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Taliban Escalate Attacks on Kabul Two Days Before Presidential Election

By Steve Herman
Kabul
18 August 2009

At least 13 people died, including NATO-led troops and Afghan staff members of the United Nations, and more than 50 other people were wounded, in the latest wave of Taliban attacks just two days before Afghanistan holds national elections. The insurgents are vowing to disrupt the polling and appear to be escalating strikes on the capital and other parts of the country.

The Taliban attacked in and around Kabul on Tuesday, attempting to make good on a vow to disrupt Thursday's national election.

A suicide bomber targeted a supply convoy of foreign forces on the busy highway just east of Kabul. That blast came just hours after a pair of rockets fell harmlessly between the Presidential Palace and the Defense Ministry.

The suicide bombing, however, took a heavy toll. NATO-led troops are among the fatalities, as well as two staff members of the United Nations. But the attack on the palace caused no deaths.

In Uruzgan province, officials say a suicide bomber attacked a polling station, killing four soldiers and two civilians.

The top U.N. official based in the country, Kai Eide, says security is his main concern for election day. He says a lack of security will increase the chances of voting irregularities, although overall he is confident in the vote.

"There will be irregularities but I do believe that they will not be at the level that will put in doubt the credibility of the elections themselves," he said.

The chief of the United Nations Assistance Mission is appealing to Afghanistan's 17 million eligible voters to defy the Taliban. He says those who go to the polls will be "voting against violence."

Afghanistan's government has declared Thursday a "Day of Peace" for the balloting.

The international NATO-led security force will suspend operations against the Taliban for election week.

Some 300,000 Afghan and international troops and police offices are tasked with protecting 29,000 polling stations, with what the government describes as a four-tier ring of security.