Snipers miss President Karzai

Image via WikipediaTHE Mujahideen Day parade in Kabul on April 27th was meant to show Afghanistan's new, Western-trained, armed forces coming of age. President Hamid Karzai, the country's political elite and a jumble of Western diplomats packed a podium to review the troops. Then, just as a 21-gun-salute began, three lightly armed Taliban fighters began to take pot-shots from a shabby hotel nearby. The dignitaries scrambled in panic for safety.

Casualties were not as serious as they might have been: the gunmen managed to kill three and wound 11 but missed their main target, Mr Karzai. Afghanistan's intelligence chief said there was evidence that the attackers had ties with militant groups linked to al-Qaeda and based in Pakistan (see article). For the Taliban the attack is a propaganda victory, showing that Afghanistan's capital is within their reach. This was the second big attack in Kabul this year. In January a four-man Taliban suicide-squad blasted its way into a luxury hotel, killing eight staff and guests.
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Snipers at Mujahideen Day parade in Kabul miss Karzai...

More al Qaeda incompetence. Glad they missed but using 3 and 4th level cadre is a severe handicap, and portends future screw ups, al Qaeda has become a third rate insurgent group.

Sloppy security, US Secret Service would have prevented the attack.

G

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