[Leica] Well

[mads.christensen at gmx.net (Mads Christensen)]

Steve, Don et al.

Thanks for the interest shown as regards my wellbeing.

Please be sure that I am alive and kicking but things seem to be getting 
nastier...

A friend of mine asked this morning if this country was not a beautiful 
albeit dangerous place? Here is what I told him: I really don't know if it 
is a beautiful place because I am not in a position to see and judge for 
myself. But I know now for sure that it can be deadly dangerous. 

I live in a compound in the green zone and this is also where our offices 
are located. I am working with three colleagues on capacity development 
(human and institutional, that is) and hence we need to be in as close as 
possible dialogue with our counterparts in the ministry. That institution, 
however, is located in the red zone and hence we are going there at odd 
intervals throughout the week for 2-hour-'visits'. We are riding with 
private security firms using armoured vehicles and we are all wearing flak 
jackets and kevlar helmets. We are guided to/from the building by our armed 
guards and they stand by outside the meeting rooms because of the risk of 
shooting incidents and attempts of kidnapping. This kind of working 
situation is of course far from ideal when trying to promote new styles of 
working and new structures and work processes in the ministry but this is 
what the security situation calls for. 

When shuttling in the vehicles, we are subject to the risk of car bombs but 
so far our intelligence have prevented us from being 'too' close to such 
events. A couple of nights ago, we had two rockets 'landing' in the 
compound; one went through the roof of the block that I was just passing by 
and when I reached by own block for shelter, we were all told to seek 
shelter a different place because another rocket had actually penetrated the 
outer wall my block, at the opposite end of where my room is located. That 
had happened just seconds before the rocket the impact of which I witnessed. 
None of the two rockets exploded because the explosive material apparently 
had lost its power! Thus we were lucky to have only minor casualties that 
night, which was my first incident of this kind. During the day in the green 
zone we have frequently 'lock downs' because of imminent risks of explosions 
of bombs that sometimes turns out to be true and sometimes turn out to be 
based on inaccurate intelligence. Sic!

I look forward to my leave in February...

Stay safe guys - whereever you are,

Mads

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