Afghan president vows to protect foreigners

Afghan President Hamid Karzai today vowed to do everything he could to prevent terrorist attacks and protect foreigners in his country, two days after a suicide bomber killed four German peacekeepers.

Karzai expressed his condolences to Afghanistan’s largest donor, Germany, and said the perpetrator of Saturday’s attack in the capital Kabul was “not a human being” – and probably not an Afghan.

“The problem is mostly foreign in our case,” Karzai said, referring to a recent wave of attacks across the country.

“And I tell you with a guarantee, that the person who did a suicide attack the day before yesterday, you will find out was not from Afghanistan.”

Karzai did not speculate where the dead bomber was from, but authorities have long accused countries and groups in the region of meddling in Afghan affairs.

The former Taliban regime, kicked out of power in a US-led war, was heavily supported by Pakistan, and Saudi-born terrorist Osama bin Laden was widely thought to have had the ear of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar.

Suspicion for the attack has fallen on bin Laden’s al-Qaida terrorist network, as well as remnants of the Taliban and fighters loyal to renegade warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. The three groups have apparently joined forces against Karzai’s government.

The suicide bombing was the first attack of its kind against the 5,000-strong international peacekeeping force known as Isaf, now commanded jointly by Germany and the Netherlands.

One Afghan was killed and 29 German soldiers and up to 10 Afghan bystanders were also wounded in the assault – carried out by a man driving a car filled with explosives.