Staying Alive in Afghanistan - Not!

Some Afghans, understandibly, think leaving their home is only way forward for life. Similar fate for those in Northwest Pakistan. Are we helping, or making things worse?

clipped from www.commondreams.org KABUL, Afghanistan - Through two decades of war, Abdul Ahad never contemplated leaving Afghanistan. But as his country started to deteriorate rapidly in 2007, so did his life. He was laid off from his full-time driving job and forced to take the only work he could find: a once-a-week driving gig through Taliban territory. Weary of War, Young Afghans Pay for an Exit Abdul Ahad driving through Taliban territory with a bodyguard. Frustrated by his perilous job, he has begun scouting potential smugglers to take him to Europe. (Eros Hoagland for The New York Times)