Abbas traveled to Afghanistan in 1986 to cover the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan through the lens of its Afghan regime allies rather than through the US-supported mujahedeen, with whom they were at war. He returned in 1992 and 2001. Excerpts from his initial impressions:⁣ “I experienced a kind of permanent schizophrenia throughout my six weeks’ stay in Afghanistan. Reality did not always coincide with what the Party wanted me to see.⁣ I was completely free to go wherever the Party wanted me to go, that is to say only in the zones controlled by the regime. It was out of the question to go to Kandahar, Herat, Ghazni or Bamyan, though these are regions that are interesting because the rebels are active there.....A ‘journalist’ accompanied me everywhere and, as I learnt from one of his colleagues, he reported every morning at the offices of the Secret Service. I could photograph whatever I wanted — except for the Afghan army, or the Russians, civil or military.”⁣ “All my visits to institutions were, of course, organized, but my guides never tried to influence what pictures I took or what questions I asked. I speak fluent Farsi (which Abbas said was very close to the official language, Dari) and thus I did not need an interpreter. But the liberalism of their attitude was remarkable for anyone who knows Eastern Bloc countries where one is only allowed to see what is ‘positive.’ My Afghan guides never tried to hide the great poverty of their country.”⁣ - Abbas. See link in bio for the full @magnumphotos story on ‘Four Tumultuous Decades in Afghanistan’. ⁣ ⁣ City of Kabul. Afghanistan. 1992. A Mujahideen from Ahmad Shah Massoud fights for control of the capital. A tank belonging to the faction led by General Rashid Dostom provides covering fire. © Fonds Abbas Photos/Magnum Photos. #afghanistan #war #abbasphotos #magnumphotos