President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan condemned a massive bomb attack in the capital Kabul, which killed at least 90 people, as “cowardly”.
A suicide attacker detonated a bomb hidden inside a tanker truck close to the heavily protected diplomatic area.
Some 400 people were injured by the blast, which left a deep crater. More than 50 other vehicles were destroyed.
One Western diplomatic source told AFP news agency the blast had been caused by more than 1,500kg (3,307lb) of explosives.
The area is home to key buildings including embassies and the presidential palace.
The US has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan, with another 5,000 from Nato allies.
The Pentagon has reportedly pressed President Donald Trump to send thousands more troops back to the country to try to counter gains by the Taliban. More than a third of the country is now said to be outside Afghan government control.
The reaction on Capitol Hill was one mostly of condemnation of the attack, with few statements touching on the underlying divisions over the US role in Afghanistan going forward.
“The Afghanistan attack is a tragic reminder that the war on terror is not over,” tweeted Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia. “We must remain steadfast w/allies so that peace can prevail.”
The reality is Afghanistan has become a graveyard for all people, let that be the citizens or the people that have occupied the land. It has been 15 years since the US and its allies invaded Afghanistan and there has been absolutely nothing positive that has been achieved in terms of people’s living standards or the sanctity of life.
During the war in Afghanistan (2001-14), there have been over 26,000 civilian deaths due to war-related violence. As of October 18th, 2016, there have been 2,386 U.S. military deaths. 1,834 of these deaths have been the result of hostile action. 20,049 American service members have also been wounded in action during the war. In addition, there were 1,173 U.S. civilian contractor fatalities.
After years of relentless military operations, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Taliban is far from vanquished and the future of Afghanistan still remains uncertain. US intelligence reports suggest that the Taliban have grown deadlier and more organised every year.
The War on Terror has been a bloody chapter for the Muslim world. It has left countries like Afghanistan at the mercy of bombs made domestically and internationally. The blame for the killing and bombings must fall on western nations that have meddled in the affairs of these countries for their own political and capitalist interests.
The War on Terror has never meant providing a better life for people in Afghanistan, Iraq or people across the Middle East. Rather it has been to provide the US and it’s allies more leverage to position themselves in the world stage and reap the spoils of war. This has meant that the people of Kabul and other towns and cities have had to endure unimaginable horrors.
As long as there is US and western involvement in Afghanistan, it is likely that these terrible bombing campaigns will continue. 15 years of horror has been marked by rivers of blood running through the streets of this country. It is time this ended and the only way it ends is when the US leaves the land and there is one leader who protects all life and people- the Khilafah Rashidah.
إِنَّمَا الإِمَامُ جُنَّةٌ يُقَاتَلُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ وَيُتَّقَى بِهِ فَإِنْ أَمَرَ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَعَدَلَ كَانَ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ أَجْرٌ وَإِنْ يَأْمُرْ بِغَيْرِهِ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْهُ
‘Only the Imam is a shield, behind whom you fight and you protect yourself with, so if he orders by taqwa and is just then he has reward for that, and if he orders by other than that then it is against himself’ (Muslim)
