Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


                      Afghan Presidential Palace Attacked

   Afghan authorities say security forces have repelled an early morning
   militant attack on the presidential palace in Kabul and that all of the
   assailants have been killed.
   The Taliban claimed responsibility for the early Tuesday morning
   assault, during which explosions and gunfire rang out in a heavily
   fortified area of the capital that also houses the defense ministry and
   the U.S. Embassy.
   Officials say the assault in Kabul came as reporters were gathering for
   a press event with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
   The whereabouts of Mr. Karzai, who lives in the building, were not
   immediately clear.
   Meanwhile, U.S. envoy James Dobbins, who was appointed to help the
   Afghan government and the Taliban pursue peace talks, has left Kabul
   for neighboring Pakistan.
   The talks to end 12 years of war between the Taliban and the
   international and Afghan forces ran into difficulties over the opening
   last week of a Taliban office in the Gulf emirate of Qatar.
   Mr. Karzai`s objections to the Taliban`s Doha office focused in part on
   the way the Taliban unveiled the office earlier in the week.
   The group raised a flag and posting a sign identifying the facility as
   an office of "the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" - the name used by
   the Taliban group that formerly controlled Afghanistan but was deposed
   in late 2001. The "Islamic Emirate" was never recognized
   internationally as a government.
   Officials say a substitute sign was posted identifying the Doha
   facility as the "Political Office of the Afghan Taliban."
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/afghan-presidential-palace-attacked/1
   688593.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/afghan-presidential-palace-attacked/1688593.html