Truck bomb kills two contractors in Kabul
Stars & Stripes reports that a truck bomb went off this morning killing two at the compound housing the personnel and assets of Contrack International. The Taliban are taking credit for the attack. One of the dead might be the bomber.
A small truck packed with explosives drove to the compound and detonated, killing two and injuring 15, including passers-by, said Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for the Interior Ministry. At the blast site, soldiers kept reporters out of the compound, but several buildings were visibly damaged and windows were shattered far down the road.
Zabiullah, an employee of Contrack whose hand was still bloodied from the attack, said he was in one of the company’s warehouses when he felt a massive explosion that collapsed the roof. When he got up he saw many of his co-workers injured and said several other buildings on the site had also collapsed.
Apparently, Contrack International is in the business of building bases for the troops. If these reports are true, I hope they’re doing a better job of building the bases that house the troops than they made their own, if a truck can pull up outside the wall and do that kind of damage inside. I’m just sayin’…
Category: Terror War
Geez…why hasn’t Afghanistan banned truck bombs yet?
Oh, well, Jonn, it didn’t happen here so it doesn’t matter…except to people like us.
Well golly. Don’t blame the terrorist. Blame the truck.
I’ve worked with Afghan construction contracts in Kabul and they do what they’ve been contracted to do (largely). The bottom line is that they want a good reputation and more work after a contract is complete. Despite background checks and the knee-jerk security requirements that are imposed upon them, many (around 50% of the workers or so) still keep coming back for work. It may take 6-9 months to construct a small building. Some workers will arrive daily, some at certain phases and others just for a few days.
Before anyone chimes in about how unreliable Afghan contractors are, remember that they are exceptionally inexpensive in contrast to US of UK contractors. The educational level of the Afghan engineers are pretty darned good. The workers will do what they’ve learned to do. They may only be getting paid $2 a day and not be able to read but they’ll dig a ditch to the depth that is required. They’ll tie the rebar, build the forms, and pour the concrete just as stipulated in their contract. If you have requirements for technical stuff like fuel tanks, you had have better identified a true need and then choose wisely.
Would a military engineer company be better? Well, what’s your definition of better? Lowest cost? Lowest risk? Fastest?
There’s no joy for me in being reminded of the Afghans that I’ve worked within being targeted. They’re construction workers trying to keep their promises. That’s it.
It was a good sized bomb. It shook the building I was in, and I’m a ways away from that location.