Kabul attack raises concern ahead of Afghan pullout

While the human cost of the Taliban's deadly assault on a luxury hotel in the Afghan capital Tuesday became apparent in the hours after the attack, the incident has also raised questions about the nation's ability to handle its own security in the coming years.

As Washington and its NATO allies prepare to draw down the number of troops in Afghanistan ahead of the 2014 pull-out deadline, Afghan President Hamid Karzai vowed that his troops would be ready to take over.

Still, with the death toll rising to 19 a day after the attack, concern was mounting that the Western military departure would create a power vacuum in the country and allow the Taliban to seize power.

Tuesday's barrage occurred at the InterContinental Hotel in Kabul, as a group of civilians discussed the impending power transfer under tight security.

While eight militants died in the operation, the highly orchestrated attack seems to have been designed as a show of force for the Taliban. The ensuing five-hour standoff ended when NATO choppers fired rockets at militants stationed on the roof of the hotel.

The attack at the hotel is one of the biggest and most complex ever staged by the Taliban in the capital. It's not clear if the insurgents disguised themselves as security or labourers in order to mount their assault.

The attack comes as U.S. President Barack Obama continues to talk about progress both in the war in Afghanistan and in the campaign against the Qaeda terror network.

Last week, the U.S. president said that 33,000 American troops will leave Afghanistan by next summer. The first 10,000 are expected to be back on U.S. soil by the end of this year.

The capital has been relatively stable, even as violence flared elsewhere in the country. But the hotel attack has shattered the calm in Kabul, meaning security officials are on high alert as Canadian troops also prepare to end their combat mission next month.

Latifullah Mashal, a spokesman from the Afghan security agency, said that the attack was a desperate attempt to raise fears in the capital.

"The enemy failed to carry out their plan because they were all killed and there was no major cost to civilian life," said Mashal.

"They want to undermine things in the seven areas of transition. . . . We say to them that we Afghans have the ability to stop terrorist attacks and we will."

While Afghan security officials downplayed the attack, so did security expert Paul Chapin, who said that the West shouldn't be overly concerned about the timing of the attack.

"I don't think we ought to read too much into it," Chapin told CTV News Channel on Wednesday.

He added that while the attack was bold, it was directed at a hotel, which could be considered a "soft" target.

Still, he said that as Western troops leave, Afghans are prepared to step up and take care of their own security. And while there may be bumps along the way, he said eventually, the strategy could pay off.

"It's a troubled society, it's been at war for two generations. It's going to take time for people to learn how to live a normal civilian existence," he said.

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