Latest on the War on Terror– oops — overseas contingency operations.
KABUL – Taliban militants wearing suicide vests and police uniforms stormed a guest house used by U.N. staff in the heart of the Afghan capital early Wednesday, killing 12 people — including six U.N. staff. It was the biggest in a series of attacks intended to undermine next month’s presidential runoff election.
A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the early morning assaults, which also included rocket attacks at the presidential palace and the city’s main luxury hotel.
The chief of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan, Kai Eide, said the attack “will not deter the U.N. from continuing all its work” in the country. One of the six U.N. dead was an American, the U.S. Embassy said.
Some reaction
October 28, 2009
U.S. Embassy Statement on Attack on Kabul Guest House
The United States condemns the attack today on a guest house in Kabul, which killed at least six United Nations employees, including one American, and injured many others. This brutal attack on our international partners and friends, who were working to help build a secure and peaceful future for all Afghans, leaves us shocked and saddened. Attacking civilian workers will not lessen our determination to support the Afghan people and their election process. Our sympathies are with the families who have lost loved ones in this violence.
Statement Canada: Canada Condemns Deadly Attacks on Kabul
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, issued the following statement today on the attacks in Kabul:
“Canada strongly condemns the violent attacks that have occurred today in Kabul, in particular the attack on the United Nations guest house that claimed the lives of several people, including United Nations employees, and injured others.
“These cowardly acts, less than two weeks before the second round of Afghanistan’s presidential election, will not deter the international community from supporting Afghans as they exercise their right to vote. We encourage all Afghans to exercise their hard-won right to determine the future of their country by participating in the second round of voting.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to express our deepest condolences to the friends and families of those who were killed in the attack and our sympathies to those who were injured.
“Our support to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and to the people of Afghanistan is unwavering.
“Canada is in Afghanistan at the request of the democratically elected Afghan government, and as part of a UN-mandated, NATO-led mission. Canada’s continuing objective is to help Afghans build a stable and secure country based on the fundamental values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”
Statement by the Secretary-General on the death of UN staff members in Kabul, Afghanistan
I am deeply shocked and outraged by the cowardly attack on a guest
house in central Kabul today, which killed five UN staff and injured a
number of others. I condemn in the strongest possible terms the despicable
and brutal killing, for which the Taleban has claimed responsibility in an
apparent effort to disrupt the second round of the presidential election.
My deepest condolences go to the families and friends of the victims
who were viciously killed as they sought to serve the people of
Afghanistan. This indeed is a loss to all members of the UN family working
together to support Afghanistan at this critical juncture. The United
Nations remains committed to continue its work in the country as the Afghan
people strive for a better future.
New York,
28 October 2009
Update: During SG Ban ki-Moon’s press conference today at the United Nations to discuss the bombings in Kabul, after his remarks, and before the Q & A, he said, “First, climate change.
We have only five weeks before the UN conference in Copenhagen on climate change.
There is a long way to go still.
I have been working closely with the Danish Prime Minister, who is in turn engaged intensively with other governments on the substance and form of an agreement that may emerge.
All countries must commit to limit emissions. Developed countries must adopt ambitious mid-term targets. At the same time, developing countries must also limit the growth of their emissions, moving away from a “business as usual” trajectory.”
Update Asia Times reports: Taliban take over Afghan province
The province is now under the effective control of the network belonging to Qari Ziaur Rahman, a Taliban commander with strong ties to Bin Laden. This makes Nuristan the first Afghan province to be controlled by a network inspired by al-Qaeda.
In a telephone conversation on Wednesday, a militant linked to Rahman said that now that they had control of Nuristan, the militants are “marching towards Mohmand and Bajaur to help their fellow Taliban fighting against Pakistani troops”, referring to two tribal agencies across the border.
Rahman is not the son of a legendary mujahideen commander, but of a cleric named Maulana Dilbar. His ties do not lie with Pakistan, but with Bin Laden, having instructed him in the lessons of the Prophet Mohammed’s life.
Similar Posts:
- Car bomb kills 80 in Pakistan’s Peshawar city
- The Front: The Taliban-Al Qaeda merger
- Canadian Journalist Arrested in Iran
- Pak war on Taliban begins
- Sen. John Kerry Blames Afghanistan Problems on Bush Administration
