Afghanistan residents caught in the crossfire as peace talks fail
Residents in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, demanded their foreign neighbors vacate the neighborhood after the latest in a string of Taliban attacks targeted the area last week. The surge in violence also put a halt to the Taliban’s peace talks with the United States.
A suicide bomber struck the Green Village, home to several international organizations and guesthouses in Kabul. The explosion also destroyed neighboring homes and shops, killing at least 30 people and injuring more than 100 others.
Enraged protesters threw rocks and flaming bottles into the compound and set fire to a guard tower. In another attack on the compound in January, five people died and more than 100 others sustained injuries.
“We’ve complained time and again to get this … camp out of here because in each attack we suffer the most,” 30-year-old Atiquillah told The New York Times.
Separate attacks last week targeting another diplomatic area near the U.S. Embassy killed one U.S. service member and several civilians.
“We understand that peace talks are going on,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said, “but they must also understand that we are not weak, and if we enter into talks … we enter from a strong position.”
The brazen attacks came as U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalizad met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul to brief him on the peace efforts with the Taliban. In a sign of mounting tension, Khalilzad traveled abruptly to Qatar for unexpected talks with the extremists but was recalled to Washington. Ghani also postponed a trip to Washington slated for this week.
President Donald Trump said he canceled secret peace talks with the Taliban that were to take place at Camp David in Maryland. “What kind of people would kill so many in order to seemingly strengthen their bargaining position?” the president noted. —O.O.
Comments
OldMike
Posted: Wed, 09/11/2019 04:18 pmBe sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. I Peter 5:8, NKJV
Seems like the best explanation for the turmoil in every corner of the world.