Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Massive Plots Foiled in Kabul

Another plot of a massive bombing in Kabul has been foiled by the Afghan intelligence. More than 10,000kgs of explosives were loaded in sacks under potatoes on a truck. Five men have been arrested. Three of them are Pakistani nationals with their two Afghan facilitators. National Directorate of Security spokesperson Shafiqullah Tahiri told reporters that the explosives including ammonium nitrate were huge and it could rock the entire Kabul, if the militants were successful in their plot to bomb crowded parts of the capital.

NDS Spokesman said the arrested Pakistani nationals named Asghar Khan, Majid Rahman and Qemat Khan are allegedly deployed by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He also added that the truck is registered in Pakistan and it was loaded in Peshawar.

After a major intelligence failure to avoid the attacks of April 15, NDS has been under criticism. The foiling of this massive strike in Kabul is indeed what they are expected to do. But our intelligence officials are more like politicians. It's rare in other countries that intelligence spokespeople talk to media on a regular basis and indulge in accusations about other countries' plots.

Rather than making it a routine tone, NDS should come up with concrete intelligence proof about Pakistani nationals involved in attacks in Afghanistan. If the arrested men's links to ISI are proved, President Karzai must take it to the top military and civilian leadership in Islamabad, rather than NDS making it part of their usual public statements.

President Karzai alone cannot stop terrorists operating from safe havens in Pakistan nor can he persuade some elements of the Pakistani security establishment to take action against the Haqqanis in Waziristan or other Taliban leadership in Quetta. The United States and NATO countries must take a more stern action regarding this with Islamabad.

NDS officials on Saturday also gave more details of Sunday's plot to kill VP Karim Khalili. The insurgents had video and maps of Khalili's house and security check posts around it.

The attackers are said to be men of Haqqani Network. These plots also show that the Taliban would not stop bloody attacks, even if they are talking with the US about negotiations for a political settlement.

But our President keep calling the militants his "brothers", while our national security forces sacrifice their blood everyday fighting for this country. The Karzai Administration has no vision and clear policy regarding our national security.