Afghan violence snares civilians

More effective was Sunday's attack on a police station in the Barmal district of Paktika Province, south of Kabul. Anywhere from 200 to 400 Taliban fighters or sympathizers overran police headquarters, leaving 22 dead on both sides.

Another large group of suspected Taliban fighters attacked the Afghan police station at Turwa, a border village. There, attackers killed three Afghan police officers, and captured four more, according to local Afghan officials.

Afghan officials say the attacks are evidence that the Taliban and Al Qaeda have regrouped, and that they receive substantial support from groups in Pakistan. Pakistani officials, for their part, contend that while there may be a few cross-border incursions, the bulk of the violence is Afghan on Afghan.

Here in Logar province, state officials say that the region overall is peaceful. Gov. Abdul Malik Hamwar, for instance, says, "the Taliban have not found a foothold in Logar, I don't think so."

Here in Kharwar district, site of the most recent of the alleged Taliban attacks, there are certainly few signs of resistance to the government, or even of danger. In the village of Khwaja Angur, for instance, the main crops here, corn, wheat, and cannabis, are all grown in nice neat rows, watered by a spring that never runs dry. There is no school here, so most children grow up hardworking, but illiterate, leading a life of raising crops, sheep, and more illiterate children.

But the district chief of Kharwar, where Wednesday's attack took place, doesn't feel safe in this village, or even in the district he supposedly runs. He says that he has no immediate plans to go back to his district.

"If the situation remains like this, we will lose that district," says Bismillah Khushiwar, the district chief, sitting in a mosque in the provincial capital, Pul-e Alam. "I am here, and most of the people from the district government are here in Pul-e Alam. It is not safe for us to be there."

Mr. Khushiwar doubts that the attack on police chief Khaliq was just a personal vendetta. "If this was just personal, they could have killed him alone. But they killed eight other people. All but two of them were of the rank of general. This is definitely the work of Al Qaeda and Taliban."

Residents of Kharwar district throw cold water on rumors of the Taliban.

"It is perfectly safe here, even for foreigners," says Haji Samar, a local tribal chief. "If the officials tell you that Al Qaeda is coming to this district, that is wrong."

"In our district, the government doesn't care about us and we don't care about them," he adds. "District officials don't ever stay here, they just pass through and have a cup of tea and then leave. When it comes to security," he says, patting his chest, "I'm responsible."

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