High-tech tools join the hunt for forgotten mines

SUMMARY: Compared to the terrain in the rest of Afghanistan, which is often arid and mountainous, the northeast district of Khwaja Ghar is relatively fertile. For decades, residents earned a living by growing and selling rice, wheat, corn and melons. That changed in 1996, when the Northern Alliance — a predominantly Tajik military group — went to war with the ruling Taliban. Homes were abandoned in a hurry, leaving the area mostly deserted.