Daily Times

In the run up to the Afghan general elections, a spate of violent attacks have rocked the capital reminding residents and the world that the Taliban threat is alive and kicking. The latest has been a fierce bomb and gun attack on a guesthouse run by a US-aid agency called Roots of Peace. The attack started at 4:00 pm on Friday until Afghan security forces killed the last remaining Taliban gunman holed up inside the building. This is the fourth such attack this year and it comes as no surprise considering that the Taliban vowed terrible attacks on the state and any foreigners to disrupt the very crucial presidential elections that are just around the corner. Roots of Peace is an organisation that works selflessly to convert minefields into orchards and vineyards. Such a noble and wonderful mission, how could it have been tolerated by the forces of darkness and malice? Foreign citizens were staying at the guesthouse, verifying without a doubt that the Taliban are looking to cause maximum damage to foreigners generally, especially election observers.

The last such attack occurred just three days prior to this one when Taliban militants stormed an office of the Independent Election Commission, killing five people. Just last week, disguised Taliban militants snuck inside the heavily fortified Serena Hotel in Kabul, which was one of the last vestiges of safety for the Afghan elite and foreigners, killing nine people. In January, a Lebanese restaurant in Kabul was attacked and as many as 21 people were murdered. To say that the Taliban mean business simply reflects their increased determination. The Taliban know full well that these elections will give legitimacy to the new government after the US withdraws from the country at the end of this year. There is no space for these bloodthirsty insurgents in the governance of the Afghan people and they know it. That is why they are attacking with brute force, leaving no stone unturned and no foreigner or citizen unaffected. They know very well that soft targets such as Roots of Peace and Serena Hotel instil abject fear and terror into the hearts of all as no place is left safe anymore. Spreading this kind of dread is a signature move of the Taliban but it is urged that the Afghan forces and the foreigners who are in Afghanistan to help see through the elections do not lose heart. Without these elections, there is no way to see peace and prosperity in that war-torn country. *