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Afghanistan

Wrong Door, Fatal Mistake

2014-03-31

The Taliban assailants apparently thought they were attacking an unprotected Christian-run day care center. But they mistakenly burst into the compound next door, where American government contractor Roots of Peace employees were heavily armed and ready, according to accounts that the contractor and the Afghan police gave on Friday of a wild four-hour shootout here.

Afghan officials said all five Taliban attackers were killed, including one who did away with himself. The corpse count also included two Afghan civilians, one of them a young girl. Two Roots of Peace guards were maimed. The shootout was the latest in a series of deadly attacks on foreign journalists, aid workers and visitors since January, in the midst of heavy security for the Afghan presidential election campaign.

Friday's attack took place in Kabul's well-to-do Karte Seh area where many foreign aid groups have offices and homes. Afghanistan has more than 2,000 registered nongovernmental organizations, most with offices in the capital. Most live in unguarded or lightly guarded guesthouses or individual homes, but those with government contracts, like Roots of Peace, often employ guards.

The residents in the group's house included the two Americans and an Australian, a Malaysian and a South African, who was the group's security adviser. The group runs agricultural and demining programs in Afghanistan, as well as in Israel, Croatia and Vietnam.

Posted by:Pappy

#17 Shipman,

Heard a variant in a Laumer Retief book.
"Ain't nothing peaceful as a dead troublemaker."

Posted by: Richard Aubrey 2014-03-31 19:05

#16

Posted by: OldSpook 2014-03-31 16:12

#15 I love a happy ending. :-D

Posted by: Barbara 2014-03-31 15:39

#14 In the words of the immortal Lucas McCain, "ain't nothin more peaceful than a deadman"

Who 'ya gonna kill today Lucas?
You 'ya nosy bastid, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam.

Posted by: Shipman 2014-03-31 13:54

#13 My thinking was more along the lines of high-profile Karte Seh area of Kubal, the nation's capital and the embarrassment of another Taliban security breach.

Wasn't that one with inside contacts? Might be something for our illustrious SecState to bring up with Karzai, when the former isn't trying to get the Israelis to commit slow-suicide...

Posted by: Pappy 2014-03-31 12:45

#12 Daisies got roots. Pushing them up is very peaceful.

Posted by: Fred 2014-03-31 11:51

#11 #10 HAHA.... Roots of Peace. Heavily armed.

And they'll plant your ass too if you fuck with 'em.

Darth,
Peace through strength. :-)

Posted by: Squinty 2014-03-31 11:43

#10 HAHA.... Roots of Peace. Heavily armed.

And they'll plant your ass too if you fuck with 'em.

Posted by: DarthVader 2014-03-31 11:21

#9 All of what you've said, spot on. My thinking was more along the lines of high-profile Karte Seh area of Kubal, the nation's capital and the embarrassment of another Taliban security breach. Once again, you'd have to be there to sort it out, and thankfully I wasn't.

Posted by: Besoeker 2014-03-31 10:46

#8 Perhaps. We're talking local cops who, again, likely haven't done this before. It occurred in a well-to-do expatriate area. Meaning most of the security is private and the local cops are not familiar with individual buildings. Given any kind of incident like this, there was also probably interference from higher-up, both Afghani and foreign.

Rocking chair, front porch - got it. However, given that it's Afghanistan, a place you've more familiarity with than I, I'm surprised you thought four hours was too long.

Posted by: Pappy 2014-03-31 10:39

#7 Quick Reaction Force [QRF] perimeter security team and assault team tasks, clearing, etc, can run concurrently. From the relative safety of my rocking chair and front porch, four hours appears a bit lengthy. But again, my chair and front porch. Just saying.

Posted by: Besoeker 2014-03-31 10:17

#6 Local police and quick reaction force out of town at the time, or are Christian-run day care centers a lower level response category ?

Apparently the police went to the daycare center first, evacuated it, then set up a security perimeter. I suspect that took time, what with terrified kiddies and soft (judging by the picture)civilians involved.

And evaluating the various news reports, it was a room-to-room search-and-clear (flash-bang grenades, etc.,) something I suspect took time, what with a rabbit-warren of rooms, local cops not having done that sort of thing regularly, civilians in the way and all.

But then again- what do I know - I only trained in doing search-and-clear for a few years. Granted, that was a decade or two ago, but I'll bow to the more experienced commenters on this thread.

Posted by: Pappy 2014-03-31 09:57

#5 Islam attacks Day Care Centers?

It might have something to do with Moslem Values.

But then again, perhaps I am being intolerant of Mohammed's basic character.

Posted by: Big Thromoth3646 2014-03-31 07:36

#4 No one ever accused the Talibunnies of fighting above their weight.

Posted by: SteveS 2014-03-31 02:58

#3 Attacking the Kiddie care again, are they???

Posted by: JosephMendiola 2014-03-31 02:50

#2 ALL OF THE ABOVE : police and qrf were at a sensitivity training course (make people more aware of their own prejudices and more sensitive to others, Taliban included.) As far as the ranking of Christain Daycare Centers in the heart of Mooslimb Country - well lets say they rank below a jewish wedding party - Christian-run day care centers are at lower level response category

Posted by: Putin, Oppressor of the Weak 2014-03-31 01:55

#1 Marin Independent Journal.

A four hour engagement? Local police and quick reaction force out of town at the time, or are Christian-run day care centers a lower level response category ?

Posted by: Besoeker 2014-03-31 01:21

00:00