Afghanistan: Bernard-Henri Lévy special envoy of the Republic

Photos by Marc Roussel

The Americans sent their best military experts, the Germans their logisticians, the British their economists, while Jacques Chirac, the French President at the time, and Lionel Jospin, who was Chirac’s prime minister then, preferred to send an intellectual. Afghanistan had to be reconstructed and everyone contributed. In early 2002, BHL was sent as an envoy of the French Republic and travelled all over the country for more than two months to meet warlords, future leaders, the last Talibans who were operating in broad daylight in Kandahar and Atiq Rahimi, a young Afghan writer who had returned to the country. The outcome of this mission was a report to the French President and Prime Minister written by Bernard-Henri Lévy on France’s participation in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. The newspaper Les Nouvelles de Kaboul is the first step of that contribution.

Bernard-Henri Lévy In Kabul, on the road leading to the Darulaman Palace. — In Kabul, on the road leading to the Darulaman Palace. ©Marc Roussel

A destroyed theater in Kabul. ©Marc Roussel

Children In the streets of Kabul. — In the streets of Kabul. ©Marc Roussel

With an Afghan family, in Kabul. ©Marc Roussel

Bernard-Henri Lévy in the streets of Kabul. ©Marc Roussel

Bernard-Henri Lévy works at the French embassy in Kabul. — Bernard-Henri Lévy at the French embassy in Kabul. ©Marc Roussel

Bernard-Henri Lévy and Atiq Rahimi, in Kabul. ©Marc Roussel

Bernard-Henri Lévy and warlord Abdul Rachid Dostom in Kabul. ©Marc Roussel

Bernard-Henri Lévy with warlord Ismail Khan in Kabul. ©Marc Roussel

In Malalai High School in Kabul. ©Marc Roussel

At the Kandahar airport with Gilles Hertzog and the US special forces. ©Marc Roussel

In a village, on the road to Bamiyan, with Gilles Hertzog (right) and Frédéric Tissot (left), a humanitarian doctor who was temporarily chargé d'affaires at the French Embassy in Kabul. — In a village, on the road to Bamiyan, with Gilles Hertzog (right) and Frédéric Tissot (left), a humanitarian doctor who was temporarily chargé d’affaires at the French Embassy in Kabul. ©Marc Roussel

View of the Bamiyan caves. ©Marc Roussel

The Buddhas of Bamiyan were destroyed by the Taliban.

Bernard-Henri Levy and the warlords in Kandahar. — In Kandahar. ©Marc Roussel

Bernard-Henri Lévy in a street in Kandahar, a Taliban stronghold. The philosopher discusses with the population. ©Marc Roussel

Bernard-Henri Lévy with Gul Agha Sherzai in Kandahar. ©Marc Roussel