Night Letters

Nangarhar - 03 Jul 2010 - BATI KOWT District: On the night of 3-4 Jul 2010, Anti-Government Insurgents posted 'night letters'* ordering local civilians to stop working with the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), Goverment of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA), and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). 

The letters contained an ultimatum, stating that the local community had seven days to cease their co-operation with the government and security forces otherwise they would face “strong consequences”.  So continues the daily reality of intimidation and violence for people living in the countryside of Afghanistan. 

Life simply does not continue for those trying to live a life outside of politics.  Violence and crime litter the landscape like dust or flies.  Until these political problems are solved people will continue to live under the threat of mafia-style tactics like 'night letters' - a suitably shady, if obfuscatory, term for what in other countries would be called outright threats.

*'Night letters' are an unsigned leaflet distributed clandestinely that explain and threaten political opponents. These letters have been a political tactic of insurgencies and underground movements for many years and have been taken up by the Taliban to threaten those who are seen to work with the government and their allies.  Declan Welsh, of the Guardian, wrote an article about these letters in 2004: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/sep/19/afghanistan.declanwalsh