BinZiad
06-09-2002, 20:12
Karzai survives assassination attempt; 36 dead in Kabul blast
Fragile puppet regime in Kabul trembles
ANDAHAR: Hamid Karzai, appointed by the US as the President of
Afghanistan, survived an attempt on his life while the Governor
Kandahar Gul Agha Sherzai wounded seriously in a shoot out just
outside the Governor's palace in southern Afghan city Kandahar – once
the stronghold of Taliban.
Witnesses said an Afghan security guard fired shots at Karzai's
convoy as it was leaving the governor's mansion in Kandahar. The
attacker and two other men were killed when Karzai's American
bodyguards returned fire.
Kandahar governor Gul Agha Sherzai, who was in Karzai's convoy, was
hurt when a bullet struck him in the neck. An American soldier
guarding the convoy was also injured.
Though the Foreign Minister of puppet regime Abdullah Abdullah
alleged that Al-Qaeda was behind the attack, the Kabul regime offered
no evidence of a link to the al-Qaeda network. Some observers said
the attack may have been planned by local political opponents.
Afghanistan is marked by tribal warfare, and some members of the
Pashtun majority have accused Karzai's national government of being
controlled by Americans and rival Tajiks from the north.
"I was just outside the gate when I heard the gunshots," said Dur
Mohammed, Sherzai's security chief. "The Americans opened fire on
three people and they were killed."
Karzai was in the city to attend wedding of his brother. Kandahar is
a former Taliban stronghold and the last major Afghan city to fall to
U.S.-backed forces last year.
The shooting happened shortly after a car bomb killed and wounded
scores of people in Kabul, about 500 kilometres away. Police said at
least 10 people died. Afghan state television estimated the figure
was 26, with 150 injured.
Karzai is expected to visit the U.S. next week for a special session
of the UN General Assembly.
It was not immediately known if the shots that hit the governor came
from the would-be assassin or Karzai's U.S. bodyguards.
American officials said it was not clear who was responsible for the
assassination attempt. U.S. President George W. Bush said he's glad
Karzai is safe, and he vowed to keep Americans in Afghanistan until
the country is stable again.
"We're not leaving," Bush said. "We want to help democracy flourish
in that region."
Blast in Kabul
About 36 persons were killed and several others wounded when a huge
blast rocked a business district in Afghan capital Kabul.
The blast, believed a car bomb, occurred in a market and the victims
were all civilians including women and children.
The blast sent a wave of panic in the capital which has witnesses a
series of explosions in the recent weeks eliminating the hopes that
the puppet regime would ever be able to provide peace and security to
the residents of Kabul.
According to the details, a small bomb exploded in the busy markets
that drew crowds and then all of sudden an explosive device planted
in a car went off. The huge explosion was heard in a radius of
several miles.
Thought the puppet government is blaming Al-Qaeda and Taliban for the
blast, observer do not rule out the internal strife in the Karzai
Government for the recent bombings.
It may be mentioned here that Karzai had removed all his Afghan
bodyguards a few weeks ago and employed US Special Forces personnel
to provide him security. This decision was also taken because of the
growing differences between Karzai and the Northern Alliance
particularly Karzai's defence minister General (now Field Marshal?)
Fahim.
Fragile puppet regime in Kabul trembles
ANDAHAR: Hamid Karzai, appointed by the US as the President of
Afghanistan, survived an attempt on his life while the Governor
Kandahar Gul Agha Sherzai wounded seriously in a shoot out just
outside the Governor's palace in southern Afghan city Kandahar – once
the stronghold of Taliban.
Witnesses said an Afghan security guard fired shots at Karzai's
convoy as it was leaving the governor's mansion in Kandahar. The
attacker and two other men were killed when Karzai's American
bodyguards returned fire.
Kandahar governor Gul Agha Sherzai, who was in Karzai's convoy, was
hurt when a bullet struck him in the neck. An American soldier
guarding the convoy was also injured.
Though the Foreign Minister of puppet regime Abdullah Abdullah
alleged that Al-Qaeda was behind the attack, the Kabul regime offered
no evidence of a link to the al-Qaeda network. Some observers said
the attack may have been planned by local political opponents.
Afghanistan is marked by tribal warfare, and some members of the
Pashtun majority have accused Karzai's national government of being
controlled by Americans and rival Tajiks from the north.
"I was just outside the gate when I heard the gunshots," said Dur
Mohammed, Sherzai's security chief. "The Americans opened fire on
three people and they were killed."
Karzai was in the city to attend wedding of his brother. Kandahar is
a former Taliban stronghold and the last major Afghan city to fall to
U.S.-backed forces last year.
The shooting happened shortly after a car bomb killed and wounded
scores of people in Kabul, about 500 kilometres away. Police said at
least 10 people died. Afghan state television estimated the figure
was 26, with 150 injured.
Karzai is expected to visit the U.S. next week for a special session
of the UN General Assembly.
It was not immediately known if the shots that hit the governor came
from the would-be assassin or Karzai's U.S. bodyguards.
American officials said it was not clear who was responsible for the
assassination attempt. U.S. President George W. Bush said he's glad
Karzai is safe, and he vowed to keep Americans in Afghanistan until
the country is stable again.
"We're not leaving," Bush said. "We want to help democracy flourish
in that region."
Blast in Kabul
About 36 persons were killed and several others wounded when a huge
blast rocked a business district in Afghan capital Kabul.
The blast, believed a car bomb, occurred in a market and the victims
were all civilians including women and children.
The blast sent a wave of panic in the capital which has witnesses a
series of explosions in the recent weeks eliminating the hopes that
the puppet regime would ever be able to provide peace and security to
the residents of Kabul.
According to the details, a small bomb exploded in the busy markets
that drew crowds and then all of sudden an explosive device planted
in a car went off. The huge explosion was heard in a radius of
several miles.
Thought the puppet government is blaming Al-Qaeda and Taliban for the
blast, observer do not rule out the internal strife in the Karzai
Government for the recent bombings.
It may be mentioned here that Karzai had removed all his Afghan
bodyguards a few weeks ago and employed US Special Forces personnel
to provide him security. This decision was also taken because of the
growing differences between Karzai and the Northern Alliance
particularly Karzai's defence minister General (now Field Marshal?)
Fahim.