MOSCOW -- The last major stronghold of the Taliban, the city of Kandahar, has fallen, though Osama bin Laden is still hiding in the entrails of Tora Bora mountains. Russians are among the few nations for whom news about the surrender of Kandahar rings a special bell. The city still occupies a prominent, though sinister, place in modern Russian lore.
During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Kandahar used to be one of the most dreaded destinations for the Soviet military. The very name with its hoarse croaking syllables sounded sinister -- as if it had been invented by J.R.R. Tolkien for a city in the evil land Mordor. The fighters of Kandahar attacked fiercely; they were tireless, brutal and resilient.
In the best Russian tradition of dealing with horror by mocking it, veterans of the Afghanistan war came up with this sample of black humor: In Moscow, a veteran sits in a barber's chair. Now and then the barber whispers "Kandahar!" into his ear. The veteran snaps, "Why do you keep saying that?" The barber replies, "Because when I say it, your hair stands on end and is easier to cut."