Why haven’t they given up? Does the State Department know? Do they have any idea of the elements of the jihad ideology that motivates them? Do they know why the Karzai government has hewed so closely to the Islamic law that it was supposed to represent freedom from? From AP, :
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network is regrouping and preparing to bring Iraq-style bloodshed to Afghanistan, the defense minister said Friday, warning his country may face intense violence ahead of key legislative elections this fall.
Recent intelligence indicates the terror organization slipped about half a dozen Arab agents into Afghanistan over the past three weeks, including two who detonated themselves in suicide bombings against a packed mosque and a convoy of U.S. troops, Defense Minister Rahim Wardak told The Associated Press.
“It looks like there has been a regrouping of al-Qaida and they may have changed their tactics not only to concentrate on Iraq but also on Afghanistan,” Wardak said in an interview over tea at his wood-paneled office next to the heavily guarded presidential compound.
“We do believe that we will have three months of very tough times,” Wardak said. “The enemies of this nation will do everything they can to disrupt the (Sept. 18 parliamentary) elections.”…
“As we get closer to the elections, they are likely to intensify their efforts to … derail the elections,” said Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, who has been tapped by President Bush to be the top U.S. diplomat in Iraq.
Referring to the infiltration of Arab fighters for al-Qaida, Wardak said: “We have gotten reports here and there that they have entered – at least half a dozen of them. The last report is that they came in just close to the time of the mosque attack.”…
Authorities recovered the head of the mosque attacker and said he appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent. Wardak said initial indications are that the second suicide attacker also was Arab.