I have seen a smattering of images from the Kandahar Prison Break. But the 60th edition of the cyber magazine for the Taliban offers the best selection of photos and also a debriefing commentary.
The first photo:
Home where the digging of the tunnel was started. Initial digging was done by one person, with three tasked to remove the dirt. The dirt and sand was placed in baskets in scooters and ferried to trucks where the dirt was then sold. Later the operational tempo increased and more spades and buckets were added with an average of four meters per night in progession of the escape route.
The entrance of the tunnel within the prison:
At one hundred meters problems were encountered with ventilation. A fan was used at first but merely caused headaches. Later, air tubes were added and a total of 45 lanterns were used to light the space. The article does not note how the space was braced to keep from caving in.
The vulnerability:
The political wing of prisoners was housed on the lowest level. That made tunneling an achievable objective.
Final two photos:
Inside the prison - a bit of diversion was provided as the final few meters of tunnel was dug and the spades made their way up through the floor. Prisoner evacuation progressed starting at 12:30 a.m. and happened in what is described as an orderly fashion with prisoners being awakened in each room, in order of the rooms. Thirty-six prisoners per truck were ferried to the outskirts of the city. It is stated that "high level consultations" were made prior to the actual end game to assure an orderly and rapid transition through the tunnel.
The cost of the operation is stated to be $20,000 U.S. dollars. The article also gives reference to prison breaks in June 2003 and June 2008. I have not included images which would clearly identify our soldiers, nor any of the Afghan force guarding the prison. There are some available. Journalism should never be at the expense of endangerment to our troops.
Tammy Swofford
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