Afghanistan: The Last 24 Hours
The attack near the NATO ISAF compound in Kabul is probably the most daring thing the Taliban have done since their attempt to kill off Karzai about a year ago. As Afghanistan prepares to go to the polls, NATO and the Afghans have to take notice of it.
From the reports I have reviewed, this is an area of Kabul that is pretty much cut off from normal traffic. It is also near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. If these guys can get this close, then how can they be expected to protect some 7,000 polling stations throughout a very tough and difficult terrain that happens to be Afghanistan. There is of course Karzai's pronoucements and allegations of him having released Drug Kingpins. He has came out with a prouncement that the Taliban had agreed to halt attacks. The simple question that had to be asked was: which Taliban? There are at least 14 different factions within the Taliban and one wonders who Karzai and his cronies have made a deal with.
As I assess the situation in Afghanistan, I wish I could agree with Robert Gates, the U.S. Defense Secretary, when he said recently that Afghanistan will be won in a few years. I also wonder if the dynamics will change if Ashraf Ghani or Dr. Abdullah won. I am not sure at this stage. What I do is this: The Taliban will not back down. American and British Soldiers will continue to die. The British just suffered their 200th casualty. I continue to wonder if the sacrifice is worth the blood, sweat and tears being shed.
From the reports I have reviewed, this is an area of Kabul that is pretty much cut off from normal traffic. It is also near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. If these guys can get this close, then how can they be expected to protect some 7,000 polling stations throughout a very tough and difficult terrain that happens to be Afghanistan. There is of course Karzai's pronoucements and allegations of him having released Drug Kingpins. He has came out with a prouncement that the Taliban had agreed to halt attacks. The simple question that had to be asked was: which Taliban? There are at least 14 different factions within the Taliban and one wonders who Karzai and his cronies have made a deal with.
As I assess the situation in Afghanistan, I wish I could agree with Robert Gates, the U.S. Defense Secretary, when he said recently that Afghanistan will be won in a few years. I also wonder if the dynamics will change if Ashraf Ghani or Dr. Abdullah won. I am not sure at this stage. What I do is this: The Taliban will not back down. American and British Soldiers will continue to die. The British just suffered their 200th casualty. I continue to wonder if the sacrifice is worth the blood, sweat and tears being shed.
Mike Pouraryan
