May 2010 Kabul bombing
Encyclopedia
The May 2010 Kabul bombing occurred on May 18, 2010, in Kabul
, Afghanistan
. Eighteen people including five US soldiers and a Canadian soldier were killed and fifty-two were injured when a NATO convoy was targeted by a Taliban suicide attack
er. It was the deadliest attack against NATO forces in Afghanistan since September 2009 when six Italian soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber. Two full colonels and two lieutenant colonels were killed in this attack making it the deadliest attack against ranking officers
in Afghanistan. With this attack the total number of Americans killed in Afghanistan crossed one thousand.
had recently returned from a trip to US to gather support for his policy to promote peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. A jirga
was planned to discuss methods to promote peace with the tribal elders. Also a military offensive was being planned in the Kandahar Province
. Shortly before this attack Taliban had announced 'Operation al-Fatah' that would target NATO forces, foreign diplomats, contractors and Afghan government. Afghan police had set up several extra security checkpoints this year. In spite of these measures the bomber was able to drive his vehicle into the city.
. The bombing happened during the rush hour close to the National Assembly of Afghanistan
. The blast destroyed 5 US military vehicles and 13 civilian vehicles. Most of the dead were Afghan civilians including women and children in a public bus which was driving by when the explosion happened. Five US soldiers were among the dead. The dead Canadian soldier was identified as Colonel
Geoff Parker originally from Oakville, Ontario
. He is the highest ranked Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan. An American colonel, 2 American lieutenant colonels and their 2 American drivers were also killed. The American officers were identified as colonel John M. McHugh, 46, from New Jersey and lieutenant colonels, Paul R. Bartz, 43, of Waterloo, Wisconsin, and Thomas P. Belkofer, 44, of Perrysburg, Ohio
.
. According to Afghanistan's spy agency the attack was allegedly carried out by Pakistan' spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence
. Saeed Ansari a spokesman for National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan’s spy agency stated that 'All the explosions and terrorist attacks by these people were plotted from the other side of the border and most of the explosives and materials used for the attacks were brought from the other side to Afghanistan.' According to US military intelligence officials Haqqani network
based in Pakistan
was also involved in the attack.
, the Secretary General of NATO
. Prime Minister Stephen Harper
of Canada in a statement condemned the attack and mourned Parker calling him a "great Canadian who will be greatly missed by the Canadian Forces family and his community."
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Eighteen people including five US soldiers and a Canadian soldier were killed and fifty-two were injured when a NATO convoy was targeted by a Taliban suicide attack
Suicide attack
A suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :...
er. It was the deadliest attack against NATO forces in Afghanistan since September 2009 when six Italian soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber. Two full colonels and two lieutenant colonels were killed in this attack making it the deadliest attack against ranking officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in Afghanistan. With this attack the total number of Americans killed in Afghanistan crossed one thousand.
Background
President Hamid KarzaiHamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
had recently returned from a trip to US to gather support for his policy to promote peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. A jirga
Jirga
A jirga is a tribal assembly of elders which takes decisions by consensus, particularly among the Pashtun people but also in other ethnic groups near them; they are most common in Afghanistan and among the Pashtuns in Pakistan near its border with Afghanistan...
was planned to discuss methods to promote peace with the tribal elders. Also a military offensive was being planned in the Kandahar Province
Kandahar Province
Kandahar or Qandahar is one of the largest of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in southern Afghanistan, between Helmand, Oruzgan and Zabul provinces. Its capital is the city of Kandahar, which is located on the Arghandab River. The province has a population of nearly...
. Shortly before this attack Taliban had announced 'Operation al-Fatah' that would target NATO forces, foreign diplomats, contractors and Afghan government. Afghan police had set up several extra security checkpoints this year. In spite of these measures the bomber was able to drive his vehicle into the city.
Attack
The bomber, driving a Toyota minivan packed with more than 1600 pounds of explosives, drove into a convoy of American military vehicles moving down the Dar-ul-Aman road at about local time and exploded. The blast created a deep crater in the road near the ruined Darul Aman PalaceDarul Aman Palace
Darul Aman Palace is a European-style palace, now ruined, located about sixteen kilometers outside of the center of Kabul, Afghanistan....
. The bombing happened during the rush hour close to the National Assembly of Afghanistan
National Assembly of Afghanistan
The National Assembly is Afghanistan's national legislature. It is a bicameral body, comprising two chambers:*Wolesi Jirga or the House of the People: the 250-member lower house.*Meshrano Jirga ) or the House of Elders: an upper house with 102 seats....
. The blast destroyed 5 US military vehicles and 13 civilian vehicles. Most of the dead were Afghan civilians including women and children in a public bus which was driving by when the explosion happened. Five US soldiers were among the dead. The dead Canadian soldier was identified as Colonel
Colonel (Canada)
In the Canadian Forces, the rank of colonel is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a captain of the Navy. A colonel is the highest rank of senior officer...
Geoff Parker originally from Oakville, Ontario
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
. He is the highest ranked Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan. An American colonel, 2 American lieutenant colonels and their 2 American drivers were also killed. The American officers were identified as colonel John M. McHugh, 46, from New Jersey and lieutenant colonels, Paul R. Bartz, 43, of Waterloo, Wisconsin, and Thomas P. Belkofer, 44, of Perrysburg, Ohio
Perrysburg, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,945 people, 6,592 households, and 4,561 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,899.2 people per square mile . There were 6,964 housing units at an average density of 780.5 per square mile...
.
Responsibility
The Taliban took responsibility for the attack. They stated that they had sent a man named Nizamuddin to carry out the attack. Several analysts believe that the attack reflected Taliban opposition to the upcoming peace jirga proposed by President Hamid KarzaiHamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
. According to Afghanistan's spy agency the attack was allegedly carried out by Pakistan' spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
. Saeed Ansari a spokesman for National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan’s spy agency stated that 'All the explosions and terrorist attacks by these people were plotted from the other side of the border and most of the explosives and materials used for the attacks were brought from the other side to Afghanistan.' According to US military intelligence officials Haqqani network
Haqqani network
The Haqqani Network is an insurgent group fighting against US-led NATO forces and the government of Afghanistan. Originating from Afghanistan during the mid-1970s, it was nurtured by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence during the 1980s Soviet war in...
based in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
was also involved in the attack.
Reactions
The attack drew strong condemnation from Anders Fogh RasmussenAnders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a Danish politician, and the 12th and current Secretary General of NATO. Rasmussen served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 27 November 2001 to 5 April 2009....
, the Secretary General of NATO
Secretary General of NATO
The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is the chairman of the North Atlantic Council, the supreme decision-making organisation of the defence alliance. The Secretary-General also serves as the leader of the organisation's staff and as its chief spokesman...
. Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
of Canada in a statement condemned the attack and mourned Parker calling him a "great Canadian who will be greatly missed by the Canadian Forces family and his community."
External links
- In pictures: Kabul blast, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. May18, 2010 - Video: Afghan blast kills Nato soldiers, Al Jazeera English, May 18, 2010