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Suicide bombers try to disrupt start of Afghan peace meeting
A meeting of Afghan officials hoping to forge a plan to negotiate a truce with the Taliban got off to an ominous start Wednesday, as militants launched a spate of attacks and engaged in a lengthy gun battle with security forces nearby.
The outbreak of violence during the first day of the meeting, known as a peace jirga, raised fresh questions about the Afghan government's ability to reach a truce with the Taliban and other armed groups. The Taliban claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attacks and had previously denounced the three-day session as a ploy by foreign occupiers.
The first blast, from an apparent mortar or rocket, thundered as President Hamid Karzai laid out his vision for reconciliation during opening remarks. In a speech by turns jovial and defiant, Karzai extended an olive branch to the Taliban.