Death of aid worker evokes Afghanistan’s dangers

KABUL – Toothpaste, towel, burqa, flak jacket … I review my packing list with a critical eye. I am setting off for one of the more volatile southern provinces, requiring a bit more gear than I would prefer to tote around. I tentatively lift my bag, realize there is no way I could carry it more than a few feet. Out goes the flak jacket.

I normally travel “unembedded, “ meaning on my own, by private or commercial means, without inserting myself into a military operation. This allows greater freedom of movement and more immediate contact with the country and its inhabitants, which is good for the story, and for bragging rights on a Thursday evening in Kabul’s expat watering holes.

But independent excursions have become a less attractive option in the wake of the tragic death of Linda Norgrove, a British aid worker who was kidnapped by insurgents in Kunar province last month. She was killed during a failed rescue attempt, sending shock waves through the foreign community here. Linda was a Kabul fixture, and many of us knew her from various gatherings.

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