Afghanistan: signs of progress in Jalalabad

Reporters on the Job: The three-hour drive from Kabul to Jalalabad to report about cooperation between US and Pakistan forces (read the story here) held few surprises. I saw many of the scenes I have come to expect of war-torn Afghanistan: the charred fuel tankers on the side of the road; oversized armored vehicles racing down the road; Afghan soldiers standing at roadside posts, nervously eyeing the traffic.

But when I reached Jalalabad, it was as if I had entered a different world. Roads were paved, the markets were bustling and everyone told me how safe the city was. The insurgents don’t have much a presence there and there is a lot of local support for the international community.

In the past couple of years, Jalalabad has made strides in development and it really showed. The experience reminded me that while we journalists spend a lot of time covering war here, parts of the country are indeed moving forward.

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