Murder in Kabul
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Terror in Afghanistan
by Biodun iginla, BBC News and the Economist
Oct 28th 2009
From Economist.com
The Taliban kill several UN staff in Afghanistan, ahead of a presidential election
AFP
THE murder of at least five foreign, civilian, UN staff in a private guest house in Kabul, and a near-simultaneous rocket attack on the city’s most prestigious hotel, on Wednesday October 28th, are reminders of the apparently expanding reach of Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. At least three suicide attackers, wearing explosives and carrying grenades and automatic weapons, made their way into the Bekhtar guest house, reportedly by posing as policemen. Frequented by foreigners, the guest house is in a central area of Kabul that had previously been considered relatively secure. Guards and the intruders exchanged gunfire, guests were killed (and nine more were injured), as well as four Afghans. Three attackers were eventually shot dead.
A Taliban spokesman promptly claimed responsibility for the murders, saying that they were “just a start” of an assault on “anyone engaged” in the process of preparing for a run-off presidential election that is scheduled for November 7th. The head of the UN mission, Kai Eide, responded to the worst single attack on his staff in the country by vowing to remain “committed to Afghanistan”. But the Taliban may hope that a bloody enough assault on UN workers might yet provoke the organisation either to reduce its activities in the country or to consider withdrawal, as happened in Iraq in 2003 after 22 staff were killed by bombers at its headquarters in Baghdad.
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After a deeply fraudulent first-round presidential election in August, and amid rising casualty figures for western armies engaged in Afghanistan, foreign governments are increasingly hesitant about committing to prolong and expand military engagement in the country. Barack Obama is reviewing military strategy and considering whether to deploy as many as 40,000 extra soldiers to fight a war that is becoming more unpopular in America (and elsewhere). October has proved to be the bloodiest month so far for American soldiers in Afghanistan since the invasion in 2001, with 53 soldiers killed by October 27th.
Mr Obama is unlikely to announce a decision on strategy until after the election. By then, it is hoped, Hamid Karzai, the president and likely winner, can be more credibly presented as a legitimate partner for outsiders. Stark evidence of ballot stuffing and other manipulation in Mr Karzai’s favour during the presidential election in August, suggest that many—perhaps most—Afghans do not see him as a credible leader. Nor was Mr Karzai’s position bolstered by a claim this week, by the New York Times, suggesting that the president’s brother, who is suspected of involvement in the country’s opium trade, has also been getting regular payments from the CIA. Ahmed Wali Karzai reportedly denied the allegations.
The Taliban are most likely to attempt more attacks in the coming ten days in an effort to encourage outsiders to waver further. By attacking the UN (and if the assailants indeed posed as policemen, by the method employed) the Afghan Taliban have followed an approach taken by Pakistani militants across the border, who assaulted an office of the World Food Programme earlier this month, killing five UN workers. Also on Wednesday Pakistan’s Taliban detonated a car bomb in a packed market in the north-western city of Peshawar, killing at least 87 civilians and injuring at least 200. That assault appears timed to coincide with the arrival in Pakistan of America’s secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, although it may equally be seen as a response to the Pakistani army’s offensive in South Waziristan, a Pakistani-Taliban heartland.
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Posted by BiodunIginla at 8:26 PM Labels: Afghanistan, BBC News, Biodun Iginla, the economist, United National Development Programme (UNDP) 0 comments: Links to this post Older Post Home
Terror in Afghanistan
by Biodun iginla, BBC News and the Economist
Oct 28th 2009
From Economist.com
The Taliban kill several UN staff in Afghanistan, ahead of a presidential election
AFP
THE murder of at least five foreign, civilian, UN staff in a private guest house in Kabul, and a near-simultaneous rocket attack on the city’s most prestigious hotel, on Wednesday October 28th, are reminders of the apparently expanding reach of Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. At least three suicide attackers, wearing explosives and carrying grenades and automatic weapons, made their way into the Bekhtar guest house, reportedly by posing as policemen. Frequented by foreigners, the guest house is in a central area of Kabul that had previously been considered relatively secure. Guards and the intruders exchanged gunfire, guests were killed (and nine more were injured), as well as four Afghans. Three attackers were eventually shot dead.
A Taliban spokesman promptly claimed responsibility for the murders, saying that they were “just a start” of an assault on “anyone engaged” in the process of preparing for a run-off presidential election that is scheduled for November 7th. The head of the UN mission, Kai Eide, responded to the worst single attack on his staff in the country by vowing to remain “committed to Afghanistan”. But the Taliban may hope that a bloody enough assault on UN workers might yet provoke the organisation either to reduce its activities in the country or to consider withdrawal, as happened in Iraq in 2003 after 22 staff were killed by bombers at its headquarters in Baghdad.
document.write('<script language="JavaScript" src="/s/event-4507706/aHR0cDovL2FkLmRvdWJsZWNsaWNrLm5ldC9hZGovd2ViLmU=
&amp;amp;amp;lt;body&amp
After a deeply fraudulent first-round presidential election in August, and amid rising casualty figures for western armies engaged in Afghanistan, foreign governments are increasingly hesitant about committing to prolong and expand military engagement in the country. Barack Obama is reviewing military strategy and considering whether to deploy as many as 40,000 extra soldiers to fight a war that is becoming more unpopular in America (and elsewhere). October has proved to be the bloodiest month so far for American soldiers in Afghanistan since the invasion in 2001, with 53 soldiers killed by October 27th.
Mr Obama is unlikely to announce a decision on strategy until after the election. By then, it is hoped, Hamid Karzai, the president and likely winner, can be more credibly presented as a legitimate partner for outsiders. Stark evidence of ballot stuffing and other manipulation in Mr Karzai’s favour during the presidential election in August, suggest that many—perhaps most—Afghans do not see him as a credible leader. Nor was Mr Karzai’s position bolstered by a claim this week, by the New York Times, suggesting that the president’s brother, who is suspected of involvement in the country’s opium trade, has also been getting regular payments from the CIA. Ahmed Wali Karzai reportedly denied the allegations.
The Taliban are most likely to attempt more attacks in the coming ten days in an effort to encourage outsiders to waver further. By attacking the UN (and if the assailants indeed posed as policemen, by the method employed) the Afghan Taliban have followed an approach taken by Pakistani militants across the border, who assaulted an office of the World Food Programme earlier this month, killing five UN workers. Also on Wednesday Pakistan’s Taliban detonated a car bomb in a packed market in the north-western city of Peshawar, killing at least 87 civilians and injuring at least 200. That assault appears timed to coincide with the arrival in Pakistan of America’s secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, although it may equally be seen as a response to the Pakistani army’s offensive in South Waziristan, a Pakistani-Taliban heartland.
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Posted by BiodunIginla at 8:26 PM Labels: Afghanistan, BBC News, Biodun Iginla, the economist, United National Development Programme (UNDP) 0 comments: Links to this post Older Post Home
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By: SmileMillionaire
At 6 a.m local time, a private guest house- Bakhtar Guest House where UN members were residing was attacked today in a fairly safe and quiet city-Kabul.Five UN officials casualties have been reported. A few minutes ago at around 8a.m another attack in Hotel Serena a five star hotel was hit by mortar fire. Eight US millitants have been reported ...
about 1 month ago
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Another sad news for world:7 dead in attack on UN in Kabul
By: hasnain
KABUL: Today,one another very pathetic incidance took place when Taliban attacked a guest house in kabul,Afghanistan where united nation staff was living.They killed seven people including three officials of united nation.A Taliban spokesman has accepted its responsibility by saying that it was meant as an assault on the upcoming ...
about 1 month ago
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By: BiodunIginla
Sunday, October 11, 2009 The economy's stumble by Judith Stein and Biodun Iginla, BBC News and the Economics Oct 8th 2009 | WASHINGTON, DC From The Economis
about 1 month ago
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Taliban Militants attacked UN office in Main kabul City for organizing ...
By: shinwari
Fierce exchange of firing between Taliban militants and Afghan Security personnel in main Kabul city in the early hours of Wednesday. UN Foreign staff members reportedly killed in the attack among three suicide attackers. According to Afghan official sources on Wednesday at 6:00 am ,some Taliban militants wearing suicide jackets ...
about 1 month ago
News Stories
- News Source: Times Online | about 1 month agoAbdullah’s campaign manager, Satar Murad, said that his candidate would call today for an interim government to run the country until officials can organise a fair election. The announcement came after a long-awaited decision on US military...
- News Source: Fox News | about 1 month agoPresident Hamid Karzai's challenger plans to call for a boycott of next weekend's runoff election, hoping to force a delay until spring to allow time to organize a fair vote, his campaign manager said Saturday. In the meantime, ex-Foreign Minister...
- News Source: Reuters | about 1 month agoAbdullah Abdullah, the chief challenger to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, has decided to withdraw from a November 7 runoff election, the New York Times reported on Saturday. In a dispatch from Kabul posted on its website, the newspaper quoted...
- News Source: International Herald Tribune | about 1 month agoAbdullah Abdullah , the chief rival to President Hamid Karzai , plans to announce on Sunday his decision to withdraw from the Nov. 7 Afghan runoff election, handing a new five-year term to Mr. Karzai but potentially damaging the government’s...
- News Source: United Press International | about 1 month agoThe chief rival of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai is close to close to quitting the presidential run-off election, an adviser says. Ahmed Wali Massoud, a senior aide to candidate Abdullah Abdullah , told the BBC Saturday that the candidate has...
- News Source: Leader Post Online | about 1 month agoAfghan President Hamid Karzai's election rival Abdullah Abdullah will announce on Sunday whether he will take part in next week's disputed run-off vote, his campaign said after speculation mounted he will pull out. Abdullah cancelled a planned trip...
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