Change gathers pace in Kabul

Work to rebuild the capital has barely begun

		By BBC News Online's Marcus George in Afghanistan

Afghanistan's interim government is gaining momentum in its goal to re-establish an element of law and order in a country ravished by more than 20 years of war.

I returned to the capital, Kabul, after three weeks out of the country to find a state in slow, but sure, progression as the new cabinet settles in.

In the last three months Afghanistan has come a long way. Public confidence is growing that this government will make a difference

Offices which did not exist before the new year had been created to meet the needs of an administration in bloom.

Departmental shuffles are making way for members of an Afghan-educated elite who, bit by bit, are said to be returning to take part in the renaissance of Afghanistan.

I founf the new chief of the Protocol Department - a former Afghan ambassador to Poland who had been appointed in the last few days.

Abdul Hai Haidar was laying down orders from behind a massive desk about the increasing requests from ministers for diplomatic passports.

New look

The entire staff of the Foreign Ministry, in line with Dr Abdullah Abdullah, carry out their duties wearing Western suits and ties.

Traditional Afghan robes and turbans are being washed away by a flood of Western clothes.

Leather jackets and pressed trousers have now become de rigeur in the city, but not without a closely clipped beard.

Demilitarising Kabul is a top priority

The renaissance is also supported by the international community, which is returning to Afghanistan.

On my way to the Foreign Ministry my vehicle was brought to an abrupt halt as a diplomatic convoy, flanked by 1970s-style police bikers clad in black leather jackets and goggles, cut through the centre of town.

The Germans had arrived.

This was a significant event in light of Germany's historical importance in Afghanistan in the early part of the 20th Century.

Streets in the neighbourhood had even been closed off for their arrival. I asked a spokesman at the ministry why such a fuss had been made over the Germans.

"Oh, it is not for them," he said. "The security officials are just making their mark on the city and showing who is in control."

An envoy from Japan had also arrived and a French delegation was due tomorrow.

Police take over

In a latest sign of the tightening of security, the city's military barracks are to be closed, with official police forces taking over.

International peacekeepers have been welcomed with open arms by Kabul residents who feared an increasingly volatile situation after the fall of the city last November.

Interim leader Hamid Karzai is rapidly establishing himself

Hamid Karzai, the chairman of the interim government, has spent the last few weeks transforming himself into a statesman, and appears to be fighting hard for peace and stability in Afghanistan.

In just 20 days the mood change on the street is apparent. Public confidence is growing that this government will make a difference.

In the last three months Afghanistan has come a long way. But there is still a long way to go.