Taliban attack across Kabul, target U.S. embassy

13 Sep 2011 12:09

Source: reuters // Reuters


(Adds attack in west Kabul, details)

By Mirwais Harooni and Hamid Shalizi

KABUL, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Taliban suicide fighters launched a multi-pronged attack in Kabul on Tuesday, firing rockets towards the U.S. and other embassies in central Kabul, and sending two suicide bombers to the city's West later in the afternoon.

The Taliban have launched a high-profile attacks on multiple targets in the capital in the past, but this is the first time they have organised simultaneous assaults on such separate parts of the city.

Near the heavily fortified diplomatic district, insurgents took over a multi-storey building under construction and fired rockets in the direction of several embassy and NATO compounds.

In western Kabul, just a few kilometres away, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the entrance to a police building killing a policeman.

A second suicide bomber wounded two people when he detonated his explosives near the Habibia high school, also in the west of Kabul, the Ministry of the Interior said in a statement.

The U.S. embassy said its personnel were safe following the attack in the diplomatic district of the capital, while British Ambassador Sir William Patey confirmed the nearby U.S. embassy had been a target.

"Aware of attack on US Embassy. All UK Embassy staff accounted for," Patey said on Twitter.

The assault was the second major Taliban attack in the city in less than a month after suicide bombers targeted the British Council headquarters in mid-August, killing nine people.


ROCKETS NEAR EMBASSY

Loud explosions were interspersed with gunfire through the early afternoon, and at least two rockets landed in the upmarket Wazir Akbar Khan district, home to the U.S., British and many other embassies.

One hit a school bus, but it appeared to have been empty at the time of impact. Four wounded civilians had been taken to hospitals, a deputy health minister said.

Two NATO helicopters circled the building in central Abdul Haq square, which the attackers had taken over.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group was armed with rocket-propelled grenades, suicide bomb vests and AK-47s, and was targeting government buildings, the U.S. embassy and the headquarters of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

He also confirmed that the group had sent two suicide attackers to west Kabul, and said they had attacked a military convoy near the airport. The last claim could not be verified.

A U.S. embassy spokeswoman said all staff had taken shelter and there were no casualties.

Violence in Afghanistan is at its worst since U.S.-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban government in late 2001, weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, with high levels of foreign troop deaths and record civilian casualties.

Taliban attackers laid siege to a British cultural centre in the Afghan capital in mid-August, killing at least nine people during an hours-long assault on the 92nd anniversary of Afghanistan's independence from British rule.

In late June, insurgents launched an assault on a hotel in the capital frequented by Westerners, killing at least 10 people. (Additional reporting by Emma Graham-Harrison; Writing by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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Taliban attack across Kabul, target U.S. Embassy
13 Sep 2011 17:34

Source: reuters // Reuters


A man shows a piece of armament he says was from a rocket-propelled attack in Kabul September 13, 2011. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani
(Updates toll, adds Karzai comment)

By Mirwais Harooni and Hamid Shalizi

KABUL, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Taliban fighters fired rockets at the U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul on Tuesday and attacked police in three other areas in the biggest assault the insurgent group has mounted on the Afghan capital.

At least 9 people were killed and 23 wounded in the four attacks, and a gun battle around a half-built high-rise building raged on into the evening as NATO and Afghan attack helicopters circled overhead.

The fighters had chosen a strategic and heavily fortified main target for the well-coordinated attacks.

Their ability to shower artillery around the diplomatic district was a clear show of strength at a time when NATO-led forces are claiming significant security gains and preparing for their exit by 2014.

Although the Taliban have attacked multiple targets in Kabul in the past, this is the first time they have organised simultaneous assaults on such separate areas.

"The scale of today's attack is unprecedented," said Andrew Exum, fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

"There was almost certainly either a break-down in security among the Afghans with responsibility for Kabul or an intelligence failure."



A squad of about five insurgents took over a shopping centre under construction on the outskirts of Kabul's diplomatic district armed with rocket-propelled grenade launchers, AK-47s and suicide vests.

Explosions were interspersed with gunfire all afternoon and several rockets landed in upmarket Wazir Akbar Khan district, near the British and other embassies. One hit a school bus but it appeared to have been empty at the time.

The gun battle around Abdul Haq square went on into the early evening, with three attackers killed and one or two still at large nearly eight hours after the assault began, the Interior Ministry said.



CIVILIANS, SCHOOL CHILDREN

Four policemen and three civilians were killed in the attack and 17 people wounded, said Mohammad Zahir, head of the Kabul police's Crime Investigation Unit.

Journalists from Radio Television Afghanistan and Iran's English-language Press TV channel were among the wounded.

Hundreds of students from two schools were stuck near the site of the attack and terrified parents rushing to rescue their children were stopped by security forces. Children cried as parents fought to get near, and two women fainted.

Four Afghans who had been waiting for visas were also wounded by rocket-propelled grenades during the attack on the U.S. Embassy compound, embassy spokeswoman Kerri Hannan said.

The U.S. and British embassies and the NATO-led coalition said all their employees were safe.

In western Kabul, a few kilometres (miles) away, a suicide bomber detonated explosives at a police building, killing a policeman and wounding two. A second bomber killed a civilian at a regional police centre and wounded four.

And at a road near the airport, a suicide bomber was killed by police and 7 kg (15.5 lb) of explosives were seized, the Kabul police chief said in a statement.

The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying they aimed to support the attackers near the embassy district.

"We attacked convoys of police as they were sending reinforcements to Abdul Haq Square," spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said by phone from an undisclosed location.



HEART OF THE CAPITAL

Violence is at its worst since U.S.-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban government in late 2001, with high levels of foreign troop deaths and record civilian casualties

The assault was the second big attack in the city in less than a month after suicide bombers targeted the British Council headquarters in mid-August, killing nine people.

In late June, insurgents launched an assault on a hotel in the capital frequented by Westerners, killing at least 10. But Tuesday's attack was even more ambitious.

"This incident is one of the rare occasions that militants have demonstrated the capability to get extremely close to the heart of the Western military and intelligence presence," global intelligence consulting firm STRATFOR said.

"The ability to get numerous operatives armed with explosives and heavy guns into this area could not have been possible without the Taliban obtaining aid from Afghan security personnel posted in high-security areas."

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the assaults were aimed at thwarting plans to hand over security to Afghan forces but they would not succeed.

U.S. President Barack Obama has announced a plan to start pulling U.S. troops out of Afghanistan and all foreign forces there have agreed to transfer security responsibilities to Afghan forces and head home by the end of 2014.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the attacks would not deter the United States and its Afghan allies.

"We will be continuing with even greater commitment to doing all we can to give the Afghan people who have suffered so much a chance at a better future," she told reporters.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the attacks would only stiffen the resolve of Afghan security forces.

"They will give...more determination to Afghan forces on their way toward taking on more responsibility," Karzai said. (Additional reporting by Emma Graham-Harrison, Mohammad Ibrahim; Writing by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Robert Birsel and Angus MacSwan)


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Q+A - Haqqani: From White House guest to staunch U.S. enemy
14 Sep 2011 09:27

Source: reuters // Reuters


Sept 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan said on Wednesday he believed the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network was behind an audacious assault by militants on Kabul's diplomatic and military enclave that lasted 20 hours.


Here are some questions and answers on the Haqqani network:

WHAT IS THE HAQQANI NETWORK?

Named after its leader, Jalaluddin Haqqani, it is one of three, and perhaps the most feared, of the Taliban-allied insurgent factions fighting U.S.-led NATO and Afghan troops in Afghanistan.

Jalaluddin gained notoriety as an anti-Soviet mujahideen commander in Afghanistan in the 1980s. His bravery and ability to organise mujahideen fighters won him funding and weapons from U.S. and Pakistani intelligence services and Saudi Arabia.

Former U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson, who fund-raised for the Afghan resistance, once called Jalaluddin "goodness personified". The warrior was held in such high esteem he visited the White House when Ronald Reagan was president.

After the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Haqqani turned his ferocity and battle skills on Western forces. He earned a top spot on the CIA hit list, along with his old friend Osama bin Laden, whom he met during the anti-Soviet resistance.

Despite ill health, Jalaluddin, who is in his 70s, still inspires Haqqani foot soldiers believed to number up to 4,000, as well as other militant groups who revere him. His son, Siraj, seen as more ruthless, runs the daily affairs of the network.

WHERE DO THE HAQQANIS OPERATE?

The Haqqanis are ethnic Pashtuns from the Zadran tribe in southeastern Afghanistan's Paktia province. The group is active across much of southeastern Afghanistan and seeks to regain full control over its traditional bases in Khost, Paktia and Paktika provinces.

The Haqqanis are thought to have introduced suicide bombing to Afghanistan. They are believed to have been behind several high-profile attacks in Afghanistan, including a raid on Kabul's top hotel, an assassination attempt on President Hamid Karzai and a suicide attack on the Indian embassy.

The Haqqanis, who are based in Pakistan's North Waziristan, have been heavily targeted by missiles fired from U.S. drone aircraft.

WHY DOES PAKISTAN ALLOW THEM TO STAY IN NORTH WAZIRISTAN?

The Haqqanis have become one of the biggest sources of tension between allies Washington and Islamabad.

Pakistan has denied supporting the Haqqanis but has long resisted U.S. pressure to launch a full-scale offensive in Waziristan to crush the network for both domestic and foreign policy reasons.

As one of the most powerful insurgent groups in Afghanistan, the Haqqanis could act as a spoiler if Pakistan feels its interests are threatened in any settlement to the 10-year war. Islamabad also sees the Haqqanis as an insurance policy against the growing influence of rival India in Afghanistan. Caving in to Washington and attacking the Haqqanis could further destabilise Pakistan.

Pakistan's armed forces are already stretched fighting a nexus of dangerous homegrown militants -- both Taliban and other groups -- who have found shelter in Haqqani-controlled territory and use the group as an unofficial protective shield.

WOULD THE HAQQANIS FIT INTO ANY AFGHAN PEACE SETTLEMENT?

Pakistan hopes the United States will eventually welcome the participation of the Haqqanis in any Afghan peace talks. Kabul also understands the group can't be excluded.

Although the Haqqanis fall under the command of Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, U.S. officials believe they do not always accept Taliban authority and can act independently.

Jalaluddin has historically shown a penchant for changing sides, as the Americans know all too well, and he may be more flexible than the hardline Siraj.
Washington is scrambling to bring stability to Afghanistan at it gradually withdraws from the country. Striking a deal with the Haqqanis may be wise while the ailing Jalaluddin might still have a say. (Editing by Jonathan Thatcher)



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08:59 M M M moment! jessybess 10




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After being here for years, brining others on board & encouraging them to stay put through the rollercoatsr rides we have had over the last year I had a major mmm moment last week. I'm not a trader just someone who has learnt a bit from the many good posters here & learnt how to trade a little, mainly through trade plans, I have other work so can't be around to real time deal. Over the years I have accumulated a few more shares this way & taken profits when needing the cash. However big mmm moment last week. I needed cash for a number of bills, sold some shares & hoped to buy in again a few pence cheeper. Well I knew it was a risky time to do so & kept telling myself DONT push the button. However I did, only to see us take off a bit, well not content with making that wrong call I did it again with my remaining shares, we then really took off. That cost me 5000 shares as I bought back in yesterday. The whole thing was a MM moment, initially one of real frustration then just resignation, I know I will still be well qiuds in by T.O. I share this as one of lifes lessons to other menopausel woman, listen to your head & don't let Menopausel Madness Moments screw things up. Watch us really take off the next time a MMM moment hits.But from Dalesman's post yesterday I'm glad I'm not the only one who botched things at the wrong time. Good luck all
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Seige in Kabul ends after 20 hours
14 Sep 2011 09:21

Source: reuters // Reuters


An Afghan security personnel holds his weapon as he leaves the area after a battle with Taliban insurgents who took over a building near the U.S. embassy in Kabul September 14, 2011. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood
By Mirwais Harooni and Sanjeev Miglani

KABUL, Sept 14 (Reuters) - A marathon siege in Kabul's diplomatic enclave ended on Tuesday with the death of the last two of a group of gunmen who had held off Western and Afghan security forces for nearly 20 hours, showering rockets on Western embassies in a dramatic show of insurgent strength.

It was the longest and most audacious militant attack on the Afghan capital in the decade since the Taliban were ousted from power and a stark reminder of insurgents' resources and reach as Western forces start to return home.

At least 11 civilians were killed, three of them children, NATO-led foreign forces said. The Ministry of the Interior said four policemen died, and that toll was likely to rise.

U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker said around six or seven rockets had hit inside the embassy perimeter during the early hours of the attack, launched early on Tuesday afternoon, but said the range meant they had not posed a serious threat.

"They were firing from at least 800 meters away and with an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) that's harassment. That's not an attack," he said in an interview transcript handed out to journalists in Kabul.

The insurgents had holed up in a multi-storey building still under construction and launched their attack early on Tuesday afternoon, firing rockets towards the U.S. and other embassies and the headquarters of NATO-led foreign forces.

Three suicide bombers also targeted police buildings in other parts of the city, but the embassy district assault was the most spectacular.

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TIMELINE-Major attacks in the Afghan capital

Taliban attacks won't derail transition-NATO

Afghanistan blog: http://blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/

Q+A on Haqqani

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FLOOR-BY-FLOOR FIGHTING

Afghan security forces backed by NATO and Afghan attack helicopters fought floor-by-floor in the 13-storey building, which the six insurgents appeared to have booby trapped.

They had arrived under burqas, the traditional face-veiling robe worn by Afghan women, in a car packed with explosives, and entered the high-rise after shooting a security guard.

"As our country is traditional and Islamic, there is a special respect for women and the enemies exploited this to get to the building," Kabul Police Chief Ayoub Salangi said.
The gunmen then hid from helicopters and government and foreign troops in lift shafts and a maze of small rooms.

The group were armed with rocket-propelled grenade launchers, AK-47 assault rifles and suicide bomb vests, a Taliban spokesman said, but the time they held out prompted speculation they had hidden weapons in the building.

"There was almost certainly either a breakdown in security among the Afghans with responsibility for Kabul or an intelligence failure," said Andrew Exum, fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

Explosions were interspersed with gunfire all afternoon on Tuesday and continued past dawn on Wednesday. Residents of nearby apartments stayed indoors and tried to comfort panicked children, as helicopters flew low overhead.

"It would go silent for 30 to 35 minutes and then there were explosions and the sound of heavy machine guns," one Reuters witness said of a sleepless night. There may be unexploded artillery in parts of the city, NATO warned.

Embassies and restaurants frequented by foreigners were on lock-down all evening. The U.S. and British embassies and the NATO-led coalition said all their employees were safe.



HAQQANI ROLE?

Ambassador Crocker said he believed the Haqqani network was behind the attack, and also blamed them for a truck bomb that injured 77 U.S. troops on Sept. 10.
Named after its leader, Jalaluddin Haqqani, it is one of three, and perhaps the most feared, of the Taliban-allied insurgent factions fighting U.S.-led NATO and Afghan troops in Afghanistan.

They are thought to have introduced suicide bombing to Afghanistan, and are believed to have been behind many high-profile attacks in Kabul, including an assassination attempt on President Karzai and assaults on two top hotels.

Ministry of the Interior spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said that although it was too early to say the attack was the work of the Haqqani network, "it is similar to attacks carried by Haqqani".

Violence is at its worst since U.S.-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban government in late 2001, with high levels of foreign troop deaths and record civilian casualties.

The assault was the second big attack in the city in less than a month after suicide bombers targeted the British Council headquarters in mid-August, killing nine people.

In late June, insurgents launched an assault on a hotel in the capital frequented by Westerners, killing at least 10.

A U.S. Senate panel has approved a $1.6 billion cut in projected U.S. funding for Afghan security forces, part of a significant reduction in outlays for training and equipping Afghan army and police expected in the coming years. (Additional reporting by Hamid Shalizi; Writing by Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Jonathan Thatcher)
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