Afghans fret flight of hard cash a sign of things to come

KABUL - In the crush of people in Kabul's Shahzada money market, conspiracy theories are a currency as hard as the bundles of cash in the hands of bearded traders trying to divine their future.

And the theory going around - amid the din of shouted exchange rates - is that Afghanistan's rich are preparing again to shift their money and lives from the country over fears of chaos or civil conflict after foreign troops leave.

"The money will all go out of Afghanistan. It is always like that. As soon as the foreign soldiers leave all the problems come back,"said money changer Hajji Asadullah, gripping bundles of US dollar bills, Gulf currencies and tattered local Afghani notes.