Shooting Afghanistan: An Olympic Dream Turned Nightmare

During their occupation, the Russians built an olympic-sized swimming pool as part of a bid for the games. Crowned by diving boards, it's set on one of the many hills around Kabul. The pool was never part of the Olympics. Instead, it was used during the Taliban regime as an execution ground.

The pool was already empty by then. Some people where brought down into the basin and shot against the blue walls. Others were taken up the highest diving board and thrown off.

The skies are clear blue when we arrive. images of what happened on this hill take shape in my head, but when we arrive at the top there's only an empty pool. It's a little windy. There's a fence around it. The door is locked but on the other side one is open. The spot is fairly unremarkable except for the view from the highest diving board, which is sweeping.

I wonder if the men and women who died here were blindfolded.