America
11-27-2008, 02:09 PM
Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan --- A suicide car bomber set off a powerful blast today near the gates of the U.S. Embassy, killing at least four Afghan civilians and injuring more than a dozen others.
Weaving in and out of morning rush-hour traffic near one of Kabul's busiest traffic circles, the bomber's Toyota Corolla struck several other cars before exploding, witnesses said.
It was not clear whether the bomber was attempting to strike at a NATO convoy in the area, trying to get close to one of the embassy's heavily fortified entrances, the nearest of which was about 200 yards away, or intended simply to wreak havoc in a crowded commercial area.
No one inside the embassy compound was hurt, and all personnel were accounted for, said spokesman Mark Stroh. Most embassy workers were off for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The blast, shortly after 8:30 a.m., shattered windows in a nearby apartment building and reduced the car to a charred wreck. For a time, the bomber's mangled body lay uncovered in the street.
Afterward, workers in orange jumpsuits swept up broken glass and metal shards while little boys skipped and hopped through a large black scorch mark on the sidewalk.
"I was across the street when I heard a huge blast, and smoke filled the sky," said Basir Ahmed, a passerby. "I ran to help the injured."
Another bystander, Ahmed Khalid, said he saw the car moving erratically in heavy traffic just before the blast. "It crashed into one car and then another, and then came the big explosion," he said.
The bombing heightened a sense of vulnerability in the Afghan capital, which in the last two months has seen a surge in shooting attacks and abductions, some of them targeting foreigners.
Authorities had feared that Taliban-linked militants would try to stage a "spectacular" attack this week to coincide with the visit of a U.N. Security Council delegation. NATO's secretary-general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, was also in town.
This year has been the most violent since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that drove the Taliban from power. About 4,000 people have been killed, mainly Islamic militants but also hundreds of civilians.
In recent days, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been increasingly vocal about his frustration with the deteriorating situation across the country.
On Wednesday, he told a news conference that the massive foreign troop presence, including more than 30,000 U.S. soldiers, had done little to improve people's daily lot.
"We haven't accepted the international community so our lives would get worse," Karzai said, suggesting there should be a timeline for ending the conflict.
A day earlier, speaking to the visiting Security Council delegation, the Afghan leader said foreign forces' reconstruction efforts in the countryside amounted to a "parallel government" that at times undermined his own.
Foreign forces, meanwhile, are suffering their highest casualty levels since the start of the conflict. Today, a soldier from the NATO-led force was killed in southern Afghanistan, but his nationality was not immediately disclosed.
Link:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan28-2008nov28,0,879696.story
Weaving in and out of morning rush-hour traffic near one of Kabul's busiest traffic circles, the bomber's Toyota Corolla struck several other cars before exploding, witnesses said.
It was not clear whether the bomber was attempting to strike at a NATO convoy in the area, trying to get close to one of the embassy's heavily fortified entrances, the nearest of which was about 200 yards away, or intended simply to wreak havoc in a crowded commercial area.
No one inside the embassy compound was hurt, and all personnel were accounted for, said spokesman Mark Stroh. Most embassy workers were off for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The blast, shortly after 8:30 a.m., shattered windows in a nearby apartment building and reduced the car to a charred wreck. For a time, the bomber's mangled body lay uncovered in the street.
Afterward, workers in orange jumpsuits swept up broken glass and metal shards while little boys skipped and hopped through a large black scorch mark on the sidewalk.
"I was across the street when I heard a huge blast, and smoke filled the sky," said Basir Ahmed, a passerby. "I ran to help the injured."
Another bystander, Ahmed Khalid, said he saw the car moving erratically in heavy traffic just before the blast. "It crashed into one car and then another, and then came the big explosion," he said.
The bombing heightened a sense of vulnerability in the Afghan capital, which in the last two months has seen a surge in shooting attacks and abductions, some of them targeting foreigners.
Authorities had feared that Taliban-linked militants would try to stage a "spectacular" attack this week to coincide with the visit of a U.N. Security Council delegation. NATO's secretary-general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, was also in town.
This year has been the most violent since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that drove the Taliban from power. About 4,000 people have been killed, mainly Islamic militants but also hundreds of civilians.
In recent days, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been increasingly vocal about his frustration with the deteriorating situation across the country.
On Wednesday, he told a news conference that the massive foreign troop presence, including more than 30,000 U.S. soldiers, had done little to improve people's daily lot.
"We haven't accepted the international community so our lives would get worse," Karzai said, suggesting there should be a timeline for ending the conflict.
A day earlier, speaking to the visiting Security Council delegation, the Afghan leader said foreign forces' reconstruction efforts in the countryside amounted to a "parallel government" that at times undermined his own.
Foreign forces, meanwhile, are suffering their highest casualty levels since the start of the conflict. Today, a soldier from the NATO-led force was killed in southern Afghanistan, but his nationality was not immediately disclosed.
Link:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan28-2008nov28,0,879696.story