AN AFGHAN VENDOR DISPLAYS A BOTTLE OF VODKA IN MAZAR-I-SHARIF, 2002-02-11 (photo)

An Afghan vendor displays an US$11 bottle of Russian vodka in his dimly-lit stall in Mazar-i-Saharif in northern Afghanistan February 11, 2002. A few months ago, before the U.S. declared war on terrorism helped topple the Taliban, this simple act could have resulted in him and the shop owner being tied to the back of a pick-up and dragged three times around the nearest mosque by the Taliban Islamic zealots. But now that the Taliban are history, the vendor freely admits to doing a brisk trade in the Russian vodka, which he says he gets from neighbouring Uzbekistan. REUTERS/Claro Cortes IV CC/CP