Bomb blast outside indian embassy in Kabul

[Halaku Khan]

 

[ejaz007]

17 dead as suicide blast targets Kabul’s Indian embassy
Friday, October 09, 2009


KABUL: A massive suicide car bomb struck outside the Indian embassy in Kabul on Thursday, killing 17 people and injuring 63 more, most of them civilians, in an attack claimed by Taliban militants.

In a statement on their website, the insurgent group said that one of their “martyrs” had carried out the attack in the heavily fortified central diplomatic area, and said the Indian embassy “was the main target”.

The attack took place just after 8.30am (0400 GMT) on busy Interior Ministry street, sending a huge plume of smoke and dust into the air and causing carnage and chaos during the morning rush hour.

Interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told AFP the toll had risen to 17 from an initial 12, including two police officers and 15 civilians. Fifty civilians were among the wounded, with 13 police officers also injured.

The Taliban statement, as is usual when it claims responsibility for suicide attacks, exaggerated the extent of the damage and the death toll. The dead, it said, “included a few high-ranking officials of the embassy (and) 35 soldiers of foreign and Afghan nationality”.

“The explosion caused damage to the walls of the Indian embassy, which was the main target,” it added. It identified the suicide bomber as “Khalid” from the Paghman district of Kabul province. Indian officials — in New Delhi and at the Kabul embassy — said no one at the embassy was killed, though some guards had sustained injuries as the blast blew out glass windows and doors. No foreign troops were reported killed.

That attack, which remains the deadliest in Kabul, led to stringent new security measures such as concrete blast barriers at the embassy — which Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said in New Delhi had limited the impact of Thursday’s explosion.

In a statement, Afghan President Hamid Karzai called the perpetrators “barbaric” and said: “This is a terrorist attack, and an obvious attack on defenceless Afghan civilians.” Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement: “This is another example of the Taliban’s total disregard for the lives of the Afghan people.”

UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack as “senseless”, as did the United States.“There is no justification for this kind of senseless violence,” US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters in Washington, echoing an earlier statement by the US embassy in Kabul.

It was the fifth audacious assault on the Afghan capital in two months, as the Taliban brings its intensifying anti-government insurgency to the most heavily fortified part of the country. Windows were blown from dozens of shops and survivors staggered around the bloodied streets in the diplomatic area, witnesses said.

An Indian diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity said that “the dead would have been many more” had the blast occurred an hour later when the embassy’s visa section was due to open.

Most of the dead and injured were rush-hour passers-by, he said, adding that the embassy would be closed for two weeks for repairs. The head of the European Commission delegation to Afghanistan, Hansjorg Kretschmer, said: “The attack will not be a deterrent for Europe from being a key actor in the security sector and justice reform process.”

Kai Eide, the special UN representative to Afghanistan — subject of allegations he concealed evidence of vote fraud in August 20 elections — also condemned the attack and sent condolences to victims’ families.

17 dead as suicide blast targets Kabul’s Indian embassy

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Corrections to Corrections
1) The Afghan Taliban (good Taliban) will listen more to Pakistan as long as they need help to get back power in Afghanistan. After that they will listen when both their interest and GOP interests are copacetic. For example when the terrorist hijacked the Indian airliner. The examples you have given are when had consolidated power in Afghanistan and did not need Pakistan as much. There is no proof other than public statements of the GOP in regards to the Bamiyan Buddahs or the Northern Alliance, what was said in private who knows.

Speculation about what was said in 'private' is just that, speculation. What is certain are the public statements and official stance taken by the GoP, and that stance showed the Taliban as rejecting Pakistani requests.

In addition, the Taliban were never really completely independent of Pakistan (in terms of resources and military advisers) in Afghanistan. There was no economy to speak of, the poppy crop had been cut significantly (though it started to rise again near the end). Despite that reliance, they showed themselves to be obstinate and non-pragmatic when it came to making compromises, even when their benefactors (Pakistan, Saudi Arabia & UAE) asked them to do so.

So there is a possibility of the Taliban listening to Pakistan in terms of entering into negotiations with the GoA and NATO (provided the other side is interested as well) but I see no possibility of Pakistan influencing them into unilaterally surrendering their 'movement' or changing their tactics.

I agree with your second point "The Afghan Taliban are mindful of the fact that if they succeed in Afghanistan, they will need Pakistan."

So lets look at who would want the Indian embassies blown up. Which nation has cried to every world body about the Indian consulates in Afghanistan. How they are formenting terror (without a shred of evidence). Since no one has really gave a crap about such whining it was time to pull the the chain of the Afghan Taliban to blow up the Indian Embassy. Except this time they managed to put a hole in the ground in front of the embassy.

What does Pakistan have to gain with one attack on the Embassy. even it it had been leveled? Nothing - so I fail to see how you can conclude that Pakistan would want the Embassy and consulates 'blown up'.

Pakistan would like the Indian presence, primarily the various consulates, to be reduced, but that can only be accomplished long term by India her self, and not through 'blowing up embassies'.

What have the Afghan Taliban have to gain by blowing up the Indian Embassy? Nothing.
If they are fighting against the people occupying their land they could have tried to blow up the embassies of any of the so called "occupying nations" . Why not?
Instead they have twice tried to blow up the embassy of a nation that is not occupying their country. Why? Their paymasters needed that meddling nation to be dealt with.

As I pointed out before, India is closely cooperating with the Afghan Army and intelligence and has close relations with the Karzai administration and the former Northern Alliance officials (which it supported against the Taliban) who were mortal enemies of the Taliban - people appear to have long memories in this region.

And please, as you suggested about the Pakistani concerns over the Indian consulates, there is no evidence indicating any of the Afghan Taliban are on 'Pakistani payroll'. So lets stop speculating shall we, or if you are intent upon insisting that position, then Pakistan's accusations of the India consulates supporting terrorism in Baluchistan and FATA are just as valid, which changes the context of discourse and the attacks on the embassies.

Finally, also as I pointed out before, what did the Pakistani Taliban gain from attacking the WFP office? Surely there are multiple other Pakistani and NATO government and military targets to aim at. Perhaps they did so at the behest of their 'paymasters' (India), since attacks on relief agencies, forcing them to stop disbursing aid to the needy, ending their operations in Pakistan, creating a climate of fear that drives away investors, would only benefit one nation, India, no?

Or perhaps, as in the case of the Indian Embassy bombing, the Taliban lash out at anything they consider counter to their ideology and in some twisted way helping their opponents - and the Indians through their connections with the Northern Alliance, ANA and karzai are far more involved in 'helping enemies of the Taliban' than the World Food Program ever will be.

2) The TTP were also good Taliban until things started going wrong. The emerged out of the Afghan Taliban that found santcuary in the tribal belt when they got the boot from Afghanistan. The only problem was they wanted more power. The problems started heating up only after the Red Mosque massacre.The GOP tried appeasement after appeasement. Only when they appeared 60Km from Islamabad did you guys wake up.

The TTP emerged out of the animosity and rage in the Tribal belt against the US invasion of Afghanistan - the Afghan Taliban that did cross the border would not have been in large enough numbers to compromise the core of the TTP, most likely melted into the Afghan countryside from where they now launch attacks.

There is a saying "when you play with fire, sooner or later you get burned". If you guys can't can't see all the fires in your back yard....

I fail to see what this comment has to do with the discussion so far - which has been about the need to co-opt those Taliban that are willing into a power sharing arrangement in Afghanistan. You seem to have taken umbrage at that suggestion, and are somehow taking Pakistan's support for that policy as indicative of continued support for the Afghan Taliban in carrying out their violence, despite the complete lack of evidence indicating so.

As SoS Clinton suggested:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a key player in the policy review, said the administration was studying whether to work with some members of the Taliban.

"We're in the midst of a very thorough analysis of our assumptions about how best to achieve our core goals of protecting our country, our interests and our friends and allies from the scourge of terrorism," Clinton told reporters.

She was replying to a question on whether she agreed with some Obama aides who believe Washington could under certain circumstances work with some Taliban elements.

"We are looking at every possible question that can be raised, including the one that you just asked, in order to determine the smartest approach for the president to adopt."
US may work with Taliban: Clinton | watoday.com.au

As the US looks to extricate itself from Afghanistan, compromises will have to be made.

 

[Nomad]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomad View Post
So lets look at who would want the Indian embassies blown up. Which nation has cried to every world body about the Indian consulates in Afghanistan. How they are formenting terror (without a shred of evidence). Since no one has really gave a crap about such whining it was time to pull the the chain of the Afghan Taliban to blow up the Indian Embassy. Except this time they managed to put a hole in the ground in front of the embassy.

What have the Afghan Taliban have to gain by blowing up the Indian Embassy? Nothing.
If they are fighting against the people occupying their land they could have tried to blow up the embassies of any of the so called "occupying nations" . Why not?
Instead they have twice tried to blow up the embassy of a nation that is not occupying their country. Why? Their paymasters needed that meddling nation to be dealt with.

 

[mshoaib61]

NEW DELHI: In promptly claiming responsibility for the suicide attack outside the Indian embassy in Kabul on Thursday, Taliban may have given the
game away. Senior intelligence and security officials said this was nothing but a smokescreen created by the actual perpetrators to keep the focus away from ISI whose involvement in the July 2008 blast near the Indian embassy that left 60 dead is well acknowledged.

Till late in the evening, it remained unclear as to which faction of Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack, which left 12 dead. As foreign secretary Nirupama Rao insisted, the attack in its intensity was similar to last year's attack. Security officials authenticated this statement by saying that the way the explosives had been packed into the vehicle suggested that it was the handiwork of those who executed last year's blast.

Even though the July 2008 blast claimed five times the number of victims in the latest blast, no organisation had then come out to take responsibility for it. The US and India had both unearthed enough evidence then to suggest that the attack was carried out by the Jalaluddin Haqqani faction of Taliban at the behest of ISI. Haqqani's son Sirajuddin was accused of executing that attack.

According to strategic affairs analyst Brahma Chellaney, the attack was carried out by the same forces who executed last year's blast and it seemed to be a manifestation of the disquiet in Pakistani establishment over US President Barack Obama's latest thrust in the war on terror. "It is quite deliberate the way they have claimed responsibility. The timing of the latest attack is very important and it suggests that this too has been executed by the perpetrators of last year's attacks including the ISI. It comes at a time when President Obama has initiated his two-prong policy in the region — war in Afghanistan and aid surge in Pakistan,'' said Chellaney.

New York Times reported on Thursday about the restlessness in the Pakistan military establishment about the manner in which the recent American legislation on aid to Pakistan impinged on Pakistan's sovereignty. This includes asking Pakistan to take action against terror groups operating in and around Quetta and Muridke, a Lashkar-e-Taiba stronghold.

It is well known now that there is a debate on between members of the Senate and House in the US on the kind of conditions introduced in the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill on aid to Pakistan. While some Senate members have argued that the conditions should not defeat the purpose of creating goodwill for the US in Pakistan, House members have maintained that such conditions would help further US counter-terror goals.

According to experts, the latest blast could be an attempt to influence this debate and convey the message to the US that it can secure Islamabad's support only by curbing, if not doing away with it altogether, India's influence in Afghanistan. Pakistan has been emphasising before the US that India's presence in Afghanistan is adding to the confusion and it almost received a shot in the arm recently when top US commander in Afghanistan said that India's role in Afghanistan had complicated the situation.

Taliban owns up Kabul blast, shifts focus from ISI - India - The Times of India

 

[Nomad]

Good points.

Thank you Mr. Khan for saying good points. It would have been better if you had given a thumbs up on my post. I however am still thankful.

I am waiting for the day I can give the Indian members of this forum a drubbing, but even though the day is long time is short.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

As the US looks to extricate itself from Afghanistan, compromises will have to be made.

And some more commentary on that possible policy:

Barack Obama: Taleban can be involved in Afghanistan future - Times Online

 

[jeypore]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomad View Post
So lets look at who would want the Indian embassies blown up. Which nation has cried to every world body about the Indian consulates in Afghanistan. How they are formenting terror (without a shred of evidence). Since no one has really gave a crap about such whining it was time to pull the the chain of the Afghan Taliban to blow up the Indian Embassy. Except this time they managed to put a hole in the ground in front of the embassy.

What have the Afghan Taliban have to gain by blowing up the Indian Embassy? Nothing.
If they are fighting against the people occupying their land they could have tried to blow up the embassies of any of the so called "occupying nations" . Why not?
Instead they have twice tried to blow up the embassy of a nation that is not occupying their country. Why? Their paymasters needed that meddling nation to be dealt with.

\

Yes, the good taliban on top of that, do not forget they where the first to acknowlege the semi-accomplishment!!!

My personal opinion still stands send more Indian troops to Afgan.

 

[Nomad]

Speculation about what was said in 'private' is just that, speculation. What is certain are the public statements and official stance taken by the GoP, and that stance showed the Taliban as rejecting Pakistani requests.

I agree "what was said in private is speculation" however actions speak louder than words. When the terrorists (Khalid sheik Mohamed was just one) were released by the weak assed Indian government, did Pakistan take any action against them? Both you and Afghanistan have paid a heavy price for that decision. As far as the Bamiyan Buddahs, did the GOP ever make a statement that there will be no further relationships between us if you do these things. No.

In addition, the Taliban were never really completely independent of Pakistan (in terms of resources and military advisers) in Afghanistan. There was no economy to speak of, the poppy crop had been cut significantly (though it started to rise again near the end). Despite that reliance, they showed themselves to be obstinate and non-pragmatic when it came to making compromises, even when their benefactors (Pakistan, Saudi Arabia & UAE) asked them to do so.

This is precisely my point. They had no resources, never completely independent of Pakistan, but showed them to be obstinate. That is just like some Indian saying " the Indian consulates "had no resources, no economy to speak of , however they showed themselves to be obstinate and non-pragmatic when it came to making compromises even when their benefactors asked them to do so. I am not going to buy this hogwash from any Indian, let alone you. The proof is that none of the benefactors publicly and transparently stop their funding. How could they? This was all done underhandedly.

So there is a possibility of the Taliban listening to Pakistan in terms of entering into negotiations with the GoA and NATO (provided the other side is interested as well) but I see no possibility of Pakistan influencing them into unilaterally surrendering their 'movement' or changing their tactics.

The Afghan Taliban will wither in six months if not for the support of the GOP. So please spare me the BS about the Taliban doing their own thing. If you the GOP wanted the Taliban gone stop providing them a safe haven. We can take care of the rest.

What does Pakistan have to gain with one attack on the Embassy. even it it had been leveled? Nothing - so I fail to see how you can conclude that Pakistan would want the Embassy and consulates 'blown up'.

Pakistan would like the Indian presence, primarily the various consulates, to be reduced, but that can only be accomplished long term by India her self, and not through 'blowing up embassies'.

This is where there crux of the argument comes down to. There is a saying "little knowledge is dangerous". I have heard enough members of this forum blame others for the problems in Pakistan. I am not going to say the Indian government is blameless, but other than accusations I have not seen proof. The Afghan Taliban want control of Afghanistan again. They cannot do it without the support of the GOP. The GOP wants the Indians out. No matter how much the GOP has whined, no one has given a crap. The only choice left is to..... I can put it in writing, this will not be the last attack on the Indian Embassy or the counselates.

As I pointed out before, India is closely cooperating with the Afghan Army and intelligence and has close relations with the Karzai administration and the former Northern Alliance officials (which it supported against the Taliban) who were mortal enemies of the Taliban - people appear to have long memories in this region.

Please, people have long memories every where. Do not give any superior memory skills to any group in particular. We as americans have even longer memories. Its just that we don't boast we do.

And please, as you suggested about the Pakistani concerns over the Indian consulates, there is no evidence indicating any of the Afghan Taliban are on 'Pakistani payroll'. So lets stop speculating shall we, or if you are intent upon insisting that position, then Pakistan's accusations of the India consulates supporting terrorism in Baluchistan and FATA are just as valid, which changes the context of discourse and the attacks on the embassies.

Can you provide me any concrete evidence that any ones on "India's payroll". If you can do so I will bury the Indians myself. When was the last time in in any of you posts that you tried to restrain any of your countrymen. They have throw accusations for as long as i have read these posts. The only one i can give credit for is "Muse"

Finally, also as I pointed out before, what did the Pakistani Taliban gain from attacking the WFP office? Surely there are multiple other Pakistani and NATO government and military targets to aim at. Perhaps they did so at the behest of their 'paymasters' (India), since attacks on relief agencies, forcing them to stop disbursing aid to the needy, ending their operations in Pakistan, creating a climate of fear that drives away investors, would only benefit one nation, India, no?

The Pakistani Taliban (The bad Taliban, lets start start differentiating between the good Taliban, the afghan taliban who made a second attempt on the Indian embassy, and the bad Taliban, as your countrymen do) were perfectly willing to walk into any house in any village they seemingly had control over, take the house over, kill the men rape the women, do whatever it took to control the area. The GOP under Musharaf was so scared they tried to appease them. I had a really bad impression of Zardari from the comments in this forum, however he is the one who has taken the boldest steps so far. Why not attack the WFP? The Pakistani Taliban never gave a crap about its own people, why should it now.

So when the
Or perhaps, as in the case of the Indian Embassy bombing, the Taliban lash out at anything they consider counter to their ideology and in some twisted way helping their opponents - and the Indians through their connections with the Northern Alliance, ANA and karzai are far more involved in 'helping enemies of the Taliban' than the World Food Program ever will be.

What is against "their ideology" to blow up the Indian Embassy. Lets not twist anything to help anyone. It is my understanding that the Afghan Taliban want the occupiers out of their country. I understand, how come they have'nt tried to blow any of their embassies.

The TTP emerged out of the animosity and rage in the Tribal belt against the US invasion of Afghanistan - the Afghan Taliban that did cross the border would not have been in large enough numbers to compromise the core of the TTP, most likely melted into the Afghan countryside from where they now launch attacks.

BS!!!!!!
The TTP has not been around since 2001. Sell this bunch of hog wash to someone else. You let the poison into your country, you let it fester, now the gangerene is starting to build up.

I fail to see what this comment has to do with the discussion so far - which has been about the need to co-opt those Taliban that are willing into a power sharing arrangement in Afghanistan. You seem to have taken umbrage at that suggestion, and are somehow taking Pakistan's support for that policy as indicative of continued support for the Afghan Taliban in carrying out their violence, despite the complete lack of evidence indicating so.

Spare me, I have to think long and hard to give you a serious reply. I have to figure how to convince the Indians who have spent 1.2 billion dollars of their money to support the terrorist regime who f***ed them. If you have any constructive answers, please help!!!

 

[rubyjackass]

Pakistan is a Disputed terriroty, is there any local support for this so called 'liberation', have any Foreign armies landed to occupy lands, How the hell can u compare TTP thugs with the Taliban In Afghanistan???
Afghan Taliban has denied any links with TTP & they are not against state of Pakistan
Anyways Indian minstry must have prepared the Dossier

Responding to a question, he said ‘Maulvi Waliur Rehman or Hakimullah Mehsud have no authority to appoint a new chief without consulting the Taliban in various areas and neither can the Waziristan Taliban make such decisions.’

How about this?
DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Maulvi Faqeer claims taking over TTP leadership


Only you are stupid enough to think that they are not related and that Taleban will some day save it for Pakistan in Afghanisthan. It just came around in the form of TTP.

 

[XYON]

Afghanistan is like a HISTORICAL SHREDDER for superpowers. It shreds outside invaders (and their logic to be there) into million pieces! So may it be the USA or India or anyone else trying to 'spread goodwill' in Afghanistan by virtue of gun or consulates, they will eventually run out with their tails in-between their bleeding legs like their predecessors such as the, Huns, British Empire, Soviet Union.

History continues to repeat itself in Afghanistan and those who do not learn from it are doomed. All we Pakistanis have to do is to sit back and enjoy the view and throw some popcorn at the screen every now and then.

 

[pakomar]

\

Yes, the good taliban on top of that, do not forget they where the first to acknowlege the semi-accomplishment!!!

My personal opinion still stands send more Indian troops to Afgan.

Indians are also consider as outside invaders so these blast will continue in future and by sending Indians troops Indian will ensure more blast inside Indian.

 

[blueoval79]

Indians are also consider as outside invaders so these blast will continue in future and by sending Indians troops Indian will ensure more blast inside Indian.

Well you just had a blast inside your country.....are you also occupying Afghanistan.....

 

[Halaku Khan]

Thank you Mr. Khan for saying good points. It would have been better if you had given a thumbs up on my post. I however am still thankful.

I would have just given a thumbs up - but I had initially posted some additional remarks, which I later found it expedient to remove.

I am waiting for the day I can give the Indian members of this forum a drubbing, but even though the day is long time is short.

You are welcome to try your hand at it.

But why would one want to give any particular nationality "a drubbing." Let us be votaries of the truth, as best as we can perceive it.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

How about this?
DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Maulvi Faqeer claims taking over TTP leadership


Only you are stupid enough to think that they are not related and that Taleban will some day save it for Pakistan in Afghanisthan. It just came around in the form of TTP.

Refrain from personal attacks and name calling please.

With respect to the article you posted (update your archived link by the way, it still links to the beta Dawn page which does not load), my impression of Maulvi Faqir's comments was that he was referring to the fact that the TTP was comprised of Taliban groups across FATA, and that the two commanders mentioned were not alone responsible for deciding the leadership issue.

That does not rule out the influence of the Afghan Taliban in deciding the TTP leadership issue (some speculate Haqqani and someone representing Mullah Omar are involved in these deliberations) but that particular article does not prove that.