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A controversial former Afghan warlord Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, now a member of the Afghan parliament, has narrowly escaped an assassination attempt which killed at least five of his bodyguards, police say. Earlier at least 16 people were killed in a suicide attack in Farah province in the south-west on the country.
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JEB SHARP: I’m Jeb Sharp. This is The World. Hamid Karzai is getting a reality check as he begins his second term as president of Afghanistan. A day after his inauguration a suicide bomber on a motorcycle in southwest killed more than 20 people today. A lawmaker named Abdul Rasul Sayyuf escaped a separate bombing on the outskirts of Kabul.
Today Karzai condemned the attacks as brutal and unforgivable. Kathy Gannon is with the Associated Press and is in Kabul. Kathy who is this lawmaker who narrowly escaped death?
KATHY GANNON: Abdul Rasul Sayyuf. He’s a [INDISCERNIBLE] and he’s also a former warlord – a fairly significant one – and was backed by the US during the 1980s invasion of Afghanistan by the Russians. And he’s been named by the Human Rights Watch as a war criminal and was very close actually to a lot of the Arab fighters including Osama Bin Laden. That he’s the [INDISCERNIBLE] alliance and was against the Taliban. And when the Taliban were driven out he was returned to power along with several other warlords.
SHARP: What did it feel like in Kabul today, just a day after the inauguration, and now with all the election brouhaha behind everyone?
GANNON: Yeah a few things were back to normal. It is Friday. Friday is a holiday in Afghanistan. And yesterday because of the inauguration and the number of [INDISCERNIBLE] that were here the city was pretty much in a lockdown. Roads were blocked. People were given holidays. They were asked to stay off the road. So the security was so very intense yesterday. Where today things are back to normal. Traffic was flowing and a lot of the smaller shops were open.
SHARP: And Kathy Gannon what will you be watching most closely in the next few days and weeks?
GANNON: Well I think there the government goes in terms of making good on its promises and President Karzai had certain things that he said in terms of you know responsible people, tackling the corruption and then the whole culture of impunity. The question is now how does he implement it? Does he implant it? How does his government move forward? Who does he choose for his cabinet? I think all those things are being watched into the next few weeks.
SHARP: Kathy Gannon of the Associated Press. Thanks very much.
GANNON: You’re very welcome. It was a pleasure.
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salaam . why some of the worlords got some time titles like national hero and some of the squares nominated by their names infact they are the enemy of afghans and the others who played really important role in defeat of soviet union.like real mertyre Dr.Najibullah .some others who created naputism amonge the afghan nations like masood . dustom karim khalili and so many others war lords .