"I wanted to take a year off. 'The Mole' came along. It was a fun show, the people were great to work with, but after 9/11 certainly, I felt the desire to get back into news. I wanted to be part of such a big story."

"CNN was kind enough to hire me."

Each day, Cooper heads into the streets of Kabul in search of stories. "Today I was working with some street children," he says. "Yesterday, I was shooting a story about the growth of American pop culture here in Kabul. They do not have McDonald's, but 'Spider-Man' and [the new] 'Star Wars' are the number-one movies in the DVD store here in town. They're bootlegged in Pakistan and China, and they're on sale for a dollar or two dollars."

"They love American action movies here. Jean-Claude Van Damme is a huge, huge celebrity. In fact, on the street, people come up to me and say I look like Jean-Claude Van Damme, which is kind of sad, because I'm a skinny and pale little guy."

Asked about the feeling on the streets, Cooper says, "There's definitely a normal life in Kabul. Security and stability, the two main things which people here have been looking for, have definitely come to the city. You don't see weapons on the street. People are definitely trying to find work, trying to pursue rebuilding their lives."

"They had 23 years of war and not much normalcy, so people are clinging to what passes for normalcy now."

As for the reaction to Americans, Cooper says, "They're very curious about Americans. Wherever I go on the street, I'm stopped. Anytime I stop in a car and get out, I'm surrounded by people asking me questions. People want to practice their English."

"I don't blend in very well. I'm extremely pale, and I stand out like a newt that's been revealed under a rock. But any foreigners here or any Americans -- if people find out you're American, they seem pleased. People are very pleased with the way the U.S. military has operated in Afghanistan so far."

A bit later in the conversation, a boom is heard not far away. "Whoa!" Anderson shouts. "Sorry. A little explosion there. It was garbage. Somebody threw an aerosol bottle into a burning canister." He lets out a nervous laugh. "It happens ... happens a lot."

Anderson says he feels fairly safe in Kabul, but "I do think there's an undercurrent here, which is hard to read. I would not want to be out by myself for long periods of time. You really do become a mark. I vary my routine. I don't go to the same places. I travel with an Afghan at all times. I would not want to be without a vehicle for any length of time."