Taliban Responsible for Serena Hotel Attack

Six people were killed when heavily armed militants attacked a popular Serena Hotel in Afghanistan on Monday. The attack in the heart of Kabul marks a rare instance of violence in the Afghan capital. Six people were also wounded in the attack. The hotel is popular with foreigners and is often used for parties, meetings and dinners by foreign embassies. It is the appeal of the hotel to westerners that may have been at the heart of the attack. A meeting for the Norwegian embassy was being held at the time of the attack.

According to the Associated Press, foreigners were the target of the attack, which was concentrated in areas where foreigners would congregate, such as the gym and the spa. It was the first attack in the capital city since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. U.S. troops rushed to the scene of the attack in six humvees and U.S. embassy security personal searched the Serena Hotel for any American citizens injured or killed in the attack.

In other violent attacks today, the Press Association reports that two Dutch soldiers and nine Afghani police officers were killed in an earlier attack in southern Afghanistan. The two incidents were the latest in a rising tide of Taliban violence that may influence U.S. policy in the region.

The UPI reported that 2007 was the worst year for Taliban related violence since 2001. There were more than 140 roadside bomb attacks and suicide attacks, an increase of 27 per cent over attacks in 2006, with over 6,000 people dying, including 220 members of NATO security forces.

The rise in violence could require a shift in foreign policy and in change in troop numbers. Troop deployments to Afghanistan have increased in recent years, but due to the surge of troops committed to the Iraq War, the conflict in Afghanistan has slipped from the front pages and from the rhetoric of those running for the U.S. presidency.

Reuters reports that U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is considering deploying an additional 3000 troops to the violence torn country in addition to the 27,000 troops already stationed there. Gates hopes that additional troops can ward off increased violence in the Spring, when warmer weather makes attacks more feasible. The large number of troops currently deployed in the country mark the largest number of troops ever stationed in Afghanistan.

Sources: MSNBC AP Blast at Luxury Hotel Kills Six

Press Association- Eleven Killed in Taliban Attack

UPI- 2007 Worst Year for Violence

Reuters- Gates Considers Build Up in Afghanistan