Taliban lay siege to NATO air base in Kabul in early morning assault

[unhappycamper]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/06/10/193450/taliban-lay-siege-to-nato-air.html



An Afghanistan policeman gestures to stop a vehicle after Taliban fighters attacked near Kabul airport, Afghanistan, Monday, June, 10, 2013. Seven heavily armed Taliban fighters launched a pre-dawn attack near Afghanistan’s main airport Monday, apparently targeting NATO’s airport headquarters with rocket-propelled grenades, assault rifles and at least one large bomb.

Taliban lay siege to NATO air base in Kabul in early morning assault
By Jay Price | McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on Monday, June 10, 2013

KABUL, Afghanistan — Suspected Taliban fighters attacked a NATO base inside Kabul’s international airport early Monday, setting off a gun battle that was still going on more than two hours after it began.

The attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades into the base from a multi-story building outside the airport’s perimeter. Dozens of explosions could be heard in the area as NATO and Afghan security forces responded. NATO said in a Twitter post that the attackers had not breached the wall that surrounds the base.

There was no word on NATO casualties. Afghan police said they’d killed several of the attackers, including one who’d been firing RPGs at the airport. Two others had been trapped in the building’s basement, according to a local government official.

NATO, citing Kabul police chief Gen. Mohammed Ayoub Salangi, reported that a police officer firing an RPG had destroyed an explosive-laden small truck that the attackers may have intended to use to blow their way into the air field.



unhappycamper comment: Our Afghanization effort continues........

[life long demo]

1. IMHO I believed that the war in Afghanistan was right.

I believe the incursion to get AQ and bin Laden was right. The fight to get the Taliban out was right. But somewhere along the way we fumbled. If we had gotten bin Laden at Tora Bora, we would have (possibly) avoided many years spent in Afghanistan. To some this may seem like a simplistic view.

[unhappycamper]

2. This reminds me of a conversation I had with Howard Zinn

I was of the same mind more or less after 911.

I had seen Howard around many times during the outings we (VFP) usta have on Boston Common.

In 2008, I had the opportunity to drive Howard to a fundraiser in the Boston area. (I had him for a half-hour in both directions. ) He asked me what I thought of the Afghanistan adventure (my choice of word. not his). I told him I wasn't happy about the continuing occupation as well as letting bin Laden escape from Tora Bora. If we weren't actively looking for him, wtf were we still doing there?

Howard then asked me what was my take on Iraq. I told him that invasion and eight year occupation was nothing more than a transfer of money to the guys who build and use killing machines. On that we agreed.

I have come to realize that there are few, if any, valid excuses for war. National resources? Nope. Oil? Nope. Shipping lanes? Nope. Money? Unfortunately. yes.

And Howard Zinn was brilliant.