Gratuitous Afghan Resturant Photo II

This was probably the only Afghan resturant on a US military base in Afghanistan, for a while.

In 2001 the Afghan government found out that the US 82nd Airborne Division was going to establish a base at the site of one of their safehouses. Knowing that the Afghan Militia Forces (AMF) would be working in conjunction with the US to provide security they sent Mr. Aziz (a very poor man) to the new base called Salerno to establish a bakery and provide food for the AMF.

Salerno grew and annexed Aziz's bakery and several abandoned and occupied buildings. Aziz began selling bread to the US troops (unofficially).

In June 04, while I was away in BAF (Bagram Airfield) our engineer officer (who we nicknamed "Buddy-FET") gave the green light for Aziz to renovate this building and start a resturant.

Like a good Chicagoan, I looked the other way, neither condoning nor forbidding the questionable establishment. That is until the Vet Corps officer came in July and told us that he did not have an approved food source and recommended shutting it down. That was all the excuse I needed. I wrote a memo banning US personnel from patronizing the place. The AMF (now renamed a more politically correct: Khowst Provincial Force) were still welcome there.

Today the US has bought Aziz out and he is the manager of what amounts to a convention center with an authentic Afghan atmosphere.

By the way, the sign was a gift from our engineer company who were supposed to be building buildings, roads and such.