Wasteland at the back of shops used as stabling for draught horses. In the distance is the Bala Hissar citadel, now home to an Afghan army base and mooring for one of the American blimps that carry electronic surveillance gear and cameras.

Simon Norfolk

Historically, Kuchis were strongly pro-Taliban; feelings made more intense by being bombed by NATO off their traditional grazing lands in Helmand. They are allowed to set up camp here on Kabul’s periphery only because it is below a large, new Afghan Army

Simon Norfolk

Some of the Media Operations team including a Combat Camera unit, Camp Bastion, Helmand.

Simon Norfolk

Afghan Police being trained by US Marines, Camp Leatherneck.

Simon Norfolk

Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador Sir William Charters Patey KCMG, his private secretary and his Nepalese mercenary security guards.

Simon Norfolk

Afghan police trainees being taken to the firing ranges by US Marines, Camp Leatherneck, Helmand.

Simon Norfolk

Watchtowers on the perimeter of Camp Bastion.

Simon Norfolk

A shaded rest area built by helicoptor re-fuelling crews at Camp Bastion.

Simon Norfolk

The seemingly endless number of helicopter pads and hangars at Camp Bastion.

Simon Norfolk

Pakistani ‘Jingle Trucks’ end their long journey up from Karachi at the gates of Kandahar Air Field where they wait to be scanned, x-rayed and searched. Only people, ammunition and emergency requirements come by aircraft. Warlord-owned security companies

Simon Norfolk

One of the huge logistics compounds at Camp Leatherneck. A modern, technological army needs hundreds of thousands of different kinds of objects in order to keep it working. A $100m warplane can be grounded for the want of a $1 part. Supplying these things

Simon Norfolk

There are 16,000 US Marines aboard Camp Leatherneck spread over 1,600 acres. Empty shipping containers are used as storage, wind breaks or blast walls. In May 2010 a mysterious fire, that may have been sabotage, destroyed 9 acres of containers. It burned

Simon Norfolk