Yesterday's militant assault in the heart of Kabul succeeded not only in paralyzing the city for hours—it also exposed the vulnerability of the US-backed Afghan government, demonstrated the resilience of the Taliban, and left the usually quiet city with a lingering sense of fear. The morning rush-hour attack offered a disturbing sign that the Taliban, who have traditionally made rural Afghanistan their stronghold, are now bringing the war to the cities, in a bid to show that no pocket of the country is safe, writes Dexter Filkins for the New York Times.
A Taliban spokesman said the assault by two suicide bombers and five gunmen, which came within 50 yards of reaching the gates of the presidential palace, was a response to US and Afghan proposals to reintegrate ex-Taliban fighters into mainstream society: “We are ready to fight, and we have the strength to fight, and nobody from the Taliban side is ready to make any kind of deal,” he said.
(More Kabul stories.)
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