Afghanistan reels after Rabbani assassination

Burhanuddin Rabbani, the former-Afghan president and head of the High Peace Council Kabul – Azam Khan The death of Burhanuddin Rabbani, the former-Afghan president and head of the High Peace Council has put the peace and stability of Afghanistan on the line. Rabbani was assassinated yesterday during a meeting with alleged-Taliban officials at his home. He was killed instantly when a bomb hidden in one of the official’s turbans was detonated. Rabbani had been the head of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, which was charged with promoting reconciliation with the Taliban.
Hope of achieving reconciliation has been quashed with his death. Afghan officials have condemned Rabbani’s death and accused the Taliban of responsibility.
The suicide bomber, Ismat Allah, was not searched before entering Rabbani’s home because the meeting had been lined up by a trusted official.
The International Relations Advisor for the Peace Council, Mohamed Ismail Qasem Yar, said that Allah had attempted to reach a number of officials in the Council, but specifically requested an audience with Rabbani.
Allah identified himself as a Taliban official.
Ahmed Wali Massoud, the brother of Ahmed Shah Massoud, the former-Northern Alliance leader who was killed by Al Qaeda in 2001, said that the Afghan President Hamid Karzai had encouraged Rabbani to meet Allah.
It is unknown if Ismat Allah is his real name.
According to Qasem Yar, the suicide bomber spent several days in a guesthouse provided by the Council while awaiting Rabbani’s return from Iran. The US has claimed that a second suicide bomber was also present, but this claim has not been verified by Afghan officials.
The Minister of Interior has said that only one man, Allah’s driver, was arrested in the operation. Documents have linked the driver to the operation.
Rabbani’s street is now under intense security in fears of another attack. Rabbani was one of the few people in Afghanistan considered to have enough political credibility to united the divided country. Rabbani was one of Karzai’s most important allies.
Although he was once part of the anti-Taliban opposition, he enjoyed some success in bringing the Taliban toward the negotiating table in recent months.
According to the political analyst and Foreign Minister for the Taliban regime, which was ousted in 2001, Wahid Mazhida Muzhda said that it is now difficult to predict the future of the Peace Council. He added that it is obvious to Afghans and international community that Taliban does not agree with the government. Muzhda believes that the Council has no hope of making progress.
Karzai has cut his trip to the US short and returned to Afghanistan to visit those injured in the attack.
Major religious figures, tribal leaders, Council members and governmental officials have attended Rabbani’s house to express their condolences.
World leaders, including the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon have condemned the attack.
No party has declared responsibility for the attack.
The official Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a statement on the group’s website: “we are still gathering information in regards to this matter and nothing can be said about the incident yet.”
In Washington, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations said that Rabbani’s assassination marked a “major setback” for the peace process and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Some Afghans have blamed the Haqqani Network, one of the most feared Taliban-linked groups in Afghanistan.
Others have criticised the Afghan government for its failure to provide security in Afghanistan, particularly after last week’s attack on the US embassy in Kabul.
A former Afghan army officer, Mirza Mohamed, said that while people are killed every day, the Rabbani assassination will lead to chaos.
Mohamed called for a national uprising to seek revenge for the attack.
He expressed certainty that Pakistan was responsible.
At the same time, nine Afghan policemen were killed on Wednesday night in Waghaz province while trying to defuse a road-side bomb.
Two NATO officials were also killed in a rebel attack, although NATO has not released any information on the incident.
At least 28 international soldiers were killed this month in Afghanistan.