U.N. Shaken as Taliban Target World Organization in Afghanistan

The terrorists in Afghanistan are hoping to get their own Sergio Vieira de Mello. In August 2003, the United Nations left Iraq after the organization's top diplomat was killed in a massive truck bombing at the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad. The attack, which killed another 22 along with de Mello, was denounced by then-U.N. chief Kofi Annan - who promptly pulled the organization out of Iraq, signaling a victory for the terrorists.

Now, in Afghanistan, Taliban terrorists attacked a U.N. guest house, killing 8, and raising questions about continued multilateral humanitarian operations in the country. From the Los Angeles Times, "Afghan Attack Puts Aid Programs at Risk":

The deaths of five U.N. employees in a Taliban assault on a Kabul guesthouse Wednesday is forcing the world body and humanitarian agencies to reevaluate the way they operate in Afghanistan, officials said, putting at risk programs aimed at helping millions of people and stabilizing the war-torn country.

U.N. special representative Kai Eide said the attack, which killed eight people, including an American, would not deter his organization from continuing its reconstruction and development work.

But already the ability of U.N. workers to deliver aid has been compromised. With less than two weeks to go before Afghanistan holds a runoff presidential election that is the focus of the world body's current efforts, all employees across the country were placed under lockdown, said Adrian Edwards, spokesman for the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

"This is the most serious incident that we have experienced in Afghanistan," Edwards said. "Previously when U.N. staff have been killed, they have usually been in close proximity to the military. It is not often that we are specifically targeted."

See also, London's Daily Telegraph, "Afghanistan: U.N. Staff Killed in Attack on Kabul Guesthouse."

There's a horrible irony here for the Obama administration. The election of Barack Obama to the presidency lifted the hopes of liberal internationalists, seeing the Democratic victory as a validation of Obama's call for "a new era of global partnership" and of building "bridges of cooperation with the U.N. and other nations." Of course, now the president - who is stalling a decision on U.S. General Stanley McChrystal's request for troop reinforcements - is himself destroying that very vision of a new era in international relations.

It's a tragic shame.

God bless the families of those who were lost in Kabul.

Added: From This Ain't Hell...But You Can See It From Here, "Boehner: Time for a decision on Afghanistan." Plus, from the Thunder Run, "From the Front: 10/29/2009."