Explosions in Kabul.
September 11, 2001 3:03 PM   Subscribe

Explosions in Kabul. There are missles coming in Afghanastan. (Saving front page bandwidth, more inside)
posted by geoff. (23 comments total)
 
Life feed by videophone from CNN shows tracer fire and missiles arcing across a night sky (piped into Los Angeles' WB KTLA). There are fires in Kabul. Nic Robertson for CNN speculates the Kabul airforce base was hit, based on direction and the distance gauged by the explosion's sound wave delay from the initial flash.
posted by linux at 3:08 PM on September 11, 2001


Watching it on CNN (Dwiv and Elfgirl)....

I just hope this isn't Bush grandstanding. Life is too dangerously weird right now.
posted by elfgirl at 3:08 PM on September 11, 2001


I'm not convinced this is the U.S. responding. It's too weak for that. India?
posted by dagny at 3:08 PM on September 11, 2001


I really doubt (and hope) this is not the US retaliating. There are Afghanastan conflicts that have been going for a while, this may be just coincidence.
posted by geoff. at 3:11 PM on September 11, 2001


Please keep posting as details roll in -- I'm nowhere near Cnn...
posted by Shadowkeeper at 3:13 PM on September 11, 2001


Yes - speculation from William Cohen (former Sec. Defense) that it may be the product of an ongoing civil war.

Also, Bush to address nation at 9pm.
posted by Sinner at 3:14 PM on September 11, 2001


Any websites reporting on the Afgan explosions?
posted by D at 3:16 PM on September 11, 2001


they appear to have attacked a ammunitions dump and and several other targets. the city appears to be firing back on positions north of the city. CNN commentator says this is not a typical display of firepower from what he has seen over the past year between rebels and the Taliban.
posted by wsfinkel at 3:16 PM on September 11, 2001


Nope, I believe the Americans forgot to count to 10.
posted by sja at 3:16 PM on September 11, 2001


The only coverage of the explosions I've seen so far from Channel 2000 and AP.
posted by waxpancake at 3:24 PM on September 11, 2001


Could it also be the same terrorist group that attacked NY and DC?
posted by kidsplate at 3:28 PM on September 11, 2001


If you've got that RealPlayer, BBC World Service Streaming Radio has info about the Afghanistan thing.
posted by j.edwards at 3:30 PM on September 11, 2001


According to Wolf Blitzer (quoting Ari Fleischer), US not responsible for Kabul attacks.
posted by Sinner at 3:33 PM on September 11, 2001


Afghan opposition's prospects | profile of The Lion of Panjshir

Heavy fighting reported in Afghanistan

to give some context to the attacks in Afghanistan.
posted by mkn at 3:36 PM on September 11, 2001


BBC Radio 5 has just announced that Bush's press secretary has said that the attacks are not a result of US action.
posted by jackiemcghee at 3:36 PM on September 11, 2001


If I had to guess, I'd say that this is the Afghani "resistance" trying to curry favor with the US and the world at large.

...after all, Masood was recently assassinated, so they've lost their best leader. That means their foreign support infrastructure is weakened -- they need to step up to the plate and demonstrate that they haven't fallen to infighting, and that they should continue to receive arms shipments (esp. from Russia).

One way to do that is to attack Kabul and say you're doing it in revenge for NYC, and hope that the US decides to slide a few extra guns your way next budget period...
posted by aramaic at 3:36 PM on September 11, 2001


CNN just scrolled across the bottom of the screen that Bush denied ordering any attack on Afghanistan. If not us, then who?
posted by mikewas at 3:36 PM on September 11, 2001


...as an added plus, if the northern resistance forces attack now, they can take advantage of Taleban confusion. I mean, the Taleban *have* to be paranoid right about now, and they'd be watching for US missiles.

So the rebels attack, and the Taleban automatically assume that it's a US counterstrike, causing the Taleban defenses to worry about air attacks, when the blasts are in fact coming from RPGs and the like.

Or at least, that's what I'd try, were I an afghani rebel.
posted by aramaic at 3:40 PM on September 11, 2001


CSPAN is carrying BBC news, too...
posted by ph00dz at 3:40 PM on September 11, 2001


aramaic: it makes sense. Raise up in resistence now, hoping that the tragedy in the US will help bring additional support to their cause.
posted by mkn at 3:44 PM on September 11, 2001




Would anyone here care to chip in for a 3 second ad bit on CNN with me? This is the time, if you've got that burning idea (and company) behind the corner.


posted by HoldenCaulfield at 3:47 PM on September 11, 2001


CNN's Afghanistan correspondent reports that the Northern Alliance claims responsibility for attack on Kabul and promise further strikes in the future. It appears their civil war has escalated. Whether or not the WTC and Pentagon attack influenced this escalation is just speculation.
posted by linux at 4:04 PM on September 11, 2001


CNN just reported that The Anti-taliban forces in the north east of Afghanistan clamed responsiblity for the attacks on Kabul
posted by delmoi at 4:06 PM on September 11, 2001


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