arif says that he believes his organization still can work in Afghanistan without fear.

"We want to free Afghanistan of mines, and we are ready to do our work," says Mr. Arif. "The majority of people know that we are independent. We worked during the Taliban period, and they guaranteed our safety. We are not afraid, because we don't ally with any politicians."

But even Arif admits that this independence didn't stop unknown assailants from attacking an MDC group in Wardak Province on August 18. No one in the group was injured in the late-night attack, but the assailants burned one vehicle, fired a rocket-propelled grenade at another vehicle, and stole a third.

"Now that they are attacking us deminers, I'm really surprised," says Engineer Mohammad Azeem, team leader for the mine-surveying team of the Mine Clearance Program Agency, a UN agency that works together with MDC. "This is the most dangerous situation I have faced, and I've been doing this for 14 years. The Taliban used to respect us. They used to bring us food and give us a place to stay at night. Now my people are scared, and the villagers are scared too."

Saniullah, a young man who recently joined MDC, says he wants the central government to "stabilize the security situation so that we can do our job properly."

But he has never considered leaving his job, or his boisterous young Belgian shepherd, Owen. "I have never thought of leaving. This is our country. These are our people. I have to perform my duties."

The only thing that could keep Mohammad Sharif home from work, he says, is his wife. "My wife worries about me," he says. "So every day, I tell her, we are safe, we are 100 percent safe." He smiles. "And if there has been an incident of attack against MDC, we don't tell our families."

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