Wow really impressive photos. Especially of the marine who's ducking away from being shot at.

I'm grateful for Boston.com to pursue a project like this site. It's great to see news photography on the Web used for more than link bait. You've won another reader (viewer?) in me.

Truly devastating what has happened to Afghanistan over the past two decades

Thank you for these photos.
The one of the girls swinging is lovely, I am putting it up.
I am now a fan of Boston.com/big picture, and will pass it to my friends,

Clearly still a very beautiful country.

Why dont we see our Heros more often lately?Could it be - SUCCESS?

Amazing pictures! The pictures of the boy on the donkey and the girls on the swings are touching.

woooooooooooow,thank you,
it was wonderful,photoes,Especialy the one Afghan special forces police man walking through the poppy field and the little girl Swinging is very sweet.
again thanks to the Boston.com for the nice photo

I find it interesting. We spend so much on gear for our soldiers -- and rightfully so -- but our enemy gets around on business shoes and rubber sandals :)

agha damet garm kheli bahal bood
very very good tnx

Wonderous...

Dale, we're laughing at you, not with you.

Amazing that Dale can look at these beautiful (and devastating) pictures and declare success. Mission accomplished Dale? Not quite, sadly.

Afghanistan is very good and I like it.but i can‍'t go there.
I am a afghan boy

Hi - i am a Afghan & Iive in HERAT
Sorry - i not good English Speaking
I love my Country , My Land is 30 years war ...
Thanks for this images
i am 13 age I love Afghanistan ....

if that is truly taliban how in he** did he get a us military issue bdu shirt, he is probably one of those lowlifes who says he is a friend to our forces to their faces but in reality he is a backstabber.

How courageous from those taliban fighters to stand against the most powerfully equipped army in the world with merely guns and old shoes to fight. THEY do not need a pay at the end of the month to put their life at risk as mercenaries do. They do not back off at the first shot as many afghans from the coalition forces do (or used to), though they are not more well-trained than them. They believe in their fight. They fight for moral issues.
Frank -a christian not keen on extremism but rather impressed by courage and actual belief (sorry for my approximative English)

isn't it some Papaver somniferum on the first picture?

These photographs are stunning and sadly evocative of the chaos that is the Afghanistan and "war on terror".

Why don't Marines wear helmets?

Frank, you're right, they are very courageous. Especially when killing teachers and burning schools to ensure that Afghan children cannot learn anything other than 'moral issues'. That doesn't even take into account the morally glorious gift of heroin addiction they so selflessly share with the world. THEY are surely heroes in any culture, not just those that treasure death more than life.

If that young Afghan girl were captured by the Taliban she would be senenced to death for being without Burkha. Lovely photo nevertheless.

Actually, Frank, it's time to put romantic notions (fed by Che posters) aside: most of them fight for money too. except it's paid for by the heroin that is also killing your people on the streets of Europe.

Stunning photographs. We have clearly not won the war and our courageous soldiers fight on needlessly for oil, for ego, for a sick kind of power over the rest of the world.

Clearly still a beautiful country!!! When a woman--who knows how old, how hot, how sick--must beg for alms on a dusty road.

Thank you for sharing these photos. They are stunning. My heart goes out to the innocent people of Afghanistan who are under siege from the hysterical Taliban. God bless the soldiers who risk their lives to defend these people. I am also grateful for the brave (crazy?) journalists who put their lives on the line to get these images so that the rest of us in our cozy, air conditioned peaceful homes can see what is happening in parts of the world where people are not so lucky.

Frank, how come the ANA (Afghan National Army) smashes the Taliban/AQ/Pakistani resistance about 20-50 to one in almost every military engagement?

How come the Taliban generally run away from the ANA? Why are the Taliban (mostly not Afghans) so scared of the ANA--a real and legitimate muslim army?

Do you know a single Afghan? Have you talked to them? Have you talked to a brave and talented soldier from the ANA? Well, if you want to learn the meaning of manhood, courage, tenacity, and execution . . . you might want to talk to a soldier from the ANA.

If you want to learn more, read: http://www.longwarjournal.org/oob/afghanistan/index.php

A new update on the ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces) comes out in the next few days.

On another topic, the Pakistani army has lost more dead fighting Frank's Taliban/AQ recently than the US military has in all combat operations since Vietnam put together.

The Taliban prefers to fight the Pakistani Army, which performs much more poorly against the Taliban. (Does anyone know why?)

I still can't believe anyone would say Afghanistan is better off, or anything close to a success.

The only real reporting on the Middle East occurs in the foreign press... for example here's a good article by the Guardian:
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/08/afghanistan

The media over here might be able to take a few pretty pictures, but everything else is fluff or propaganda. Never trust the corporate media.

A war so distant; photos which remind me that the sun still shines on every man

This last photo of the girls on the swings gives me ideas. Talented photographer.

These photographs are...extraordinary !

Impressive..i believe its hard to take pictures of a talib as they were so much strict for photography thing when they were ruling the country..i m impressed who ever done that..

Very good and admirable.

THANKE YOU VERY MACH

A real reality check to see what those soldiers were doing on April 26th when I remember that day and what I was doing here in a free country because of their service and bravery. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH- I BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU FIGHT FOR.

best photo journalism i've ever seen on something close to a daily basis

quality is the only thing that will save the news

Darul Aman palace didn't look like that when I lived there in the 1970's.... what a shame. Aside from the war photos, Afghanistan still looks relatively unchanged in out in the countryside.

Please keep taking photos. My brother is with the B company of the 24th MEU and it is so relieving to us family members when we get to catch a glimse of them.

To AZIZ who wrote:

"Hi - i am a Afghan & Iive in HERAT
Sorry - i not good English Speaking
I love my Country , My Land is 30 years war ...
Thanks for this images
i am 13 age I love Afghanistan ....
Posted by Aziz Badghisi "

We all very much hope Aziz that you will one day soon be able to live in your country with freedom and happiness. With its beauty and its people it will be a wonderful place.

Please can we come and pay a visit then?

Great photos, every one of them. What an abysmal place to have to exist in.
I'm glad that Marine ducked at just the right time. Shouldn't he have a helmet on?

I love Muslims,,ALLAH RAB UL EZAT hum sub ko apnay Iman may rakhay

My goodness...we should count ourselves soooo fortunate; this is clearly a life of hardness and dispare; I lowered my own head and asked God a Prayer....give them Peace and a life of goodenss and not fear.

Rahab

hi
this photos were fantastic keep it up

Great shots! Could you please enable them for piclens?

http://piclens.com/

thanks!

these images make the issues of Afghanistan not seem as bad are perhaps what they are or what we are told they are...

But is really shows the different aspects of life that still occur

hi i am afghani this is very good page i also work in afghanistan one time the taliban kingnape to me in northern area

Jen - if you haven't done so already visit marineparents.com Despite it's name it's not just for parents but that's who started it. There are chat rooms for most deployed units, parents, friends and siblings. You can usually go to a thread and someone can give you a specific site to find pics. I knoe the24 MEU is photographed a lot. I was looking for pics of the 2/7 and found these wonderful shots. The Marine w/o his head gear will probably never take it off again! Luckily he wasn't injured. His wife was 7 mo pregnant when she saw the photos (there are actually a series of them) and was exteremly upset, injured or not. He not only had his head gear off but doesn't even have on his sappies! Keep up the good work here, I'll be back!

Rahmat Gul has taken some of the most remarkable photos. I love his work!

hallo ich bin auch afganish aber ich glaube dass diese fotos vr 12 jahren sind
ich liebe meinen land und ich liebe alle afganische leute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE AFGHANISTAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ICH LIEBE AFGANISTAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MAIN AFGHANISTAN SE PIYAR KARTE HOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ZE DE AFGHANISTAN SARA MINNA LAROM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Goran Tomasevic IS ONE GUTSY PHOTOGRAPHER. His two photographs of the marine nearly taking a direct hit was remarkable. I'd have been throwing myself on the ground and covering my butt not taking photographs. I would have loved to have seen a portrait of the young marine after the near miss and I bet he shot the portrait and the editors just skipped it.

Don't give up, Afghanistan. It's worth the fight. Those who only see dismal squalor and poverty do not see small improvements and justice, however slowly, evolving. Don't give up on freedom. This is not (just?) about oil, this is about the Afghani people and their right to be free in the country they love and call home. The despicable conditions (especially for women) under the Taliban were unspeakable. A long way to go, but things are better than they were under Taliban rule.

I'm a former Marine who has served overseas...a few of you questioned the lack of headgear on the Marine in the pictures above..I have a possible explanation( or a few). First, the heat. The weather forecast for Bost/Laskar Afghanistan is sunny and 113 for tomorrow. Sometimes, you take some protective gear off when in a defensive position (which it appears they were in). Usually in a squad or platoon level, half the Marines will break for food and water, while the other half watch the perimeter. If you look at the Marine behind him, he is "geared up" with kevlar helmet and flak jacket. My guess is that the Sergeant was recovering, possibly with the photographer seated beside him, when they were attacked. It is important to find the direction of attack and return fire immediately. More so than scrambling for gear. Secondly, he was probably being fired upon by small arms fire (7.62 Kalashnikov most likely) which would penetrate a kevlar helmet with ease. The helmet is useful when receiving indirect fire like a mortar or artillery from above that generates shrapnel. So, while it would be better if he was wearing one, it wouldn't have helped had the Taliban been on target. Third, it's easier to fire and manuever without as much gear - on special missions your light infantry will leave behind gear for the added benefit of speed and mobility - Marine Recon, SEALS, Delta, etc. don't wear Kevlar helmets. Generally speaking though, Marines have combat discipline, and in most cases will be wearing their Kevlar, as they are shock troops usually involved in heavy firefights with direct and indirect fire. FYI Semper Fi

I am happy to watch fotos but really feel hurt to see afghans and afghanistan situation.....thnx for uploading.

Afghanistan has this situation for almost 300 years. Nothing new.

при россии такого не было

Yeah, now the marines trying to do what Soviets do pretty well for decade. But Soviets at least have been building new schools and hospitals in Afghanistan, while USA is building new jails now. All hail to democracy, indeed.

Take a look at firts photo.

This is poppy field, one of many, that feeds warlords and Talibans alike.
But occupying forces don't destoy it:

a) most of heroin, refined from this poppy goes to Russia, so who cares.

b) the rest goes to Europe so who cares

c) poor peasant's have no other means to live but to live off the heroin

d) but occupying forses do not even TRY to re-establish a normal life by building
industry and agriculture as soviets did during soviet-afgan war

So war will carry on.

It will never stops untill americans and euro troopers come back home from Afghanistan.
I hope all this cocainum come to US! and happy birthday DEMOCRATE!

i want to ask everybody about the taget of US army mission in Afganistan.
what is a really summ result of this mission?
have they bild the democracy country?
have they brought the freedom and peace for simple people/
i think NO!!!
US soldier dies in this contry for nothing
Talibs is fighting for a heroine and money! it's just a simple buisiness for them. this is a their way to live
my brother fight in Afganistan 82-85 and broght another photos from this war for heroine

Je mehr sie ihnen helfen, desto mehr Slodaten sterben werden. Talibs sollen aussterben!!!

Лицемеры. дкмаю чем больше Содат США будет убито тем быстрее прекратится производво наркотиков.

>при россии такого не было

в смысле - при царской ?
шучу конечно, сквозь зубы

"от СССР осталась - РоссияФ, от РоссииФ уже ничего не останется"
(с) - а вот непомню

Мужики, а что если американцы оттуда уйдут местное население наркотики прекратит выращивать? Кому-то там надо находиться талибов за яйца дергать. Пусть лучше америкосов там стреляют, Ремба третий пусть там демократию строит. Они же так переживали за свободолюбивый афганский народ. По-моему этим дурачкам по карме вернулись те пакости которые они натворили в 80-х.

Ага, прально человек в 57 ом посте говорит. Почему же войска не уничтожают поля мака ? Может быть потому что большинство героина идет в Россию ? Или наркота это не нефть, не так интересно ?

Свободу Уэсли Снайбсу!
=)
Изверги американские, никакой у них демократии...чо творят...взяли и посодили товарища низачто...требую международного вмешательства во внутренние дела США! Это совершенно автократичная страна...сажают за решетку почем зря! =)
Image:
Poster whith president Bush on it, and f-16 behind...
On the middle of a poster we see an inscription:
Do u still dont bealive in democraty? Than we are go to u country!

пидарасня афганская. амеры - уебаны, в афган пришли, чтобы посадки опия в разы поднять?

Very sad. These paople are dying for tons of drugs planted only to destroy russian children.
The war is ugly and the americans take part in it.

The first photo shows the meaning. Drugs is the main weapon. Against whom? Please find the answer yourself. hs
And who's weapon is this? The answer in on the surface.
Poor Afgan people are just a mean.

It is really sad 2 c this.These pictures tell me how lucky i am

There's something that bothers me on the photo of the man on the bike and the woman begging... His bike is fairly new...

I don't usually generalise, and won't right now. So I won't say that the US Citizens are all stupid scumbags. I'll just say that the oil thirsty politics of the USA is not my bag.

ZNAJU. VIVAT SEZERAJ NAGAXAN KANDAGAR POST SURAVY ---NAGAHASKY POVOROT.SALAM ALEIKUM SENJARAI.). SURAVY EDIK.

I am a Marine and have been there. We do wear helmets and a flak vest. Those Marines with the 24th MEU were probably tired and not on post. Therefore, were attacked by surprise. These Taliban fought Russians with the Mujahideen in the 80s. They are as good with their mortar systems as my boys with 81mm Mortar Platoon are with theirs. 2/7 out of 29 Palms right now are getting combat replacements because of their amount of casualties. I'm on Pendleton and am thinking of going to help them out. Also, the Taliban are mostly foreign because of their Jihad and ever since the war with Russia, many foreigners have stayed. Russia fought and had a hatred that was mutual between them and Chechnaya. After that, many Chechynayans went there to keep fighting Russia. You can hear Pashtu, Russian, Farsi, Arabic, etc... Anyway, my point is they all are there to specifically fight the good and dictate and thug around everyone of lesser strength and organization because they are terrorists and need their own place to operate and do something like organize a major attack, such as 9/11. American military and the innocent people of Afghanistan deserve to be rid of these men, these Taliban. If you see a few guys wearing something called the "color of the day", then kill them because they are Taliban and the world will be a better place.

Yea the Taliban gets all their money from heroin. Haha you also think that the US is also worse with the people of Afghanistan than Russia. Russia would throw mustard gas like capsules into their wells. I'm a marine thats been there and have seen a school being built by soldiers after it took them TOO LONG to convince some religious cleric to let them build it. Girls cant attend there because he says so too. So watch what you say if u dont noe wat ur talkin abt. #52 Michael B. knows what he is talkin about. Also, a lot of Taliban will wear a cami blouse to show that they've killed a man that was wearing that. That's American cami pattern though from around Desert Storm time, and we were never there when that cami was being used. However, if you look at pictures of Taliban, you may see Russian Spetznas cami. They got those trousers with Russian special forces cami pattern because they took it from the Spetznas that they killed.

Спасибо за пост. Недавно задумался над исследованием этой темы - и вот на тебе - ваш пост! Очень кстати!

War is business.

No one cares about Afghans or democracy. My house is hardly 2 km away from Presidential palace in Kabul Afghanistan and yet after so many years we still do not have electricity. You can immagine if the situation is so in Kabul how bad the living standard would be for rest of its citizens.

USA spends more money on war in one month than total aid provided to Afghanistan by ALL countries in the last 7 years. Poverty and hopelessness creates more desprite people who would do anything to feed their starving children so the cycle of war continues. Warlords are still in key government possitions and the elite and governent officials are busy filling their bank accounts.

So who is the real winner in this war?

Afghans are not benefitting from this because they are subjected to more and more war. The winners are the big defense contractors who provide bullets and weapon for the war. I wonder how much more money these warmongers need to make before they leave us Afghans breath the sigh of relief?

What else human being can do other than killing each other ?

Хорошо написано. Почитаю еще.

THANKU SO MUCH TO THIS SITE BECAUSE OF WHICH WE GET THE AWARNESS OF THE WORLD, IT REALLY ADMIRING.

Всем привет...
Хорошо, что ведете такой интересный сайт
Теперь на www.boston.com буду чаще заходить

Reply to comment 24....There is not any oil in Afghanistan. the fight is to repel taliabn lawless rule.

I came across this web page because I am searching for ONE photo of a US soldier building a school in Afghanistan. NOT a fully armed and armored soldier handing out clothing, toys and candy. NOT a slick US military website photo. Not a Dutch, Canadian, Australian, or German soldier. Not UNICEF. Here in the US we are told of US soldiers building schools in Afghanistan and I want to see if I am being lied to. I am not even saying a US soldier SHOULD build a school in Afghanistan - I am just searching for proof of what I am being told through media in the US. If you are a US soldier and you can state that you have built a school in Afghanistan, tell me about it.

In response to #52...I hear ya, except that unit discipline should not allow both of these soldiers not to wear headgear in such a position. Too, note that the "shrapnel" of the ricocheting rocks can cause head trauma that a Kevlar helmet would protect against. In addition, the distance of the Kalashnikov has a distinct effect on its penetration probabilities...the farther away the shooter is, the less likely she'll penetrate Kevlar and body armor. Sadly, too often Marines seem to eschew basic combat skills in favor of "machoing up," as it were. Too often Marines don't dig in or construct proper defensive positions, to their detriment. Nothing against them, but it is a reflection of their leadership.

My heart goes out to the Afgan people,because all that's happening currently is of outside influences.I hope for the Afgan people get left alone from the rest of the world and allow the Afgan people to live there own lives and make there own decissions.