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Barnett Rubin, a former senior adviser to the US for Afghanistan, said the attack was a warning to the international community and the Afghan government that it would not allow Western forces to remain in the country beyond 2014
The Kabul restaurant attack that killed two Britons including a Labour MEP candidate was a Taliban warning that it will not allow foreign forces to remain in Afghanistanafter 2014, one of the US government's leading advisers said on Sunday.
Afghanistan's National Security Council, which is chaired by President Hamid Karzai, accused "foreign intelligence services" of being behind the suicide bomb and gun attack that killed 22 people on Friday night.
Del Singh, a Labour candidate for May's European elections, was among 13 foreigners killed in the attack on the Lebanese restaurant Taverna du Liban, a popular drinking and dining oasis for Kabul's international community.
The victims also included a representative of the International Monetary Fund and two United Nations advisers, including one working on reconciliation with the Taliban.
According to Barnett Rubin, who until two months ago was senior adviser to the US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, the attack was a warning to the international community and the Afghan government that it would not allow Western forces to remain in the country beyond 2014.
The United States and the Afghan government were discussing a Bilateral Security Agreement to secure the country after the withdrawal and the "message of this attack is that there won't be an international presence because we won't allow it," he said.
Washington hopes the Afghan government will sign a Bi-lateral Security Agreement to allow 15,000 troops to remain at nine military bases throughout the country to ensure the country does not descend into anarchy when combat troops withdraw at the end of the this year. Mr Karzai however has said he will not sign the deal until the United States stops controversial night raids and reduces the number of civilian casualties.
Supporters of the deal believe it will secure the main cities and highways and maintain levels of international aid essential to fund government services and pay army salaries. Without an agreement there could be a "catastrophe" in the country, Mr Rubin warned at the Jaipur Literature Festival.
Mr Rubin rejected Taliban claims that the attack had been in retaliation for an American air strike last week in which eight civilians were killed.
A statement for the presidential palace released on Sunday said: "The NSC said such sophisticated and complex attacks are not the work of the ordinary Taliban, and said without doubt foreign intelligence services beyond the border are behind such bloody attacks."
Kabul restaurant attack 'was warning from Taliban for the West to leave Afghanistan' - Telegraph
The Kabul restaurant attack that killed two Britons including a Labour MEP candidate was a Taliban warning that it will not allow foreign forces to remain in Afghanistanafter 2014, one of the US government's leading advisers said on Sunday.
Afghanistan's National Security Council, which is chaired by President Hamid Karzai, accused "foreign intelligence services" of being behind the suicide bomb and gun attack that killed 22 people on Friday night.
Del Singh, a Labour candidate for May's European elections, was among 13 foreigners killed in the attack on the Lebanese restaurant Taverna du Liban, a popular drinking and dining oasis for Kabul's international community.
The victims also included a representative of the International Monetary Fund and two United Nations advisers, including one working on reconciliation with the Taliban.
According to Barnett Rubin, who until two months ago was senior adviser to the US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, the attack was a warning to the international community and the Afghan government that it would not allow Western forces to remain in the country beyond 2014.
The United States and the Afghan government were discussing a Bilateral Security Agreement to secure the country after the withdrawal and the "message of this attack is that there won't be an international presence because we won't allow it," he said.
Washington hopes the Afghan government will sign a Bi-lateral Security Agreement to allow 15,000 troops to remain at nine military bases throughout the country to ensure the country does not descend into anarchy when combat troops withdraw at the end of the this year. Mr Karzai however has said he will not sign the deal until the United States stops controversial night raids and reduces the number of civilian casualties.
Supporters of the deal believe it will secure the main cities and highways and maintain levels of international aid essential to fund government services and pay army salaries. Without an agreement there could be a "catastrophe" in the country, Mr Rubin warned at the Jaipur Literature Festival.
Mr Rubin rejected Taliban claims that the attack had been in retaliation for an American air strike last week in which eight civilians were killed.
A statement for the presidential palace released on Sunday said: "The NSC said such sophisticated and complex attacks are not the work of the ordinary Taliban, and said without doubt foreign intelligence services beyond the border are behind such bloody attacks."
Kabul restaurant attack 'was warning from Taliban for the West to leave Afghanistan' - Telegraph