JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well, as the cities in Afghanistan continue to change hands, there are thousands of British troops that have been put on 48-hour stand by. The British ministry says the troops are prepared to act as a stabilizing force in the newly captured Afghan city, or the capital city, Kabul. CNN's Matthew Chance is there in Kabul now and reports on the mood in that city now that it has been liberated from Taliban control.</s>MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Forces of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance on the Kabul streets, their leaders say this deployment, publicly opposed by Washington, simply couldn't wait. Now these guns are the new facts on the ground in the Afghan capital. On the city streets, shops are again opening for business and be now free of Taliban restrictions and puritanical rules of conduct. We found workers in this photographic shop busy spicing up their window display. Pictures of any women dressed like this were outlawed under the Taliban. Now the owner told me he's covering his shop walls with posters of Indian movie stars. Women themselves, though, are still covering up. At the barbers, more men exercising their newly reinstated right to a beard trim. And after days of covering the fall of Kabul, I needed a shave myself. The barber, between careful strokes, told me no one he knew was sorry to see Taliban go and that he hoped time had now come for peace here. In a city ravaged by more than two decades of war, it seemed hopelessly optimistic, but understandable given the tensions of recent weeks. (on camera): So the overwhelming mood among the people of Kabul is one of optimism mixed with concern. The streets are calm and appear relatively safe, but no one here knows what the future will bring. (voice-over): The harsh days of the Taliban are over here. But apprehension about hardships the new rulers of the Afghan capital may bring still weighs heavy. Matthew Chance, CNN, Kabul.
Afghan People Optimistic About Future