Crime

Suicide Bomber Kills Former Afghan President…by Detonating His Turban

Afghan Suicide Bomber Kills Former Afghan President.

Former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani. (Photo: AP)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide bomber posing as a Taliban peace envoy assassinated a former Afghan president who for the past year headed a government council trying to negotiate a political settlement with the insurgents.

Tuesday’s attack, carried out in ‘s Kabul home by a militant who detonated explosives hidden in his turban, dealt a harsh blow to efforts at ending a decade of war.

(Related: Kandahar mayor killed by exploding turban)

President Hamid Karzai cut short a visit to the U.S., calling on Afghans to remain unified in the face of Rabbani’s “martyrdom.” Rabbani’s death came days after a daytime assault by insurgents on the U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters, deepening a sense of insecurity in the capital.

NATO said in a statement that two suicide bombers were involved in the attack on Rabbani, both of them men who had feigned a desire to reconcile with the government. It was unclear if a second bomber was able to detonate his explosives.

Afghan officials, however, insisted there was only one attacker. Four of Rabbani’s bodyguards also died and a key presidential adviser was wounded in the bombing, they said.

Fazel Karim Aimaq, a former lawmaker from Kunduz province and a friend of Rabbani’s, told reporters outside the former president’s home that Rabbani had come back from a trip to Iran in order to meet with a man who had been described as a high-ranking Taliban contact. The visitor was shown into the house but not fully searched, Aimaq said. When Rabbani appeared, the man shook the former president’s hand and bowed as a sign of respect, Aimaq said.

“Then his turban exploded,” he said. Police confirmed that the bomb had been hidden in the turban.

Rabbani’s death will dent efforts to keep in check the regional and ethnic rivalries that partly feed the insurgency. As one of the wise old men of Afghan politics and the leader of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, Rabbani’s role in the attempts to seek a political deal with the Taliban – with U.S. blessing – will be hard to replace soon. His death could unleash a well of resentment among some senior Northern Alliance members, who accuse Karzai of colluding with the Taliban.

Already Afghanistan’s ethnic minorities have begun to rearm in the face of negotiations with the Taliban. Rabbani’s death is likely to accelerate that process and lay the foundation for a possible civil war once U.S. combat troops leave the country or take on support roles by the end of 2014.

President Barack Obama said the killing will not deter the U.S. and Afghanistan from helping that country’s people live freely. He said the former president’s death is tragic because he was a man who cared deeply about Afghanistan. Obama commented at the start of a meeting in New York with Karzai.

Shukria Barakzai, a lawmaker from Kabul, was visibly shaken as she stood outside Rabbani’s house in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of the city, near the U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters.

“We don’t want the whole peace process to get stuck,” she said. “We have to continue, we have to.”

Rabbani, who was about 70 years old, headed the country’s High Peace Council, set up by the Afghan government to work toward a political solution to the decade-long war. It had made little headway since it was formed a year ago, but it was backed by many in the international community as an important first step toward a settlement.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Rabbani had played a key role in the peace process.

“He was a respected former president of Afghanistan and played a vital role as the chairman of the Afghan High Peace Council,” Cameron said. “He will be sorely missed but the work of the Peace Council will go on. We remain determined to see Afghanistan prosper.”

Rabbani was president from 1992-1996, heading the Afghan government that preceded the Taliban rule. After he was driven from Kabul in 1996, he became the nominal head of the Northern Alliance, mostly minority Tajiks and Uzbeks, who swept to power in Kabul as a U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban regime in late 2001. Rabbani, an ethnic Tajik, headed the Jamiat-e-Islami political party.

“We lost our leader. We lost our leader,” Habibullah, a close friend of Rabbani’s, said as he stood crying outside a hospital.

Karzai’s adviser Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai was wounded in the attack. A relative who answered Stanekzai’s phone said that the wounds did not appear to be life-threatening, but that Stanekzai was in the hospital. The relative declined to give his name because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Stanekzai is a top official with the High Peace Council and the head of a reintegration program for mid- and lower-level Taliban back into Afghan society. The program has so far managed to reintegrate only about 2,000 of the estimated 25,000-40,000 insurgents in Afghanistan.

Reintegration was the other half of reconciliation, which aims to broker a peace deal with the senior Taliban leadership.

Last week, Rabbani led a conference of provincial governors and officials who met in the southern city of Kandahar to develop policies for reintegrating insurgents who want to give up the fight. At the conference, he urged those in the provinces to counter insurgent propaganda claiming that international forces were invaders in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yusuf Reza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the assassination. They conveyed their “extreme anger and shock” to the Afghan government over the killing, according to a statement released by the Pakistan government.

Taliban factions based in northwest Pakistan and allegedly supported by elements of the Pakistani security forces have been blamed by Afghan and U.S. authorities for high-profile attacks in Afghanistan, especially in Kabul, over the past three years.

Barakzai said that residents of Kabul were tired of the constant attacks in the city, including a 20-hour assault against the U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul that finally ended Sept. 14. That attack killed 16 Afghans – five police officers and 11 civilians, more than half of them children. No one at the embassy or NATO was killed.

“Every single week we have such an attack,” she said.

U.S. and Afghan officials have blamed the Pakistan-based Haqqani network for carrying out that attack and others in the capital and openly stated that the insurgent group has ties to the Pakistani government – a rare public shot at the role Afghanistan’s neighbor to the east plays in bolstering the insurgency.

Abdullah Abdullah, a Tajik leader who lost to Karzai in the 2009 presidential election, said Rabbani’s death was significant.

“He was a jihadi leader. From the beginning to the end of his life he did his best to bring peace and stability to this country, and it is a big loss for all Afghan people,” Abdullah said.

Abdullah, who has been critical of Karzai’s attempts to reconcile with the Taliban, said “we should recognize and know our enemy from lower ranks up to the top officials of the country because by any means, by any way, they are trying to kill us and eliminate all high-ranking officials and jihadi leaders.”

The Taliban have been targeting senior officials in the government and close associates of Karzai.

On July 27, an insurgent with a bomb under his turban killed the mayor of Kandahar, Ghulam Haider Hamidi. Five days earlier, a close associate gunned down Karzai’s powerful half brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, at his home in Kandahar. During Karzai’s funeral a turban bomber killed a prominent cleric.

That same month, Karzai’s inner circle suffered another hit when gunmen in Kabul killed Jan Mohammad Khan, a presidential adviser on tribal issues and a former governor of Uruzgan province, which is also in the south.

The killings prompted Karzai to urge Afghan religious leaders to condemn the use of turban bombs.

—

Associated Press writers Heidi Vogt, Patrick Quinn, Christopher Torchia and Rahim Faiez in Kabul contributed to this report.

Comments (35)

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  • gmoneytx
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 1:30pm

    I can see him now, “Hey former president, let me run something past you, BTW, it blew my mind!”…up!

    Report Post » gmoneytx  
  • AnAmerican111
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 10:46am

    islam is so peaceful!

    We can only hope that they continue to kill each other!

    Report Post »  
    • DEADFACEBOOK
      Posted on September 21, 2011 at 1:18pm

      the man wanted to help the youth that have been brainwashed into insurgents. he was assassinated for this. “hope they kill eachother. @annamerica” you fool. i am beginning to hate what america is becoming. i have a strong human urge to fight for a cause, and the majority of americans are not worth fighting for.

      Report Post »  
  • jessieH
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 10:32am

    This story gave me a headach.

    Report Post »  
  • rabblechat
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 10:22am

    The length to which these people will go is simply “mind blowing”…

    Report Post » rabblechat  
  • krispy01
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 10:06am

    Turbinator 2 !

    Report Post » krispy01  
  • V-MAN MACE
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 9:50am

    Hmmm…

    Didn’t they try to assassinate Anwar Sadat with this same scheme?

    I vaguely remember…

    Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
  • cjltrekker
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 5:56am

    Wait? Aren’t these the same Peace Loving religious people who a few years ago went totally cookoo over a cartoon of MoHamAd in a turban that had a fuse resembling a bomb.? Yea, I am pretty sure. hmmm. This makes no sense. well except that they seem to want to kill everything that doesn’t bow down to them.

    Report Post » cjltrekker  
  • TH30PH1LUS
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 5:40am

    ROSE-ELLEN, your peace-loving friends are really “using their heads” now!

    Report Post » TH30PH1LUS  
  • Drive_it_like_u_stole_it
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 2:33am

    This is how Al’ Qeda killed Masood prior to the 9/11 attack. He was one of the good guys in Afghanistan and will be missed by those who want freedom (relative) there. The taliban do not want peace, never did, and are incapable of tolerence. These butchers are nothing more than thugs who want to control the populace with ignorance, starvation, and brutality in the name of Islam. Evil holds a seat in their world.

    Report Post » Drive_it_like_u_stole_it  
    • loriann12
      Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:22am

      If they can’t kill infidels, they’ll kill muslims who are less muslim than they are. History bears this out.

      Report Post »  
    • ireport uderide
      Posted on September 21, 2011 at 9:01am

      Drive It. “You are correct sir”!
      Massoud tried to warn us of the connections between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and all the other back stabbing so called, “allies of ours”.

      From Wikipedia)
      In spring 2001, Ahmad Shah Massoud addressed the European Parliament in Brussels stating that behind the situation in Afghanistan there was the regime in Pakistan.
      He also stated his conviction that without the support of Pakistan, Osama Bin Laden and Saudi Arabia, the Taliban would not be able to sustain their military campaign for up to a year, also because the Afghan population was ready to rise against them. Addressing the United States specifically he issued the warning that should the U.S. not work for peace in Afghanistan and put pressure on Pakistan to cease their support to the Taliban, the problems of Afghanistan would soon become the problems of the U.S. and the world.

      He was assasinated on Sept. 9 2001, two days before 911.
      If anyone deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom, this guy does.

      Interested in reading about this hero and friend to America? Follow this link.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_Shah_Massoud

      Report Post » ireport uderide  
  • eramthgin
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 2:20am

    Well at least he put his mind to work.

    Report Post » eramthgin  
  • eramthgin
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 2:19am

    OH hell call Janet Nobrains the TSA must now confiscate and destroy all turbins.

    Report Post » eramthgin  
    • db321
      Posted on September 21, 2011 at 2:34am

      No lets not call Janet – I want these idiots to ware the towel on their heads – so I’ll know which ones to aim at.

      Report Post » db321  
  • lel2007
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 12:25am

    Recall the Danish cartoon depicting Mohamed wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse.

    Report Post » lel2007  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on September 21, 2011 at 12:48am

      Indeed, yet why should this not come as a suprise given the history of attacks — shoe bomber, undie bomber, camera bomber (Northern Alliance Commander 9/9/2001), and many others. Novel ideas for attacks and force many more changes in the security needed to protect someone.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • Scarab Sport
    Posted on September 20, 2011 at 10:58pm

    If you live over there, better make people take their hats off before they enter your house? Also, ban the burka. You could hide a big bomb under there.

    Time to bring all the troops home now. It is not worth one more injured or killed soldier. The people there are nuts. There will never be peace no matter how many troops are on the ground. It is an uncivilized country living in the 8th century. Let the tribes fight it out on their own. It is not our fight.

    Report Post »  
  • 1casawizard
    Posted on September 20, 2011 at 8:04pm

    Last words: “I feel like my head’s gonna explode.”

    Report Post » 1casawizard  
  • Jenny Lind
    Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:35pm

    It brings to mind the quote from the bible-something like “they will cry peace, peace, but there will be no peace”. We will no longer have peace from now until end of days. I was taught as a child, but truely I did not think in my lifetime so much would come to pass. I am not afraid, I’m older, but I fear for my children, grandchildren and now, great-grands. Evil is well and truely loose and increasing. Anyone who wants to work for peace is their target. We may as well just put on our game face gang, we are in it now. Glenn is right, now is the time to get ready, fast.

    Report Post »  
    • 1casawizard
      Posted on September 20, 2011 at 8:17pm

      Jenny Lind, you are doing fine. You are now waking up. Take care of yourself first, because you can’t take care of anyone else until you do. Stay informed and follow your instincts. Be prepared. Be aware. Be safe..

      Report Post » 1casawizard  
  • lite530
    Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:15pm

    I wonder if his last words were “my hats off to you”?

    Report Post »  
  • W@nd@
    Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:13pm

    Now do you think our politicians can see the truth
    of all these efforts and treasure we have spent
    in all these years to effect a change in Afghanistan
    and other places in the middle east?

    if given enough time they would have destroyed themselves by now
    without our intervention!
    thus ending the multiple threat worldwide.
    All these sects hate each other as well as us and Israel!

    The question is this: how do you change an ideology and replace it?
    with democracy? Democracy does not work…
    if we would replace it with a republican form of government
    you might have had a slight fighting chance!
    If they could understand rule of law sans their sharia…

    The only way to change hate is
    to overcome it with love…
    the love of GOD
    but guess this govt is outta luck again
    because they are busy trying to destroy Godly belief
    here even as we speak…
    So you just threw money down a huge rat hole
    for NO good reason whatsoever
    no matter how well meaning you might have been!

    Nothing you do by human efforts will effect a change in the middle east
    only a hEARt change will make the difference! it has to start here first!
    otherwise we fight the wrong enemy…this administration understands none of this!
    But i figure you already knew that!

    Report Post »  
  • ICANHANDLETHETRUTH
    Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:55pm

    I can not imagine hating something or someone so badly that you put an explosive device on your freaking head and then put a turbin over it and go boom boom………. yikes….. thats going to leave a mark !!!

    Report Post »  
  • Boose
    Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:38pm

    Things like this are just awful

    help America!
    http://www.erepublik.com/en/referrer/Bucephalus92

    Report Post »  
  • jblovesAmerica
    Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:35pm

    These folks do not want peace.
    Have no idea what peace is.
    They live in the 7th Century-leave them alone-we can leave and let them know-if a 9/11 murderous attack happens, you will not see the next sunrise.
    Men women children-will be vaporized.

    Report Post »  
  • Bonnieblue2A
    Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:25pm

    The suicide bomber had a distrubin’ turbin.

    Report Post »  
  • BeTheSolution
    Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:22pm

    I can’t imagine hating so much that you feel the need to kill yourself just to kill another, whom is trying to reach peace….. It just plain baffles me, the pure vitriol and hate…..

    Report Post » BeTheSolution  
  • Dustyluv
    Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:14pm

    Does the TSA know this? I am sure we need to peek under those rags…Like it or not!!

    Report Post »  
  • avenger
    Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:09pm

    wow..what a unique cure for a migrane…

    Report Post »  
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