First his brother. Next, his close aide. The Taliban are flexing their muscles and showing how much they can accomplish. Will Karzai be next, or will he head that off by making good on his threat to join the Taliban?
“Karzai Adviser Is Killed at Kabul Home,” by Jack Healy and Abdul Waheed Wafa in the New York Times, July 17 (thanks to Bill):
KABUL, Afghanistan “” A close adviser to President Hamid Karzai who had been a fierce foe of the Taliban in Afghanistan’s south was killed Sunday night after a small team of gunmen stormed his walled home here in the capital.
The slain aide, Jan Mohammed Khan, was a former governor of the southern Oruzgan Province who had been one of Mr. Karzai’s trusted allies and a regular presence inside the presidential palace. He was killed alongside a member of Parliament from Oruzgan, Mohammed Hosham Watanwal.
The men’s deaths were confirmed by Gen. Mohammed Zahir, a police official in Kabul.
The killings marked another potentially heavy blow for Mr. Karzai, coming just days after his powerful half-brother was assassinated by a close associate in southern Afghanistan.
About 90 minutes after the attack began at 8:30 p.m., Afghan security forces still had not captured or killed all of the gunmen. It was unclear whether anyone else had been killed or wounded, or whether the assailants had taken hostages.
“The terrorists are still inside, in one of the rooms,” General Zahir said. “We are trying our best.”…
Of course you are.