TALIBAN CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY
The rocket exploded about half-mile from where Karzai's supporters had gathered to hear him speak. "Everyone was waiting, but then when the rocket boomed, everyone got very nervous and frightened," a witness said. Taliban military commander Mullah Abdur Rauf told Reuters the guerrillas learned of Karzai's trip on Wednesday and planned the attack. "Because of shortage of time, we could fire only one rocket. It was launched by remote control," he said.
| Translation: "Cheez, they've spotted us! Head for the hills!" |
Karzai faces 17 challengers in the election. Campaigning began on Sept. 7, but has been low key, with none of the big rallies and parades seen in other countries. The vote has been delayed twice by growing insecurity. About 1,000 people, including aid workers, militants, civilians and Afghan and foreign troops have been killed in militant-related violence in the past year. Analyst Vikram Parekh of the Brussels-based International Crisis Group think tank said the Gardez incident would be a worry for Karzai and his ability to campaign in the provinces, but added that he already enjoyed a higher profile than his rivals. Karzai, an ethnic Pashtun, is keen to garner the Pashtun vote from areas like Gardez where they are the majority. But Taliban guerrillas also draw their support from the majority group. |