Anand Gopal » security

Afghans Face Multiple Obstacles in Going to the Polls

Posted in Articles, Security on Aug 21st, 2009

QALA CHA, Afghanistan — Shershad Muhammad almost didn’t get to vote.
As the 60-year-old baker pedaled his bike toward a polling station in this village on Kabul’s outskirts early Thursday, a group of police officers forced him to dismount, tackled him and nearly arrested him. His offense: carrying a large black bag. It was full of [...]

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Attacks Shake up Afghan Balloting

Posted in Afghan Life, Articles, Security on Aug 21st, 2009

By Matthew Rosenberg, Anand Gopal and Yochi Dreazen
KABUL — Amid dozens of election-day Taliban attacks that claimed 26 lives, Afghans voted for president Thursday — but reports of low turnout and fraud made it unclear whether bombs or ballots would ultimately emerge the day’s victor.
Counting Ballots
Taliban militants had stepped up attacks for a week and [...]

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Coordinated Kabul assault shows Taliban strength

Posted in Articles, Security on Feb 12th, 2009

Insurgents attacked three government offices in a heavily fortified area Wednesday, a day before US envoy Holbrooke’s visit.
Kabul, Afghanistan - Insurgents attacked three government offices in Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 26 and wounding nearly 60. The assault was one of the most complex [...]

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Security Fears Paralyze Kabul

Posted in Afghan Life, Articles on Aug 14th, 2008

KABUL, Aug 14 (IPS) - It used to take Esmazari 15 minutes to cross town in his faded mustard Corolla. But the police shutdown of nearly half of Kabul’s major arteries, in response to a spate of suicide bombings that ripped across the capital city in recent months, means that today Esmazari’s taxi spends a [...]

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Bid To Slay Karzai Exposes Security Mess

Posted in Articles, Security on Apr 28th, 2008

KABUL, Apr 28 (IPS) - Violence levels have increased in Afghanistan in the first quarter of 2008, compared to the first part of 2007, a series of newly-released studies indicate.
On Sunday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai escaped an assassination bid while attending a military parade in Kabul. A member of parliament and a 10-year-old child [...]

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