Afghan Troops Out in Force in Kabul During US Envoy Visit

Troops Swarm Capital to Show Commitment to Security

US envoy Richard Holbrooke arrived in Kabul today to help President Obama decide how to proceed with his promised escalation of the war in Afghanistan.

His visit was not exactly a cheerful time, coming as Kabul recovered from multiple Taliban attacks which killed at least 26 people and threw into doubt, particularly in the west, just how much capability the Afghan government has to prevent the Taliban from attacking any target they choose.

But for today’s visit, the Afghan troops were out in force in Kabul, checking the papers of drivers and searching cars. It certainly gave the appearance of some measure of control during the envoy’s visit, but the increased security presence will almost certainly be temporary as the government struggles to fight off Taliban forces across the nation. At the end of the day it may only underscore that the Taliban is willing and able to hit any target in Afghanistan, at any time.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.