Huge car bomb near embassies in Afghan capital kills or wounds dozens

[webfact]

Huge car bomb near embassies in Afghan capital kills or wounds dozens

By Mirwais Harooni

REUTERS

 

Burned vehicles are seen after a blast at the site of the incident in Kabul, Afghanistan May 31, 2017. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

 

KABUL (Reuters) - A powerful car bomb exploded in the centre of Afghanistan's capital on Wednesday, killing or wounding dozens of people and sending clouds of black smoke into the sky above the presidential palace and foreign embassies, officials said.

 

Basir Mujahid, a spokesman for Kabul police, said several people were killed and wounded in the blast near the fortified entrance to the German embassy.

 

"It was a car bomb near the German embassy, but there are several other important compounds and offices near there too. It is hard to say what the exact target is," Mujahid said.

 

The explosion shattered windows and blew doors off their hinges in houses hundreds of metres (yards) away.

 

A public health spokesman said at least 67 wounded people had been taken to hospitals around Kabul.

 

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. A spokesman for Taliban insurgents said he was gathering information.

 

Violence around Afghanistan has been rising throughout the year, as the Taliban push to defeat the U.S.-backed government and reimpose Islamic law after their 2001 ouster in a Washington-backed invasion.

 

Since most international troops withdrew at the end of 2014, the Taliban have gained ground and now control or contest about 40 percent of the country, according to U.S. estimates, though President Ashraf Ghani's government holds all provincial centres.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump is due to decide soon on a recommendation to send 3,000 to 5,000 more troops to bolster the small NATO training force and U.S. counter-terrorism mission now totalling just over 10,000.

 

The commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, told a congressional hearing earlier this year that he needed several thousand more troops to help Afghan forces break a "stalemate" with the Taliban.

 

(Reporting by James Mackenzie; Editing by Nick Macfie)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-31

[webfact]

Sewage tanker bomb kills at least 80, wounds hundreds in Afghan capital

By Mirwais Harooni and Josh Smith

REUTERS

 

Afghan officials inspect outside the German embassy after a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan May 31, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail

 

KABUL (Reuters) - A powerful bomb hidden in a sewage tanker exploded in the morning rush hour in the centre of Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 80 people, wounding hundreds more and damaging embassy buildings in the Afghan capital's unofficial "Green Zone".

 

The victims of the explosion at a busy intersection appeared mainly to have been Afghan civilians on their way to work or school, including office workers whose nearby buildings did not have the protection of the blast walls that fortify the zone.

 

The blast, at the start of the holy month of Ramadan, was one of the deadliest seen in Kabul, killing 80 people and wounding another 463, Deputy Interior Minister Murad Ali said.

 

A huge crater was caused at the blast site close to the German embassy compound, tearing the front off a building facing the street and shattering windows and blowing off doors in houses hundreds of metres away.

 

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said some embassy staff had been injured and at least one local security guard was killed.

 

"Such attacks do not change our resolve in continuing to support the Afghan government in the stabilization of the country," Gabriel said.

 

Eleven U.S. citizens working as contractors were among the wounded, the U.S. State Department said, adding that none of their injuries were considered life-threatening.

 

Basir Mujahid, a spokesman for the city police, said the explosives were hidden in a sewage truck. He also suggested that the German embassy might not have been the target of the blast, which sent clouds of black smoke into the sky near the presidential palace.

 

"There are several other important compounds and offices near there too," he told Reuters.

 

No group had claimed responsibility by Wednesday evening but Afghanistan's main intelligence agency, the National Directorate for Security, said it had been carried out by the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network with assistance from Pakistan.

 

Both Pakistan and Afghanistan regularly accuse each other of supporting militant groups operating across the border.

 

The Taliban, seeking to reimpose Islamic rule after their 2001 ouster by U.S.-led forces, denied responsibility and said they condemned attacks that have no legitimate target and killed civilians.

 

Islamic State, a smaller militant group in Afghanistan seeking to project its claim to a global Islamic caliphate beyond its Middle East base, has previously claimed responsibility for high-profile attacks in Kabul, including one on a military hospital in March that killed more than 50 people.

 

The NATO-led mission in Kabul said Afghan security forces prevented the vehicle carrying the bomb from entering the Green Zone, which houses many foreign embassies as well as its own headquarters, also suggesting it may not have reached its intended target.

 

In the immediate aftermath of the blast, the scene was littered with burning debris, damaged walls and buildings, and destroyed cars, many with dead or injured people inside.

 

As well as the German embassy, the French, Turkish and Chinese embassies were among those damaged, the three countries said, adding there were no immediate signs of injuries among their diplomats. The BBC said one of its drivers, an Afghan, was killed driving journalists to work. Four journalists were wounded and treated in hospital.

 

"FELT LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE"

 

At the Wazir Akbar Khan hospital a few blocks away from the blast, there were scenes of chaos as ambulances brought in wounded. Frantic relatives scanned casualty lists.

 

It felt like an earthquake," said 21-year-old Mohammad Hassan, describing the moment the blast struck the bank where he was working.

 

Another lightly wounded victim, Nabib Ahmad, 27, said there was widespread confusion.

 

"I couldn't think clearly, there was a mess everywhere," he said.

 

Frenzy erupted outside the hospital as ambulances and police trucks began bringing in the bodies of those killed. Some were burned or mutilated beyond recognition.

 

President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack, which will add to pressure on his fragile government, already facing mounting discontent over its inability to provide security.

 

The attack drew international condemnation, ranging from India and Pakistan to the European Union and Pope Francis. U.S. President Donald Trump called Ghani to offer his condolences and support, Ghani's spokesman said.

 

The United Nations Special Representative in Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, described the attack as outrage.

Amnesty International demanded an immediate and impartial investigation.

 

The Taliban have been stepping up their push to defeat the U.S.-backed government. Since most international troops withdrew at the end of 2014, the Taliban have gained ground and now control or contest about 40 percent of the country, according to U.S. estimates, though Ghani's government holds all provincial centres.

 

Trump is due to decide soon on a recommendation to send 3,000 to 5,000 more troops to bolster the small NATO training force and U.S. counter-terrorism mission now totalling around 15,000.

 

The commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, told a Congressional hearing this year that he needed several thousand more troops to help Afghan forces break a "stalemate" with the Taliban.

 

Graphic - Map of the area: http://tmsnrt.rs/2rptvAM

 

(Additional reporting by Josh Smith in Kabul, Kay Johnson in Islamabad, Sudip Kar-Gupta and Emmanuel Jarry in Paris, Ben Blanchard in Beijing, Madeline Chambers and Michelle Martin in Berlin, Tulay Karadeniz in Ankara and Doug Busvine in New Delhi; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Nick Macfie, Sonya Hepinstall, Alex Richardson and Andrew Bolton)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-01

[williamgeorgeallen]

which war will be won first, the war on drugs or the war on terror?

[phantomfiddler]

Any smart Afghani would be wise to take a course in bricklaying :)

[sirineou]

Scariest phrase ever:

Hi we are  Americans and we are here to liberate you

[ddavidovsky]

Back in 2000, America should have just given everyone in Afghanistan $1000. Would have boosted the economy, which is the main thing, and given the US a cargo-cult following.

Cost of that: $32 billion. Actual cost of Afghan war to American taxpayer: $2.4 trillion.

 

Even cheaper: give every household a big-ass, state-of-the-art LED TV and then broadcast an endless stream of soaps and talent contests. That will keep them quiet. I'm serious.

Edited June 1, 2017 by ddavidovsky

[MaxYakov]

10 minutes ago, ddavidovsky said:

Back in 2000, America should have just given everyone in Afghanistan $1000. Would have boosted the economy, which is the main thing, and given the US a cargo-cult following.

Cost of that: $32 billion. Actual cost of Afghan war to American taxpayer: $2.4 trillion.

 

 

Well then...the actual cost was only $2.368 trillion because we saved the 32 billion we didn't give them. The Taliban would have confiscated the money anyway and spent it on armaments, truck bombs, prayer rugs, porn, and whatever else Taliban spend money on (not necessarily in that order).

[Moonlover]

4 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

which war will be won first, the war on drugs or the war on terror?

Are you seriously suggesting that either can ever be won?

 

A far as Afghanistan is concerned, it's time that ALL foreign troops were withdrawn completely. Leave them to resolve their own problems the Afghan way. They've been doing it for many, many years.

 

In fact, the only periods that the country has ever enjoyed any peace (at least, relatively speaking) was when they were left to their own devices.

[williamgeorgeallen]

8 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Are you seriously suggesting that either can ever be won?

 

A far as Afghanistan is concerned, it's time that ALL foreign troops were withdrawn completely. Leave them to resolve their own problems the Afghan way. They've been doing it for many, many years.

 

In fact, the only periods that the country has ever enjoyed any peace (at least, relatively speaking) was when they were left to their own devices.

of course neither can be won. l agree its time to get out of the middle east. there will be a few years of pain  but it would be for the long term good.

[ddavidovsky]

29 minutes ago, MaxYakov said:

Well then...the actual cost was only $2.368 trillion because we saved the 32 billion we didn't give them. The Taliban would have confiscated the money anyway and spent it on armaments, truck bombs, prayer rugs, porn, and whatever else Taliban spend money on (not necessarily in that order).

In taking away people's money (or TV sets) the Taliban would make themselves universally unpopular. Win-win for the allies.

[MaxYakov]

43 minutes ago, ddavidovsky said:

In taking away people's money (or TV sets) the Taliban would make themselves universally unpopular. Win-win for the allies.

Lose-lose-lose-lose - Money wasted, Taliban not exterminated, money not laundered through US defense contractors, allied troops don't get on-the-job training.

 

With your fiscal expertise, maybe you should be advising the US Congress on budgetary matters. I know you weren't being serious about the spending, but neither are they!

Edited June 1, 2017 by MaxYakov

[ddavidovsky]

34 minutes ago, MaxYakov said:

Lose-lose-lose-lose - Money wasted, Taliban not exterminated, money not laundered through US defense contractors, allied troops don't get on-the-job training.

 

With your fiscal expertise, maybe you should be advising the US Congress on budgetary matters. I know you weren't being serious about the spending, but neither are they!

You're probably joking, but in case you're not, it's money saved, not wasted. These situations call more than anything for sociology. The Taliban will evaporate when the people get what they want, which is above all TV sets and Hollywood blockbusters.

 

Granted it's been good for training the military how to lose a war, and excellent for toughening up the American people in handling their war-dead.

 

The path they chose has been a failure. What was your solution by the way?

Edited June 1, 2017 by ddavidovsky

[JingerBen]

During the 2016 presidential election, neither Trump nor Hillary Clinton raised the matter of the American war in Afghanistan, now in its 16th year.

The US surge in 2010, which brought 100,000 troops into the country, failed to stem the Taliban's drive. By 2014, that strategy was silently dropped. There was little discussion about it then. With the great loss of life on all sides, the waste of resources and the futility of US war aims, one would have thought that the question of Afghanistan would have been raised in the debates or in the speeches. But there was virtual silence on it.

It is unlikely that even a proposed increase of 5,000 US troops will have an impact on the Taliban's gains. The style of US warfare is likely to increase civilian casualties, and the deterioration of the Afghan National Army will not raise the population's confidence. The Taliban which had been delegitimized for its cruelty 20 years ago, has now positioned itself once more as the only viable force to bring stability to the country. The reality of this is clear to many in US intelligence. The return of the Taliban would be a major blow to American prestige, the worst US military defeat since Vietnam. Every contingency will be taken to prevent that outcome, even the destruction of Afghanistan.