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Subscribe to RSSKABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban insurgents poisoned, then shot and killed 17 people as they slept at a local police post in eastern Afghanistan, one of two attacks in as many days targeting Afghan security forces, an official said Wednesday.
It's unclear how the militants were able to drug people inside the post before firing bullets into their incapacitated bodies Tuesday night, said Abdul Jamhe Jamhe, a government official in Ghazni province.
Ten members of the Afghan Local Police, a village-level defense force backed by the U.S. military and Afghan government, and seven of their civilian friends died in the attack, said Provincial Gov. Musa Khan Akbarzada. He said there was a conspiracy of some sort but declined to confirm if poison was involved.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack in Andar district. He told The Associated Press by telephone that the attackers fatally shot the men in their sleep, but denied they had been poisoned.
Residents of Andar took up arms last spring and chased out insurgents. The villagers don't readily embrace any outside authority, be it the Taliban, the Afghan government or the U.S.-led NATO military coalition.
The lightly trained village defense force, which is overseen by the Interior Ministry, is tasked with helping bring security to remote areas. But President Hamid Karzai has expressed concern that without careful vetting, the program could end up arming local troublemakers, strongmen or criminals.
In other violence, a suicide bomber slid under a bus full of Afghan soldiers and blew himself up in Kabul, wounding 10 in an attack that underscored the insurgency's ability to attack in the heavily guarded capital. Kabul police said at least six soldiers and four civilians were wounded. The suicide attacker died.
The bomber, wearing a black overcoat, approached the bus purposefully in heavy morning snow as soldiers were boarding, set down his umbrella and went under the chassis as if to fix something, according to a witness. Watching from across the street, office worker Ahmad Shakib said he thought for a moment the man might have been a mechanic.
"I thought to myself, what is this crazy man doing? And then there was a blast and flames," that engulfed the undercarriage, he said. "It was a very loud explosion. I still cannot really hear."
Shah Marai / AFP - Getty Images
Afghan National Army soldiers investigate the scene following a suicide attack against a bus carrying Afghan army personnel in Kabul on Wednesday. The attacker was intercepted but still detonated his explosives and injured at least six.
Bakery owner Mirza Khan said the blast shattered the windows of his nearby shop where people were waiting to buy bread, leaving six wounded.
The Afghan government uses buses to ferry soldiers, police and office workers into the city center on regular routes for work, and the vehicles have been a common target for insurgents.
Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, also claimed responsibility for the Kabul bombing.
The attack occurred three days after a would-be car bomber was shot dead by police in downtown Kabul. That assailant was driving a vehicle packed with explosives and officials said he appeared to be targeting an intelligence agency office.
It also comes as the U.S.-led military coalition in the country is backing off from its claim that Taliban attacks dropped in 2012, tacitly acknowledging a hole in its widely repeated argument that violence is easing and that the insurgency is in steep decline.
Some 100,000 international troops are helping secure Afghanistan at the moment, but most, including many of the 66,000 Americans, are expected to finish their withdrawal by the end of 2014.
Also on Wednesday, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss abuse allegations against American special forces and Afghan troops linked to them in the strategic eastern Wardak province.
The allegations led Karzai to issue an order on Sunday calling for U.S. special forces to be expelled from the province within two weeks despite fears that the move would leave the restive area and the neighboring Afghan capital more vulnerable to al-Qaida and other insurgents.
Karzai and Gen. Joseph Dunford, commander of all U.S. and allied forces, discussed the issue and agreed to work together to address the security concerns of the people of Wardak, a coalition statement said.
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Afghanistan has got a 24/7 newssite. TOLOnews. According to their report- the poisoning happened in Gado area,Andar district,Ghazni province. 10 policewmen and 6 guests partaking were poisoned what they ate. (deputy provincial council chief- Abdul Jameh Jameh told TOLO). Andar district and Ghazni province - recent uprisings against Taliban in the district has left a number of people dead on both sides. (http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/9603-10-afghan-local-police-poisoned-killed-in-ghazni. The bus suicide bomber wearing a black overcoat and an umbrella walked over the snowy street in nearing the bus ferrying Afghan National Army personnel to Kabul (city)- detonated explosives outside the bus- 10 people injured (6 army soldiers and 4 civilians)-the bus caught fire.
"Taliban insurgents poisoned, then shot and killed 17 people as they slept at a local police post in eastern Afghanistan"
Imagine how it will be after NATO forces withdraw in 2014.
At least it is good that drugs were used inside Afghanistan, another Islamic extremist hell hole, instead of being exporting to other places.
If there is no way to tell the good from the bad it is time to make a final decision. Our presents in Afghanistan is simply fuel for the fire. The British and the Russians before us, decided to leave quietly after suffering great losses in both lives and treasure. When I was in the Marines we were taught many things concerning diplomacy. Only two of these concepts are needed in this situation. The first is; Make an important, or crucial decision rapidly, as fast possible, and stick to it. With your intelligence and training, you stand ninety percent chance of choosing the right path. If you are wrong, you won't be around to know about it, and the situation will remain the same. The second is roughly the same; Sh!t, or, get off the pot!
Great post, why aren't you in Washington? Oops, answered my own question.
Only geniuses of Washington could have Pakis and Saudis as strategic allies.
Just look at those who took political and military decisions!
In Afghanistan, Pakis have backstabbed the US and NATO forces big time. Half of NATO forces deaths are due to ungrateful and backstabbing Pakis.
When the NATO forces were entering Kandahar in 2001, Pakis airlifted key al-Qaida, Taliban, ISI and others militants by back door from Kandahar.
This includes Mullah Omar, Osama and many including Paki Haqqani militant network leaders.
Hope people remember about Pakis sheltering Osama.
These Paki Islamic religious Nazis don't bother about their people and they are into reckless killing games in the name of jihad.
Drone attacks are not enough. To reduce NATO forces losses, carpet bomb Paki militant areas just like 1991 Iraqi war.
Or else just get out right now.
British and Russians did not have such backstabbing allies in Afghanistan.
I wish at least some studied history of Afghan and Iraqi regions before going to wars.
Simple. The Taliban simply showed up with 'free tea' at the police barracks. Islam forbids anyone to pass up 'free tea'. The tea contained a sedative, so when the attack began, the cops were out cold. Opium does that, and opium is the reason the Taliban wants control of Afghanistan. Destroy the opium and its addicted growers and you can start controlling the Taliban. Hamid Karzai knows this and wants US troops out of the way so HE can control the opium.
All I have to say is it is a damn good thing we did not violate those particular Taliban members rights by hitting them in a drone strike at anytime in the past. Just imagine, one of their friends or family who chose to hang out with them could have been killed at the same time. Those innocent dead victims are just a necessary evil in seeking justice for Taliban members from the inhumanity of drone strikes.
Oh, nevermind that the same Taliban would be happy to die for their cause to take out many other "infadels" and at the same time sooner meet their allotment of 72 virgins (are those underage virgins?)...we cannot kill them first before they create more victims...they do have rights you realize.
good thing?
So Karzai kicks out our troops and this is what happens. Al little advice. Be careful of what you wish. I can't wait for the Taliban to be at the palace door and for Karzai to ask for our help. NOT! Maybe he can shield himself with women and children like the rest of those islamic animals. My apologies to the animal kingdom. The muslim virus spreads.
It is typical of backstabbing Muslims to imagine that they are too smart and others are a bunch of fools!
Paki criminal, Gen Mush did the maximum damage to NATO force; he can't hide in Pakistan; and so the smart guy is in Britain and his son in the US.
Karzai is equally bad.
He and his cronies stole our tax monies; has been backstabbing and being ungrateful when convenient and now wait for the day: "we want asylum in your nation as we will be killed for helping you people."
As long as they are just killing each other.....meh....
The Taliban is a group of murdering cowards who use poison and knives in the back rather than face their opponents FTF.
The problem with murdering cowards is that their behavior has been condoned and justified through religious dogma for so long, the people not considered religious zealots are afraid for their lives. This is because History has proven they have inflicted terror and death to all including their ruling royalty and politicians. Take a quick look at politics in turkey to get a cursory view of the problems associated with trying to join the modern world community when you have radical murderers sitting next to you.
History has shown us time and time again that a person will "RAT" out their friends and neighbors to divert the attention of these types of murderers away from themselves. When the Roman Catholic Inquisitions were murdering people wholesale, no one was safe. In Germany in the 30s, children would turn in their parents as Jewish sympathisers to be taken out and shot.
History has shown us one thing and if we can learn that lesson we will be ahead of the game. That is, when you see this type of inhuman behavior, stamp it out as quickly as possible rather than waiting until they grow to the size of godzilla type monster.
John Kerry is the ABSOLUTE worse person to choose for our nations defence. He is a Vietnam, pot smoking, reject that betrayed the Veterans who gave their lives and service honorably. God Help us from the destructive forces in Washington.
Lazarus
Hillary and some did not have much idea on Afghanistan and other Muslim nations. They dance as directed by oil companies, Jewish lobbys, arms industries and their lobbyists.
John Kerry is going to be worse. He will be as good or bad as McCain, Bush and co.
The Islamic extremist Frankenstein monsters have started backstabbing big time the inventers of Pakistan, British, and the masters (US and allies) who kept them alive.
In most of the Islamic terrorism and plots in the US, Britain, Europe and other places, Pakis have a hand.
Before followers of Islamic cult set their feet on Afghan and Paki regions, these regions were quite peaceful and prosperous.
Once the cancer of Islam gradually got control of the region, those regions have become raping, stealing, looting and killing fields.
In Afghanistan, Paki proxies Taliban did not even tolerate Buddha’s statue in Bamiyan.
Many Paki areas and some Afghan areas have become breeding and exporting centers for illegal activities including drugs growing and trading and export of Islamic radicals and terrorists all over the world.
British invented Pakistan in 47 and Pakistan is supposed to be a pure Islamic nation. In Pakistan, it was massive genocides of minorities in between 48-50.
Percentages of Hindus and Sikhs were reduced from about 24 percent less than three years by rapes, stealing, lootings, terrorizing and killing on a massive scale.
Paki Islamic religious madness did not end there.
Sunni Pakis are after Ahmedias, Sufis (fake love and dance Islamic soap opera people), Shiites (20 percent), Hazaras, and Baloochs and other minority sects/tribes.
Shiites, Sufis, Ahmedias and other minority sects/tribes people are blown up while they pray in their mosques on Fridays. And even hospitals are bombed to kill those injured.
EVEN AFTER 2014, AFGHAN AND PAKI STORIES WILL NOT BE OVER.
START ARMS AND ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE BUSINESS FOR STRATEGIC REASONS.
Karzai needs to order the taliban out of that area. since he ordered US troops out of Wardak province for alleged bad acts. better yet how about Obama getting US troops out of Afghanistan. along with stopping aid to those folks. Let them get back to sheep herding and fighting among themselves.
no peace in that region until the epic center of world terrorism pak..is eliminated from maps....