Suicide Bombers Storm Afghan Governor’s Compound, Kill 22
- Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:10pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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American and Afghan soldiers inspects the site of car bomb outside the governor's compound in the Parwan provincial capital of Charikar, some 30 miles north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
CHARIKAR, Afghanistan (AP) — A team of six suicide bombers – some wearing explosive vests – stormed a provincial governor’s compound in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing 22 people in the latest high-profile attack to target prominent Afghan government officials, authorities said.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in the Parwan provincial capital of Charikar, some 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Kabul. The province is home to Bagram Air Field, a sprawling base for U.S. and NATO troops.
The coordinated assault is the most recent in a string of spectacular Taliban attacks within an hour’s drive of Kabul – a worrying sign of the insurgency‘s strength near the heart of the country and its determination to target Afghanistan’s nascent leadership.
Early this month, the Taliban shot down a helicopter in a province on the western border of the capital, killing 38 American and Afghan troops. In late June, gunmen killed at least 21 people in an attack on the Inter-Continental hotel in Kabul itself.
The violence is a sign of NATO’s broader struggles in the east, where persistent insurgent attacks forced the alliance to pull forces back from outlying patrol bases and outposts. The coalition, which plans to send 10,000 troops home by the end of the year, is considering whether to move forces from Taliban heartlands in the south to reinforce troops fighting insurgents in the east.
Southern provinces like Kandahar and Helmand are the Taliban’s traditional stronghold, while the east is a base of operations for many Pakistani based Taliban and international terrorist affiliates like al-Qaida and the Haqqani network.
Afghanistan’s eastern border with Pakistan is also a common thoroughfare for insurgents attempting to strike Kabul, although Parwan is considered to be relatively secure.
Sunday’s assault began with a car bomb outside the front gate, police said. The blast blew open a hole in the wall, allowing five insurgents wearing suicide vests and carrying automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades to rush into the compound.
Afghan police said they killed three of the attackers as they approached the governor’s house.
The attack took place during a high-level provincial security meeting attended by Parwan Gov. Abdul Basir Salangi, his police chief, intelligence director, a local army commander and at least two NATO advisers.
Salangi told The Associated Press that he and his aides fired from their meeting room with AK-47s. He claimed to have killed at least one of the insurgents himself.
“I had an AK-47. I shot him and from the window of my waiting room,” said Salangi, who was formerly the police chief of Kabul and a rebel fighter during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. He said it was the second time in the past month he was targeted by an assassination attempt.
Provincial Police Chief Gen. Sher Ahmad Maladani also took part in the gun battle, which he said lasted for approximately one hour.
“The last attacker was killed by police when he was only about 15 meters away from me,” said Maladani. The bomber was killed before he could detonate his explosives.
The attack left much of the compound in ruins. Part of the governor’s offices were burned. Broken glass and body parts littered the courtyard. Several cars were wrecked by explosions and bullets.
Sixteen of the dead were civilian Afghan government employees and six were policemen, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry.
Meanwhile, the French Defense Ministry said one of its soldiers was killed Sunday by isolated fire during an operation in the northeast province of Kapisa.
The death brings to 382 the number of coalition service members killed in Afghanistan 2011 and 59 in August.
Seventy-four French troops have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001. About 4,000 French troops are taking part in NATO-led operations against the Taliban, and France says 1,000 troops will be brought home next year, with a full withdrawal of combat forces in 2014.
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Comments (56)
Asmodeus13
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 5:46pmThis is the correct conversation to finally be having, if we cannot go to total-war with any country or entity so that we can have an achievable victory, then what is the point of even being there; just wasting our time, but most of all the lives of our troops!
Report Post »Indeed there is no point to having bases scattered around the world for conflicts or wars long past. Yes let bring our troops home, in-less Germany, or any other country wants to pay us good money to keep our bases there. If the world loves to say we are not the world police, I say we stop being so, and stop doing it at our own cost, if the world wants us to act the world-cop, then they can pay us!
georgiavietvet
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 4:52pmafghanistan will never be a democracy. the taliban are keeping the pressure on and are waiting till we pull out and they will move right on back in and take over. sharia law will be the law of the country and it will go back to the way it was before we tried our best to show them a better way.all the lives of our brave troops that have been lost will have been wasted, just like in vietnam. its a total shame that a great country like ours can no longer go to war and win, because of the stupid bleeding heart liberals………………………………….
Report Post »stormcrow53
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 6:58pmCreate a desert and call it peace. Islam must be destroyed.
Report Post »ProbIemSoIver
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 11:50pmYes. It will be a Democracy. They just need a few more decades to get the job done. Look at this picture. See how good things are going there? The Military Industrial Complex has just designed and built new Ships, Planes, Drones, Ammo, Software, Guns, Systems and Signed contracts with a whole bunch of new contractors. THE WARS MUST GO ON !!!!! FOREVER!!! WE ARE THE WORLD’S POLICE !!!! And this is how the global elite bilk the Americans out of Trillions of dollars they actually earn. And… this military machine will be used against Americans soon to implement Agenda 21 and to force them into a One World Government. Isn’t it great ?
Report Post »chazman
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:23pm… suicide bombers … good job. Now, go to hell and collect yer 72 virgin goats. Hurry up! Satan is waiting for you!
Report Post »jeffyfreezone
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 4:21pmOur troops will crush them before this thing’s over!
Report Post »stormcrow53
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 7:00pmNot under the present rules of engagement, we won’t. Islam must be destroyed.
Report Post »Look4DBigPicture
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 3:10pmWe’re wasting American lives, time, and money on this backward thinking country. Thanks to the UN, wars are no longer allowed to be winnable, so we need to quietly exit Afghanistan unannounced and immediately.
Report Post »ICANHANDLETHETRUTH
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 2:49pmHeres a thought; lets pull all of are heroes out, bring them home and let those filthy animals devour each other…………… this war could last until the end of time ……….. Suicide vests for everyone !!!!!!!!
Report Post »Seede
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 4:23pmIt started over two thousand years ago when their grand daddy got kicked out of Abraham’s tent. Nothings been the same since. .Best thing to is to get out and let them all go to hell.
Report Post »rangerp
Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:29amSeede- Not exactly. Afghan people are not Arabs.
Report Post »notavictim
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 2:22pmWhy the heck are we still there?
Report Post »rangerp
Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:37am@notavictim- Easy answer. When our current president ran, he did not want to look weak (militarily) like most democrats, so he popped off at the gums, and said Iraq was the wrong war at the wrong time, and that Afghanistan was the right war at the right time. He is an ignorant little naive, and knew nothing of the history of Afghanistan, and how it has been a sinkhole for other world superpowers throughout history. He was against the surge in Iraq, and Petraeus proved him wrong, and Bush right. But wait, perhaps he does know history, and does realize that superpowers in the past got bogged down in Afghanistan. Remember, this is no ordinary pres. He declared his run for pres in the living room of an anti-American terrorist. He policies are anti American, his views are anti-American, the dreams he inhearited from his bum of a father were anti-American. Perhaps he has us there for a reason. I spent a year in the place. It will never become a democracy. Bush had the right idea. Make some bases, go out and destroy terorists, but stay away from nation building.
Report Post »powhatan
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 2:02pmwhy do we have to be saddled with the geneva convention, when this enemy has no honor…War is NOT civilized….
Report Post »powhatan
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 2:00pmThe biggest killers of muslms are other muslims….let’s leave and then they can have at it…we can take on the ones that are left.
Report Post »BellaMia7
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 1:54pmWait – the French have had a grand total of 74 people killed in Afghanistan in since 2001?? Wow.
Report Post »kryptonite
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 2:15pmStupid AP, how come you can name the EXACT number of French casualties, but refuse, like all the rest of the Obamamedia, to report the number of Americans killed, huh? HUH???
Report Post »Ron_WA
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 4:32pmAs of the 12 AUG 11 the toll for Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan & other areas part of the Global War on Terrorism except Iraq) stands at KIA: 1,722 WIA: 13,164;
for Operation Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn: KIA 4,477 WIA: 32,165.
The numbers are reported almost daily & available thru a variety of sources but most of the main stream media doesn’t highlight the #s because it’s not sexy & doesn’t fit their agenda.
Report Post »bankerpapaw
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 1:35pmThey have fought and killed each other for thousands of years and it will not ever stop. Bring our
Report Post »boys home and deploy them on the borders.
chips1
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 1:49pmWhen they kill enough to reduce their population growth to Zero, the world will have started winning the war against muslim terrorists. (I didn’t use his name, so don’t get upset)
Report Post »ICANHANDLETHETRUTH
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 2:51pmI agree, let them devoure themselves !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »Carol Ingian
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 6:46pmI agree!
Report Post »Fight for America
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 1:20pmSomeone define WAR! I truly thought it was about going to battle and winning – as in killing your enemy and taking what they had away from them. Unless they surrendered – or were dead – it was still a WAR.
This never ending battle on the ground that doesn‘t have to be on the ground in this day and age is wasting our children’s lives.
Take a hill, give it back, take it again – don’t hurt people though – sorry that’s not making sense to me. If the locals won‘t or can’t fight for themselves but they want us to fight for them – we shouldn’t be paying them, they should be paying us and we should do whatever it takes to win – drones – yep.
Report Post »ProbIemSoIver
Posted on August 15, 2011 at 12:09amDefine war?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
military-industrial complex definition
A general term for the cooperative relationship between the military and the industrial producers of military equipment and supplies in lobbying for increased spending on military programs.
Note : In his farewell address, President Dwight Eisenhower warned that the growth of this relationship would increase the militarization of American society and endanger the principles of democracy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Put an end to this madness !!!!!!
RON PAUL **2012**
Report Post »tckid17
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 1:17pmTime to bring our troops home from this quagmire.
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 1:16pmYep, they know Obama’s date and they know he has no real plan…I betcha they are pinching pennies over in AFG as directed by El Presidente…I bet they are counting bullets spent…gas used…etc…etc…etc.
Not good, not good at all for our young warriors.
Report Post »kryptonite
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 2:32pmHe has a plan, alright. He’s letting them rot in that hellhole on purpose.
Report Post »calebgs83
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 1:06pmJihadwatch aptly names the muslim “holy month” the RAMADAN BOMBATHON.
Report Post »Jack2011
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:45pmWHO CARES?
We need to get OUT of there.
I hope they continue to kill each other and blow each other up. WHEN WE LEAVE, muslims will be so busy KILLING EACH OTHER, they won’t have much time left for us.
Report Post »PA PATRIOT
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:57pmHey Jack
Here is another great quote from the guy in the White House. I am sure he cares about you too.
“If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, ‘We’re going to PUNISH OUR ENEMIES and we’re gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us,‘ if they don’t see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it‘s going to be harder and that’s why I think it’s so important that people focus on voting on November 2.”
President Barack Obama October 27, 2010
Do you really think he is worried about Afghanistan?
Report Post »He is worried about 2012
gillfish
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:38pmwhen we first got in the afgan war we were doing it right by showing respect to the many warlords that opposed the taliban when we turned our back on them for the corrupt president we lost credibility. now o’bummer is drawing down troops for political reasons and he is getting our troops killed. we need to do what the generals say or get out entirely and stay away from all the crapistans,they are a bottom feeder countrylike iran iraq saudi a etc. etc.
Report Post »HUGGINGMYBABIES
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:34pmSome beasts just refuse to be tamed. I say pull out and refuse all access to our country and offer no assistance. Let them find civilization in their own time. Stop forcing people who prefer war lords to democracy. They are clearly not accepting or deserving of the freedoms we wish for them. So be it…..pull out and guard our own borders. Maybe in 150 years they will evolve to an acceptable form of human nature until then, like I’ll behaved children, they should be left to their own demise.
Report Post »wbaranowski
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:33pmDon’t know what happened to my post, It was a doozy.
Report Post »Ironmaan
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:32pmNo one in the middle east is worth even one of our soldiers lives.
Report Post »Ironmaan
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:31pmWe need to leave the middle east and let these savages kill each other, with the caveat that if they attack israel we will nuke them. Done playing around. http://guerillatics.com
Report Post »calebgs83
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 1:08pmAgreed.
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:25pmBarack Obama has put forth a policy regarding this war and the rules of engagement. Both are working flawlessly.
Report Post »Totally Domestic
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 1:18pmYou are exactly right!
Report Post »Look4DBigPicture
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 3:11pmYeah yeah yeah … another liberal in denial.
Report Post »MODEL82A1
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:24pmFunny that Code Pink and Cindy Sheehan aren’t in the news anymore. Funny peculiar, not funny haha.
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:24pmClearly a sign that he Taliban is ready ease tensions and strike a deal to end the war.
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:23pmWhat’d I say wrong?
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:21pmYeah, buddy! I can see these last 8 years have reaped some real progress. Oh, look! On the wall! Isn’t that handwriting?! What is the objective of war? Obviously noone in the DoD has the right answer!!
Report Post »paperpushermj
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:28pmMaybe just maybe President Obama announcing our pull out date has made our enemies bolder, like a pack of hyenas nipping at the back legs of a fleeing animal.
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 12:54pm@Paperpusher
Report Post »Announcing the pullout, no loaded weapons on recon, 1 week notice before entering. Sounds like some real well thought out strategy to me. Concise, deliberate, seamless. Hmm, what was Custers strategy at the :itt;le Big Horn, again?
Look4DBigPicture
Posted on August 14, 2011 at 3:15pm@Mateytwo Barreett… You’re right. Obama promised transparency. We thought he meant transparency of our corrupt government, but he meant telling the enemy our strategy of how we plan to kill them. How dumb it that???
Report Post »