Jouvenal, a famous British cameraman who has covered Afghanistan since 1980, opened the Gandamack Lodge in Kabul in 2001 after the fall of the Taliban regime. The original lodge he purchased was said to have housed Osama bin Laden’s fourth wife. Jouvenal did extensive coverage during the Soviet occupation and is noted for being one of the only cameramen to have filmed the infamous Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. His lodge and its Flashman Restaurant are a favorite hot spot for reporters and foreign aid workers in Afghanistan. Can you tell me about your meeting with then Mujahideen and now wanted Taliban leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar?
I remember telling U.S. officials not to trust Hekmatyar. I was a fairly young journalist when I first met him. I remember it was during the Soviet occupation and Hekmatayar’s group was shouting “Death to the Soviet Union. Death to the U.S.” I thought, “That’s odd,” since the U.S. was supplying weapons against the Soviets. I remember [Hekmatayar’s] translator saying, “Oh, he’s only saying that to gain support from the people, he doesn’t mean it.” I was such a green reporter then.
Tell me about the George McDonald Fraser books and how they influenced your lodge and naming of Flashman Restaurant?
Great books. Harry Flashman is a brilliant character and a cad. The stories are like looking into a bit of real Afghan history, with a fictional twist.
What can the U.S. do now for the Afghan people?
Afghan agriculture is so important to their society and it needs to be reinvigorated again. Afghanistan can benefit from exporting agricultural products, particularly the Persian Gulf. We need to invest more in those projects. Our focus should not just be in the southern provinces but look to the more peaceful northern provinces to develop strong programs to get the Afghans back on their feet.
— Sara A. Carter
