Dressed in Burqa: Terrorist attack peace conference

In an outrageous attack by Taliban terrorists dressed in burqas attacked an Afghan peace conference. There was a three day peace jirgah going on when the Taliban launched this deadly attack. It was only moments Mr Karzai had spoken about the need to resume peace for the development of Afghanistan.

The Militants were armed with rocket launchers and their intended target was of course the dignitaries attending the three day peace conference. None of the dignitaries and officials present at the conference was hurt by this brazen attempt. The terrorist were killed in the ensuing gun battle with the security forces. Two of the three terrorists were killed by the security forces while one blew himself up by accident. Sixteen hundred leaders representing different ethnic and cultural sects in Afghanistan had gathered on the outskirts of the capital city Kabul. Prominent leaders, elders, representatives of tribes had come together in this conference to find ways of ending the war and strife in Afghanistan. On a light note Mr Karzai tried to calm the crowd down by saying that we have heard all this before and should not be scared as people inside the building heard explosions from outside.

The security had been ramped up in a prelude to this conference. The security forces are still trying to figure out how such an attack took place despite such heavy security arrangements being made. However the security forces have killed or captured all the terrorists who were part of this attack. This attack has dispelled the notion that the city of Kabul has been secured by NATO. NATO is continuing its offensive in the south of the country where the militants are holed up. The security bubble created by the United States security forces has its centre at Kabul. The terrorist with this attack want to make a point, that they can strike the heavily guarded capital too at any time.

This attack has come just as Mr Karzai looks to implement his strategy of reaching out to the Taliban leadership. Mr Karzai proposes giving insurgents who give up violence some kind of incentives. The west has been skeptical about this idea, because it feels that it is too early in the day to be offering terrorists any incentives to give up fighting. Also part of the plan is offering Taliban foot soldiers and insurgents with vocational training and jobs.This is what Mr karzai had to say at the conference. “Make peace with me and there will be no need for foreigners here. As long as you are not talking to us, not making peace with us, we will not let the foreigners leave.” Mr Abdullah the main opposition leader has boycotted the conference.