Monday 7 May 2012

The American Club Peshawar

The American Club (in Peshawar) was populated by a peculiar group of colorful ex-patriots: journalists, aid workers, would-be spies, and political operatives. The strongest presence at the club was a clique of journalists who covered the Afghan war with a markedly pro-American intervention bias. Key players of this group in the late 1980s included Kurt Lohbeck of CBS News, his girlfriend Anne Hurd of Mercy Fund (a pro-Mujahideen charity), and Steve Masty, an independent journalist and writer. For years their reporting had been nurturing a positive image of the Mujahideen in the American press. They portrayed the Afghan fighters as noble warriors fighting solely to liberate their country from brutal Soviet invaders and their puppet Marxist government.

from the Spy of the Heart by Robert Abdul Hayy Darr click here

Brilliant musicians gathered at the American Club, and so many were of Irish descent. I frequented this establishment regularly between 1993-96 and the photos were taken in that era.

Sean pictured below, must have been the most colourful of them all, with an amazing voice. But with the passage of time, I have forgotten the names of other performers who appear in the photos below. If you know the names of any of these characters, please make a comment in the section at the end.


Sean, the Irish Australian singer who played the banjo so well.








                Some good old boys sat in a circle near the bar singing songs poking fun at the Mujahideen to popular 1960s melodies strummed on the guitar. Laughter and shouts added rhythm to the songs as they floated across the smoke-filled room and mixed with the clanging of glasses and bottles, fuel for the party atmosphere.



All sorts of groups formed at the bar and I became a member of a paragliding club that practiced at Kohat.



I first met Steve Masty (left) in Peshawar He was managing the American Club. It was late 1993, He was louging in a wicker chair, wearing white Shalwar Kemeez and chatting to a friend. I used every drop of charm and decorum. I possessed as I was going to work some years in Afghanistan and wanted membership to the club, as it was the only place in this fundamentalist frontier city one could have a wee dram when visiting.


"No problem, “ he smiled. This was the start of a friendship that has lasted ever since.

What a talented man: Song writer, movie director, singer, author, once a speech writer for Ronald Reegan, Steve did a PhD in Scottish literature in Edinburgh.

To describe the  of that era I quote from the Spy of the Heart by Robert Abdul Hayy Darr

Chapter 11. A Loss of Face


The first evening back in Peshawar, I walked ten minutes along the main avenue to the nearest ice-cream parlor to claim the treat I had been thinking about for the last few months. I was still exhausted from my trip to northern Afghanistan, but excited by the prospect of meeting some friends at the local gathering place for ex-patriots of all descriptions. The American Club was located in University Town, the nicest and safest neighborhood in Peshawar, on a large parcel of well-watered land planted with all kinds of trees and flowers that thrived in the heat of the Subcontinent. The club building was a simple two-story cement structure, square in appearance like most of the buildings in the neighborhood, but considerably larger. The club is where journalists and aid workers from all over the world met for drinks and talk.


Some good old boys sat in a circle near the bar singing songs poking fun at the Mujahideen to popular 1960s melodies strummed on the guitar. Laughter and shouts added rhythm to the songs as they floated across the smoke-filled room and mixed with the clanging of glasses and bottles, fuel for the party atmosphere. The consumption of alcohol was no small part of club life.

Alcohol was by law forbidden to Pakistani Muslims, but within the confines of the club, Scotch whiskey and American triumphalism flowed freely. I could smell it on the breath of the guests and in the sweat in the air. I could hear the unreason of alcohol in the livelier-than-usual conversations, sometimes unduly insistent, but often quirky and amusing, here at happy hour central. The lampooning of the Mujahideen and their leaders was just part of the usual night of fun at the American Club.

It felt very strange to be back here after my recent mission to remote northern Afghanistan. As desperate as things were in the famine area and as agitated as I had been working with the various parties of that conflict, those experiences felt solid and meaningful compared to this social carnival.


I always felt out of place when I stepped into the club. I didn’t drink or smoke, I didn’t enjoy small talk and gossip. When staying in Peshawar, I usually remained with the Afghan staff that I worked with, even into the evening. This was partly because my office and living quarters were in the same compound as those of our foundation’s local manager, Mohammed Ali. Only a wall running down the middle of the compound separated us. I was delighted by the opportunity to learn about Afghan culture and language as fully and quickly as I could.

There were times that I could not avoid going to the American Club to meet colleagues, and for special events. Our foundation, the Afghan Cultural Assistance Foundation, occasionally made presentations on Afghan poetry and music at the American Club. We would also take the foundation’s refugee-made crafts to sell there on certain evenings.

The American Club was populated by a peculiar group of colorful ex-patriots: journalists, aid workers, would-be spies, and political operatives. The strongest presence at the club was a clique of journalists who covered the Afghan war with a markedly pro-American intervention bias. Key players of this group in the late 1980s included Kurt Lohbeck of CBS News, his girlfriend Anne Hurd of Mercy Fund (a pro-Mujahideen charity), and Steve Masty, an independent journalist and writer. For years their reporting had been nurturing a positive image of the Mujahideen in the American press. They portrayed the Afghan fighters as noble warriors fighting solely to liberate their country from brutal Soviet invaders and their puppet Marxist government.

This certainly was true in a general sense. The irrepressible Afghan will to drive out the invader was both heart-wrenching and inspiring to witness throughout the early years of that conflict. Yet a shadow was falling across this bright picture of bravery, a pall of sectarian and interethnic warfare and the emergence of those with a literalist, militant interpretation of Islam. Theft, murder, drug smuggling, and the oppressive reign of petty warlords also darkened this image of the struggle for freedom. Yet none of these issues were adequately addressed by the press. The Peshawar clique was partly responsible for this inattention to detail. Its members were fully engaged in describing a simple military struggle. For many of these journalists and politically-motivated aid workers, the Afghan Mujahideen were doing what the Cold War had been unable to do: bring down the “Evil Empire.”

I met Lohbeck at the Club sometime in 1987. My first impressions of him left me amused and wary. He presented himself as an authority on all aspects of the Afghan conflict. Over time I observed that, although he did have many Afghan acquaintances, he did not speak Persian or Pashto. He was like most foreigners to the region, a “special case” for Afghans who relax the social rules in the presence of Westerners like Lohbeck in order to better understand them while trying to obtain their help. Lohbeck weighed in on conversations about the war and American policy in the region, with a particular bias on which Afghan leaders he thought were worthy of support. His own support for Commander Abdul Haq was really unquestioned. He glowingly portrayed Abdul Haq as the liberator of Afghanistan and its likely future president because, he said, all the other commanders accepted Abdul Haq’s authority. I knew that this assertion was really far from the truth (though I wish it had been true—Commander Abdul Haq was one of the few commanders who was both a good military strategist and ethically beyond serious reproach). But because of Lohbeck’s bias, I naturally came to question, like many others, whether he had the objectivity necessary for good journalism

25 comments:

Joe Lowry said...

Grand bunch of knackers right enough Bob! I'm sure they could fight too!

Bob McKerrow - Wayfarer said...

Joe they could sing, fight and write. A bright bunch.

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Oli B said...

Hey Bob - great site, I frequented the American Club between 1993-1994 whilst working in Jalalabad. I remember Sean very well - the guy leaning on his shoulder with the dreadful trousers and US navy hat is Chris Jones I think

I also Joined the paper gliding club with Chris Jones and Colin, Eric the mad Frenchman and Mella....

Those were good times....

I have a few photos from there myself - feel free to drop me a line - oli_barrington@hotmail.com

Oli b said...

Oops Paragliding. Damn auto spell

Unknown said...

i m just a wee bit late but still have my club card. I joined in 1985 and remained a member until evacuation in 1991. It was our home away from home.

cheers/bob Brenner
Class of 85

Angry old Indian. said...

Was going to post Pic of my never washed American Club Peshawar Shirt (so the ink still there) I still have, but cannot figure out how to put it on the comment page. So, Bob, Ill e-mail the pic to you. Glad I was there with Rory (RIP) and Norchi (alive and well).

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robert brenner said...

I am still here. 81 years old but still here. I think the only other person is Mr Lynn. I just spent time with his and Sally who own a ranch. We met at his trailer . Now
we need Dr. Bradt .now idea.

Cheers /bob/brenner,,

CushAC said...

Did you ever meet a USAID Hank Cushing? I am looking for individuals who remember him. I found the address of Steve Masty in some of his papers, it brought me to this site. Thank you I have enjoyed reading these stories.

Regards, Andrew Cushing

Unknown said...

Hi Andrew, yes I do recall meeting Hank Cushing at the American Club; he was there every day, just like the rest of us! I did not get to know him personally, and it was a long time ago, so I have just a vague memory of him now. My organization, Freedom Medicine, did quite a lot of work with USAID in those amazing days. I wish you well with your research.
Sincerely,
Bob Brenner
Peshawar, Pakistan, 1985 - 1991

Wawokiye said...

CushAC-Charles Norchi. Law Professor now, might help.

Curt Wolters said...

Hi, Andrew. I worked with Hank Cushing, 1988-1992. I was with the AID/Rep's Office at the embassy in Islamabad and frequently travelled to and from Peshawar, where Hank was the senior USAID 'presence' there, monitoring and liaising with the Pakistan military ISI, a number of US Government funded activities (including Freedom Medicine, Bob). During those frequent visits, I usually stayed with Hank. He smoked like a chimney -- and died of empheseema (sp) a few decades ago. He married his longtime lady-friend Ida shortly before his passing.

Curt Wolters, PhD
Bellingham, WA

Mary Wilson said...

Hi, I just found this great blog, I was in Peshawar for about eight years between 1988 and 1999, with my then-fiance Jim Arthur. I remember Steve Masty well. I think the bloke on the accordian is Chris Cronin. What an amazing time that was and I miss it so much.

Unknown said...

My husband, David, and I were in Peshawar for most of 1993. I led aerobics at the American Club for several months. We haven't kept up with anyone, but we talk about those days often and remember them so fondly that my son has chosen northern Pakistan for his high school graduation trip next year. Peace to all of you who were a part of those rich days...

-Lori Dunaway
Gilmer, Texas

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Anonymous said...

Hi my name is Sean McQuade and I'm the guy playing in Peshawar American Khyber Club in your photos above

Anonymous said...

Hi Curt, its Sean the guy playing guitar and Banjo in the photos, I sure do remember Hank very well sad to hear he passed away, RIP and respect to his wife Ida and family. Also if love to get in touch with anyone from that time at the club in Peshawar. Looking forwards

Anonymous said...

Hi Sean - I was there are the same time as you…. oli - known at the time as Barry (19 years old and working in Jalalabad) you kindly bought many a beer - I hope life is treating you well (oli_barrington@hotmail.com)

Guy Rayner-Rudland said...

Hi Guys, I was a member of the American Club during 2 postings, one Peshawar '91 and the other Kandahar '95. The Club was my oasis for many reasons, and living in University Town it became my central point of reference both socially and professionally. Those years of all my years spent overseas remain very close to me. I have a cassette recorded on 27th Sept 1991 of a concert, it's titled LIVE ROUND! and features Jon Bennett, Nancy Leigh, Jeremy Colin, Randy Martin, Anthony Fitzherbert, Jean Gianfranceschi and the one and only Steve Masty.

I live in London UK and am currently writing a memoir of my postings around the globe. The American Club and Peshawar run through me to this day.

Let us share theses memories.

Anonymous said...

Walt Bond 1990s

Anonymous said...

I have a few pics of Chris and other flyers (paragliders) from the American club Peshawa' but I can not figure out how to post them.

Anonymous said...

Let me know if you want me to send them and how to send them.
Break a leg .lol
1990s onwards.

ZaidAhmad said...

Hey, I am currently in Agricultural University Peshawar. They say it was a military base in the Soviet War. I am curious if this bar was located here, which is ofcourse nke the University.