Obama is ready to play ball with the Taliban, and meanwhile, the Taliban are continuing to play a game of their own. “Taliban claim Kabul bombing,” from AFP, October 9 (thanks to all who sent this in):
THE Taliban have claimed responsibility for a massive suicide car bomb that targeted the Indian embassy in Kabul yesterday, killing 17 people and injuring another 63, most of them civilians.
A statement on the Islamist insurgent group’s website said one of its ”martyrs” had carried out the attack, and the Indian embassy in the heavily fortified central diplomatic area ”was the main target”.
The attack took place just after 8.30am local time on a busy street outside the Interior Ministry. The ministry’s spokesman said two police officers and 15 civilians were killed in the blast.
He said 50 civilians were among the wounded, with 13 police officers also injured.
The Taliban statement, as is usual when it claims responsibility for suicide attacks, exaggerated the extent of the damage and the death toll.
The dead, it said, ”included a few high-ranking officials of the embassy, 35 soldiers of foreign and Afghan nationality”.
”The explosion caused damage to the walls of the Indian embassy, which was the main target,” the statement added….