Afghanistan attack spurs need for crackdown

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The weekend suicide bombing of a NATO convoy that killed 17 people in Kabul adds urgency to the U.S.-led coalition's work to expand a security bubble around the Afghan capital.

With most of the attacks in Kabul blamed on the Pakistan-based Haqqani network, the latest attack reinforced U.S. and Afghan demands that Islamabad do more to curb militant activity and sanctuaries on its territory.

While there is no specific information linking Saturday's attack to that group, investigators say they soon will have evidence the bombing was "Haqqani-related," a western diplomat said yesterday. He said it was "very possible" the attack was the work of Haqqani fighters, who have ties to both al-Qaida and the Taliban.

In the brazen midday assault, a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle packed with explosives into an armored coalition bus traveling in the southwest end of the city. Heavily armored military vehicles also were in the convoy, but the bomber targeted the bus, which was carrying troops and civilian contractors.

The Haqqanis were the specific focus of two military operations this month that involved tens of thousands of Afghan and NATO troops. More than 200 insurgents were killed or captured, and at least 20 of them had ties to the Haqqani group, including 10 identified as leaders of the network.

In Saturday's attack, 17 people died -- five NATO service members, including one Canadian soldier; eight civilian contractors, including two from Britain, and four Afghans, including a policeman.