Suicide bombing at Kabul education centre kills 18

[rooster59]

Suicide bombing at Kabul education centre kills 18

By Abdul Qadir Sediqi and Orooj Hakimi

 

An Afghan man wheels an injured man in a hospital after a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan October 24, 2020. REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail

 

KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide bombing at an education centre in Afghanistan's capital Kabul killed at least 18 people including teenage students and wounded dozens more on Saturday, officials said.

 

A Ministry of Interior spokesman, Tariq Arian, said security guards had identified a bomber who detonated explosives in the street outside the Kawsar-e Danish centre.

 

Most of the victims were students aged between 15 and 26, according to the health ministry. Fifty-seven were injured in the attack, the interior ministry said.

 

A Taliban spokesman on Twitter denied responsibility for the attack, which came at a sensitive time as teams representing the insurgents and the government meet in Qatar to seek a peace deal.

 

Islamic State claimed responsibility in a statement on Telegram, without providing evidence.

 

Family members gathered at a nearby hospital, searching for missing loved ones among bags containing the remains of those killed, laid out on the hospital floor, while outside orderlies wheeled injured patients on stretchers for treatment, a Reuters witness said.

 

The attack, which was condemned by NATO and the Afghan government, took place in an area of west Kabul that is home to many from the country's Shia community, a religious minority in Afghanistan targeted in the past by groups such as Islamic State.

 

Dozens of students died in the same area of Kabul in an attack on another education centre in 2018.

 

A teacher at the Kawsar-e Danish centre, who asked not to be named due to security concerns, said he and other teaching staff were in shock at the targeting of the institution which had provided tutoring to give thousands of children a pathway to higher education.

 

"All the students were full of energy, belonging to poor families but hoping for a brighter future," he said.

 

The latest attack came on the back of heavy fighting in multiple provinces in recent weeks, which has displaced thousands of civilians in southern Helmand province.

 

"How much more can we endure, as individuals and as society? How many times can we rise?" asked Shaharzad Akbar, chair of Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission on Twitter, saying the targeting of civilians was a war crime.

 

(Reporting by Abdul Qadir Sediqi; Additional reporting by Orooj Hakimi; Writing by Gibran Peshimam and Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by James Drummond and David Holmes)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-25

 

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[simple1]

Terrible, merciless killing and injury of innocents. Keep foreign special forces in Afghanistan to assist and coordinate with destruction of IS in Afghanistan.

[overherebc]

2 hours ago, simple1 said:

Terrible, merciless killing and injury of innocents. Keep foreign special forces in Afghanistan to assist and coordinate with destruction of IS in Afghanistan.

Special forces, political talks, ten minute cease-fires, sanctions and who knows whatever ideas are tried will not do anything to stop any of these attacks.

There is no cure.

[Morch]

4 hours ago, simple1 said:

Terrible, merciless killing and injury of innocents. Keep foreign special forces in Afghanistan to assist and coordinate with destruction of IS in Afghanistan.

 

Kinda doubt foreign Special Forces (probably in a relatively depleted strength) would do a whole lot of good, unless given mandate by a government with massive popular support. Throwing a bunch of soldiers, good as they may be, into such a situation as Afghanistan, and expecting them to sort it out is more like movie stuff. 

[Orton Rd]

Allah, the most merciful, the most beneficent ????

[simple1]

1 hour ago, Morch said:

 

Kinda doubt foreign Special Forces (probably in a relatively depleted strength) would do a whole lot of good, unless given mandate by a government with massive popular support. Throwing a bunch of soldiers, good as they may be, into such a situation as Afghanistan, and expecting them to sort it out is more like movie stuff. 

 

I posted SF to "assist and coordinate" against IS which I understand was effective in Syria and Iraq, why not so in Afghanistan. Believe US air power will still be available

Edited October 25, 2020 by simple1

[Opl]

6 hours ago, simple1 said:

Terrible, merciless killing and injury of innocents. Keep foreign special forces in Afghanistan to assist and coordinate with destruction of IS in Afghanistan.

then after complain about their interference.. you can always try to have it both ways  

Edited October 25, 2020 by Opl

[simple1]

7 minutes ago, Opl said:

then after complain about their interference.. you can always try to have it both ways  

 

Don't believe the Afghan government has requested the withdrawal of US SF, want to keep them on for further support and training for Afghan SF, plus air cover. For the moment doesn't appear the so called peace talks are producing any results. Would be surprised if trump, if he retains power, withdraws SF, but you never know,

[Ireland32]

What kind of filth Bomb a Education facility 

[billd766]

7 hours ago, overherebc said:

Special forces, political talks, ten minute cease-fires, sanctions and who knows whatever ideas are tried will not do anything to stop any of these attacks.

There is no cure.

There is a possible long term way but that would mean an awful lot of intelligence work identifying the leaders and their replacements and then killing them first. 

 

Fight fire with fire.

 

[billd766]

10 minutes ago, Ireland32 said:

What kind of filth Bomb a Education facility 

The kind of people who hate educating the masses so that they can see through the lies of the Taliban and the IS.

 

The more education that people get, lessens the powers and control of the mullahs.

[Morch]

19 hours ago, simple1 said:

 

I posted SF to "assist and coordinate" against IS which I understand was effective in Syria and Iraq, why not so in Afghanistan. Believe US air power will still be available

 

IS was, as far as I understand, less 'grassroots' than the Taliban are. Also more extreme. Effective? It depends how you look at it. In both Iraq and Syria, there were other forces involved (Iran, Russia, Turkey). Talking generally I'm not sure one can say that the whole 'military advisors' strategy worked out quite that well globally. It's fine for achieving limited, well defined goals. Putting a whole country back on track, or quelling dissent and terrorism on a national level maybe not so much.

 

I think the issue is almost always with goals and endgame not being clearly set, and not allocating the resources needed for larger scope tasks.

[Morch]

15 hours ago, billd766 said:

There is a possible long term way but that would mean an awful lot of intelligence work identifying the leaders and their replacements and then killing them first. 

 

Fight fire with fire.

 

 

There are various issues making such a strategy problematic. For starters, if it's to be done in a more effective manner, there will probably be legal pitfalls (local, USA and international) involved. Then there's the fact that as with all such operations, mistakes happen. Each innocent killed will be used to fuel negative sentiment and propaganda against such forces and practices, while bolstering support for the other side. Killing leaders off before replacements can muster support etc. is good in theory, practice seems to be a bit different, if wishing to avoid the sort of issues related to the first two points.

[Morch]

15 hours ago, billd766 said:

The kind of people who hate educating the masses so that they can see through the lies of the Taliban and the IS.

 

The more education that people get, lessens the powers and control of the mullahs.

 

Education is key, but this requires a real long term investment of resources and effort. Returns on this will take years to reap, and even then it is not a sure thing they'll be quite in line with interests. For example, one of things about better education is that it makes the people get ideas, like maybe not having to side with this or that sponsor state....

[simple1]

52 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

IS was, as far as I understand, less 'grassroots' than the Taliban are. Also more extreme. Effective? It depends how you look at it. In both Iraq and Syria, there were other forces involved (Iran, Russia, Turkey). Talking generally I'm not sure one can say that the whole 'military advisors' strategy worked out quite that well globally. It's fine for achieving limited, well defined goals. Putting a whole country back on track, or quelling dissent and terrorism on a national level maybe not so much.

 

I think the issue is almost always with goals and endgame not being clearly set, and not allocating the resources needed for larger scope tasks.

 

I think the issue is almost always with goals and endgame not being clearly set, and not allocating the resources needed for larger scope tasks.

 

Agree. To clarify I was talking to a specialised tactical role of SF, in this case counter terrorism, not at the strategic national level. 

, 

[Morch]

32 minutes ago, simple1 said:

 

I think the issue is almost always with goals and endgame not being clearly set, and not allocating the resources needed for larger scope tasks.

 

Agree. To clarify I was talking to a specialised tactical role of SF, in this case counter terrorism, not at the strategic national level. 

, 

 

Would be more to the point if the terrorism was taken up by a smaller group. As it's more on par with popular insurrection, plus politics and ethnic elements involved, the mission is bound to get murkier (in all respects) as time goes by. One would have thought that by now, someone up there would figure how these things tend to pan out. Granted, pulling back would probably see the country descending into chaos, but it's not clear that this can be avoided with just a skeleton crew in place instead of the massive presence up to now.

[simple1]

8 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

Would be more to the point if the terrorism was taken up by a smaller group. As it's more on par with popular insurrection, plus politics and ethnic elements involved, the mission is bound to get murkier (in all respects) as time goes by. One would have thought that by now, someone up there would figure how these things tend to pan out. Granted, pulling back would probably see the country descending into chaos, but it's not clear that this can be avoided with just a skeleton crew in place instead of the massive presence up to now.

A report you may find interesting...

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/newsbotbot/comments/jg86jh/washingtonpost_opinion_our_secret_taliban_air/

 

Edited October 26, 2020 by simple1

[Morch]

9 minutes ago, simple1 said:

A report you may find interesting...

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/newsbotbot/comments/jg86jh/washingtonpost_opinion_our_secret_taliban_air/

 

 

It's interesting in a sensational, gossipy kinda way, but what it actually does, IMO, is support the point of view holding that entanglement in such countries is often way more complicated than initially planned or assumed.

[Scott]

Inflammatory post removed. 

 

[Opl]

On 10/25/2020 at 2:28 AM, simple1 said:

Terrible, merciless killing and injury of innocents. Keep foreign special forces in Afghanistan to assist and coordinate with destruction of IS in Afghanistan.

What is the proven rationale after all those years, for the West to stand in the middle of the way of ever conflicting tribes, Talibans and their alikes in the Muslim world - and become part of the problem -  while IS as an ideology  needs no borders trespassing to spread all over the Planet?   

Edited October 27, 2020 by Opl

[simple1]

2 hours ago, Opl said:

What is the proven rationale after all those years, for the West to stand in the middle of the way of ever conflicting tribes, Talibans and their alikes in the Muslim world - and become part of the problem -  while IS as an ideology  needs no borders trespassing to spread all over the Planet?   

 

Given it is likely IS are responsible for the OP event , you are saying the West shouldn't be taking on IS / supporting local forces, in Afghanistan where I understand. IS are currently trying to expand operations, West shouldn't have intervened against IS in Syria and Iraq and so on - thoroughly disagree. IMO, if IS manage to establish a centre of power in Afghanistan, it will lead to the emergence of new followers in the West along with the enormous cost by disruption of 'normal life' and grief they cause. 

[CorpusChristie]

39 minutes ago, simple1 said:

 

Given it is likely IS are responsible for the OP event , you are saying the West shouldn't be taking on IS / supporting local forces, in Afghanistan where I understand. IS are currently trying to expand operations, West shouldn't have intervened against IS in Syria and Iraq and so on - thoroughly disagree. IMO, if IS manage to establish a centre of power in Afghanistan, it will lead to the emergence of new followers in the West along with the enormous cost by disruption of 'normal life' and grief they cause. 

 

  OK but next time theres a terror attack in the West, just dont say that its our fault for interfering in the Middle East 

[simple1]

6 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

 

  OK but next time theres a terror attack in the West, just dont say that its our fault for interfering in the Middle East 

 

It's a fact serious policy mistakes by the USA in Iraq led to the eventual formation of IS. Putting that aside, IMO never defocus focus on IS by pulling of advisory Western SF in Afghanistan. Afghan Taliban are a difficult issue as so far as i know they have not attacked or planned to do so, Western targets outside of Afghanistan. it would be interesting to known Western veterans thoughts on whether to stay in Afghanistan assisting the Afghan Army or pull out.

[stretch5163]

On 10/25/2020 at 4:50 PM, billd766 said:

There is a possible long term way but that would mean an awful lot of intelligence work identifying the leaders and their replacements and then killing them first. 

 

Fight fire with fire.

 

They had the most Dangerous Taliban held in Jail. The last 500 who were considered the organisers and the real bad boys were released in the last round of peace talks for good faith between the 2 afghanistan presidents. Everyone can see this has had no effect in fact the attacks havent stopped at all. Being here first hand is an eye opener as a lot of these attacks dont get air time or publisised. Very dificult sitautaion that once troops do pull out will revert back to the way it was and possibly civil war.

 

They had a lot of these guys in prison now they are walking free again.

[simple1]

3 hours ago, stretch5163 said:

They had a lot of these guys in prison now they are walking free again

 

Due to US insistence and pressure on Afghan government in an effort to try achieve end of hostilities by Afghan Taliban,