Afghan tourism bring reward as well as risk; government urges caution

[WorldNews]

By Josh Smith and Hamid Shalizi KABUL (Reuters) - When police stopped a van that was traveling across central Afghanistan to the western city of Herat, they were in for a big surprise: it was full of Western tourists. "Because of the police they're alive," said a senior Interior Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity. In this instance, the group had set out from Bamiyan, once home to giant Buddha statues carved into the cliffs until they were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.

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