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.
![[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)]](http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/05smuggle.span.600.jpg "05smuggle.span.600.jpg")
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)