Karzai says NATO failed as 18-hour Kabul attack ends

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Karzai says NATO failed as 18-hour Kabul attack ends

By Rob Taylor and Hamid Shalizi

KABUL | Mon Apr 16, 2012 12:22pm EDT

(Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Monday that a coordinated Taliban attack showed a "failure" by Afghan intelligence and especially by NATO, as heavy street fighting between insurgents and security forces came to an end after 18 hours.

Battles that broke out at midday on Sunday gripped the city's central districts through the night, with large explosions and gunfire lighting up alleys and streets.

"The fact terrorists were able to enter Kabul and other provinces was an intelligence failure for us and especially for NATO," Karzai's office said in a statement.

Though the death toll was relatively low considering the scale of the assault, it highlighted the ability of militants to strike high-profile targets in the heart of the city even after more than 10 years of war.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/16/us-afghanistan-attack-idUSBRE83E05620120416

[msongs]

1. so was Karzai on the barricades defending Kabul lololol yeah, right nt

[kenny blankenship]

3. Lately Hamid likes to give the impression that he's just an impartial observer

- merely a bystander to events, with no dog in this fight.

His assumed air of neutrality is likely as accurate a barometer of how fast we are losing over there, as we can get Stateside. All our information has to be filtered first through the Green Fog of the occupation forces, then squeezed out through the five sided sphincter of the Pentagon, before finally being transmitted to us by the servile yellow press. But Karzai's direct statements, such as "NATO failed" and "I may join the Taliban", cut through the filters: it's so bad our puppet wishes he could switch sides.

Old Vietnam watchers will probably be reminded of Cambodia's Prince Sihanouk.

[former9thward]

2. Ok so NATO failed.

Time to go home and leave the defense of Afghanistan to Karzai who I am sure will be up to it.

[gratuitous]

4. We just need to give it a little more time

One or two more Friedman Units (six months). Then we'll know for sure! And if for some reason it still isn't clear what kind of a clusterfuck we're proctoring, the only thing to do is give it another couple of FUs.

Several years ago, I read where the only thing worse than pulling out of Afghanistan right that minute would be to dick around for another six months and then pull out. Did I mention that was several years ago, and it was as correct then as it is today. But someday our mighty god Violence will effect the miraculous change we seek. We just have to be patient.

[asjr]

5. I wish he would quit wearing that 10-year-old hat and

cloak. I'm sure it needs cleaning by now.