# They've Found Her!!!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 12, 2002, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950 "2002-03-12T23:52:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/1 "2002-03-12T23:52:01Z")
You know the Afghan girl with the piercing eyes on the _National Geographic_ cover? They’ve finally located[her](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/03/0311_020312_sharbat.html)!!! NPR’s going to have a story about it tomorrow morning. Apparently, she’s only been photographed twice in her life. Both times for _National Geographic_. She’s married and has three daughters (Damn!), but has faired well, considering where she’s living. _National Geographic_ says she will benefit from some of the earnings from her photograph, but doesn’t say what. They’ve also set up a fund to benefit Afghan girls. Sharbat Gula (that’s her name), doesn’t want to have any contact with the reporters or fans and has moved to an undisclosed location since _National Geographic_ found her. ---
**Author:** ![\_your\_name\_here](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/919ad9/32.png) [@\_your\_name\_here](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_your_name_here)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/2 "2002-03-13T00:02:47Z")
So THAT’S who’s been in my backyard! ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/3 "2002-03-13T00:07:23Z")
Those are great news. I have always wanted to know what had happened to her. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/4 "2002-03-13T00:21:17Z")
Now how cool is that? Astounding. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/5 "2002-03-13T01:03:03Z")
Am I the only person who opened this thread thinking it was going to be about Chandra Levy? ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Creant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Miss\_Creant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Creant)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/6 "2002-03-13T01:24:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by reprise \* > \*\*Am I the only person who opened this thread thinking it was going to be about Chandra Levy? \*\* I’m with you there, reprise ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/7 "2002-03-13T01:32:45Z")
[Here is a link to the _National Geographic_ story.](http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/afghangirl/) ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/8 "2002-03-13T01:39:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by reprise \* > \*\*Am I the only person who opened this thread thinking it was going to be about Chandra Levy? \*\* I didn’t want to be the first to admit it, but me too… 😛 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/9 "2002-03-13T02:50:06Z")
Am I the only person that would be freakin’ scared to meet that girl in anything but broad daylight? I mean… she looks _evil_ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/10 "2002-03-13T02:58:00Z")
Wow, that’s totally cool. I love that photo. Good to know she’s doing okay. (I, also, thought it was going to be about Chandra. Weird, huh?) ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/11 "2002-03-13T03:18:11Z")
Well, I think she’s beautiful, in a haunting sort of way. I’m glad she’s getting some of the money from the photo, and that some is going to help the Afghani women. But I really posted to say: Tuckerfan, Wow! You put what I wrote in your sig - I am so honored! ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/12 "2002-03-13T03:18:25Z")
I just came back from a lecture at the National Geographic, and the president of NGS came out and told us about it, and showed the news story. Very cool. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/13 "2002-03-13T03:27:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > \*\* > > I didn’t want to be the first to admit it, but me too… 😛 > > Zev Steinhardt \*\* I thought it was that little girl from Oregon. But it’s good that she’ll get some benefit from the photo. ---
**Author:** ![LilCutie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@LilCutie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilCutie)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/14 "2002-03-13T03:30:49Z")
I’m extremely interested, since I have never heard of this girl, but neither of the links work! help! Jenny\* ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/15 "2002-03-13T03:54:43Z")
{quote]I’m extremely interested, since I have never heard of this girl, but neither of the links work! help! [/quote] Weird. I just clicked on the link I posted earlier, and it worked for me. FWIW, I got the URL at work (I couldn’t post there because just as I got it, SDMB went down “for backups”) and forwarded it to my home computer. I didn’t notice the other link in the OP before, but I just tried it and [http://www.nationalgeographic.com](http://www.nationalgeographic.com) is not responding. I got the URL I posted by typing in that URL at work, and it took me to the magma.nationalgeographic page. Don’t know what’s up with that, but as I said the link I posted worked a minute ago. Anyway, her photo was on the cover of a 1985 _National Geographic_. IIRC, it was recently voted the “best photo” by that magazine. In 1979 or 1980 (I forget which) the now-defunct Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and set up a puppet government. The Afghans, being a proud and somewhat warlike people, took umbrage at this turn of events. Guerilla warriors called the _Mujahadin_ fought them much as the Viet Cong fought the U.S. in the Vietnam War. The situation became known as “Russia’s Vietnam”. The United States supplied weapons such as the Stinger shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile to the _Mujahadin_, and also trained many of them. Eventually Soviet casualties became too high and the Soviet Union pulled out of Afghanistan. In the midst of the fighting were left thousands of refugees. One of them, Sharbat Gula, the girl in the photo, fled with her brother to Pakistan. Sharbat is 28, 29 or 30 now, which means that she was about 13 when the photo was taken. Anyway, that’s the background of the photo. Try the link later, as it’s a great photo and a compelling story. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/16 "2002-03-13T03:56:09Z")
The above post should have begun with: > [@](#): > > I’m extremely interested, since I have never heard of this girl, but neither of the links work! help! Weird. I just clicked on the link I posted earlier, and it worked for me. FWIW, I got the URL at work (I couldn’t post there because just as I got it, SDMB went down “for backups”) and forwarded it to my home computer. ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/17 "2002-03-13T04:26:16Z")
Her eyes have lost their luster. Sad. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/18 "2002-03-13T04:37:54Z")
No, it’s her mouth. It’s turned down. She looks like life has been hard on her since 1984. Which I have no doubt is the truth. If she’s even alive in another 18 years, I wonder what she’ll look like? No doubt she’ll look like the grandmother of your average American woman of the same age. ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/19 "2002-03-13T04:45:04Z")
Yes, I too first thought of Chandra Leavy. I think it’s cool that she’s been found. I bought the National Geographic’s Best 100 photos issue, and the photographer seemed so wistful that he never could find her again. I think she’s got the most captivating eyes I’ve ever seen. But then, who hasn’t thought that? ---
**Author:** ![reoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@reoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reoch)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/20 "2002-03-13T08:36:11Z")
That is simply amazing…I’ve ALWAYS wondered where she could be…thanx for the link!!! Going to go buy that issue next month:D [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950.md?page=2)