JOURNAL: Bazaar Transactions

Recent speculation by the Afghan Interior Ministry is that the kidnappers of the three UN workers in Kabul is a local criminal gang and not the guerrillas (Jaish-e-muslimeen) claiming their capture.  "They are just a small group trying to make publicity," an Interior ministry spokesman told the BBC.  They believe that the group merely paid for a copy of a video of the captured workers.  This is a classic bazaar transaction initiated by guerrilla entrepreneurs.

However, there is a silver lining to this if the speculation is proven correct.  The transaction demonstrates that there may not be enough violence capital in Afghanistan available for smooth bazaar operation.  This is likely due to the fact that most of the potential funders of this type of operation are extremely happy with the existing transactional opportunities in the Afghan drug trade (which throws off $2.5 billion a year in cash).  As long as this cash flow continues, a bazaar may not be able to form in Afghanistan.  NOTE:  the synchronization of activities (funding, innovation, and expertise) between Iraq and Afghanistan via an open source bazaar is the road to a worst case scenario for the region.

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[phil jones]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4022197.stm