7 dead, 91 Wounded in Taliban Attack on NATO Headquarters

A car burns after a suicide blast outside NATO’s Afghanistan headquarters on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009. (Photo credit: CNN / Getty Images)

August 15, 2009

KABUL, Afghanistan — A suicide car bomb exploded Saturday outside the main gate of NATO’s headquarters five days before Afghanistan’s presidential election, killing seven and wounding 91 in the biggest attack in the Afghan capital in six months.

The bomber evaded several rings of Afghan police and detonated his explosives on the doorstep of the international military headquarters, an assault possibly aimed at sending the message that the Taliban can attack anywhere as Afghans gear up for their second-ever direct presidential election. Militants have warned Afghans not to vote and have threatened to attack voting sites.

The NATO headquarters — where top commander U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal is based — sits beside the U.S. Embassy and shares the same street as the presidential palace. The explosion was the first major attack in Kabul since February, when eight Taliban militants struck three government buildings simultaneously in the heart of the city, an assault that killed 20 people and the eight assailants. …

Video Deadly bombing (MSNBC, Aug. 15, 2009) — A suicide car bomber strikes near the front gate of NATO headquarters in Kabul. (02:23)

Bloodied and dazed Afghans wandered the street after Saturday’s blast, which rattled the capital and sent a black plume of smoke skyward. Children — many of whom congregate outside the NATO gate to sell gum to Westerners — were among the wounded. Windows of nearby antique shops were shattered and blood smeared the ground.

The Taliban claimed responsibility and said the target was the NATO headquarters and the U.S. Embassy some 150 yards down the street. A top Kabul police official blamed al-Qaida.

Brig. Gen. E. Tremblay, the spokesman for the NATO-led force, said some soldiers in the International Security Assistance Force were wounded in the 8:35 a.m. blast. He did not say how many. The explosion occurred 30 yards from NATO’s front gate, he said. Pointing to the civilian casualties, Tremblay said the Taliban were “indiscriminately killing civilians.”

Afghan security forces stopped the vehicle in front of NATO headquarters, and then the bomber detonated the explosives, Tremblay said. …

A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the blast and said the bomb contained 1,100 pounds of explosives. Mujahid at first said the bomber was on foot, then later called back and said it was a suicide car bomb attack.

The attack falls in line with increasingly spectacular and sophisticated strikes carried out by Afghanistan militants. The Taliban have carried out several coordinated attacks in the last several months with multiple teams of insurgents assaulting government sites. Military analysts have said the increased sophistication comes from training by al-Qaida operatives. …

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8/16/09 Update

U.K. sees its toll in Afghanistan pass 200 (AP, Aug. 16, 2009) — Prime Minister Gordon Brown affirmed Britain’s commitment to Afghanistan on a weekend in which roadside bombs killed five more soldiers, pushing the U.K. death toll past 200. … The Ministry of Defense said three soldiers from 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers died after they were attacked while on patrol Sunday near Sangin in Helmand Province. They brought Britain’s death toll in the country to 204. … Full story

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago Today — August 15, 2008

On the Campaign Trail: Day 32

Starting the day’s walk in Anoka, headed for Blaine, Lino Lakes, and Centerville.

One year ago today, on the 32nd day of my campaign against U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann for the Republican nomination as House of Representatives candidate in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, I resumed my Sixth District walking tour, setting out on foot from Anoka and proceeding to Blaine, Lino Lakes, and Centerville.