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| Afghanistan |
| Blast Hits by U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan |
| 2003-12-04 |
| Not as close as the AP would have liked, but they try. EFL: Suspected Islamic militants fired a rocket into a field next to the U.S. Embassy here Thursday, Afghan authorities said. The blast occurred less than two hours after Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld left the Afghan capital. By AP standards, they just missed. There were no reports of injuries in the 6:15 p.m. explosion about 300 yards from the embassy compound, and 100 yards from the headquarters of international peacekeepers in Kabul. Well, by Afghan standards, 300 yards was on target. "We are reviewing our security posture," a spokesman at the heavily fortified embassy said. He spoke on condition of anonymity and declined further comment. "Go away, I’ll get back to you if they hit something besides a empty field." The blast underlined the violence plaguing Afghanistan two years after a U.S.-led offensive swept the Taliban regime from power and heightened tension in Kabul ahead of a loya jirga, or grand council, next week to ratify a constitution. "All is lost! Quagmire! Vietnam! Attica, Attica, Attica!" Thursday’s blast echoed around the city, drawing swarms of Afghan police and soldiers to an expanse of newly tilled field next to the U.S. Embassy compound. Security officials walked the field with flashlights. One emerged from the darkness holding a piece of shrapnel he said was from a small rocket. Reporters were evicted before the impact site could be found. "It’s a coverup! We demand to see the crater!" "Ok, go ahead. Look out for mines, field ain’t been swept." "Er, that’s ok. We’ll wait at the hotel." Troops from the 5,700-strong International Security Assistance Force blocked roads around the U.S. compound. Lt. Cmdr. Frank Coburn, a British ISAF spokesman, said a forensics team was sent to the site. He said he couldn’t confirm witness accounts suggesting it was a rocket. "I dunno. Sumpthin went bang. Happens all the time." Matyullah Ramani, a senior Kabul police officer, said: "It was Taliban or (Gulbuddin) Hekmatyar" - a renegade commander allied with the Taliban. "They are trying to disrupt the loya jirga." Sounds like their level of marksmanship. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 There were no reports of injuries in the 6:15 p.m. explosion about 300 yards from the embassy compound, and 100 yards from the headquarters of international peacekeepers in Kabul. And just how do they know the embassy was the target and not the peacekeeperHQ? |
| Posted by: Cheddarhead 2003-12-4 3:56:43 PM |