(4 Sep 2010) SHOTLIST
September 4, 2010
1. Wide exterior of Kabul Bank
2. Sign reading (English) "Kabul Bank"
3. Wide of Kabul Bank customers waiting in line
4. People coming out of Kabul bank branch
5. Various of people outside Kabul Bank branch
6. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Mohammad Nawaz, Kabul Bank customer:
"After we heard the news, we have come to Kabul Bank to close my account, but it is very busy here, a lot of people are here to withdraw their money."
7. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Mohammad Habib Angar, Kabul Bank customer:
"For the time being I want to withdraw my money and then I will wait to see what will happen next. If the bank is able to create confidence, for sure I will put my money back in Kabul Bank because I do not want to close my account."
September 2, 2010
8. Wide of press conference by Afghan Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal
9. Mid of podium
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Omar Zakhilwal, Afghan Finance Minister:
"My message to all the depositors is: their money is safe, the government of the Afghanistan bank is standing behind Kabul Bank, we know the money is there, they must not panic. If they need their money on a regular basis they can withdraw it. But to panic and say their money will be lost, I guarantee to them it will not be."
September 4, 2010
11. Exterior of Kabul Bank branch
12. Close of Western Union sign
13. Man carrying money
STORYLINE
Nervous Afghans pulled more deposits out of the nation's largest bank on Saturday, despite assurances from government leaders that their money was safe.
Crowds gathered at Kabul Bank branches around the capital to withdraw US dollar and Afghan currency savings, with customers saying they had lost faith in the bank's solvency following a change in leadership and reports that tens of (m) millions of dollars had been lent to political elites for risky real estate investments.
"After we heard the news, we have come to Kabul Bank to close my account, but it is very busy here, a lot of people are here to withdraw their money," said Mohammad Nawaz, head of an Afghan aid group who had been trying for three hours to withdraw the 15-thousand US dollars in his account.
Mohammad Habib Angar, a calligrapher, said he was taking out most of his Afghan and dollar savings, but wasn't ready to close his account.
"For the time being I want to withdraw my money and then I will wait to see what will happen next. If the bank is able to create confidence, for sure I will put my money back in Kabul Bank because I do not want to close my account," Angar said.
The bank run that began earlier in the week undermines efforts by the central government to build an efficient political and financial system to drag Afghanistan out of its dire poverty.
Afghan Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal assured depositors on Thursday that their money was safe.
"If they need their money on a regular basis they can withdraw it. But to panic and say their money will be lost, I guarantee to them it will not be," he said.
Problems at the bank could also have wide-ranging political repercussions since it handles the pay for Afghan public servants, soldiers and police in the unstable nation beset by a Taliban insurgency, widespread drug trafficking and the plundering of aid money.
While there was little apparent sign of panic, the deputy commander of the international coalition in Afghanistan said contingency plans were being drawn up to respond in the event of unrest.
The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Kabul Bank's losses could exceed 300 US dollars (m) million - more than the bank's assets.

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