CNN Correspondent on Covering Afghanistan: ‘Being a Female Has Worked to My Advantage’

With as many 30,000 more U.S. troops preparing for a deployment to Afghanistan, FishbowlDC’s Matt Dornic chatted up Atia Abawi, the Virginia-bred CNN correspondent now based in Afghanistan. A portion:

Is it more difficult to do your job as a woman?

No, exactly the opposite. Being a female has worked to my advantage because the men are not intimidated and the women will talk to me. But it also helps that I speak the language. As the Afghan people grow more agitated with Westerners, they have become hesitant to speak to the media — especially through interpreters for fear that their words will be misconstrued.

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