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Massoud Hossaini / AFP - Getty Images
Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers take positions on a hill near the Spozhmai Hotel following an attack by Taliban militants at Qargha lake on the outskirts of Kabul on June 22, 2012.
Omar Sobhani / Reuters
Smoke rises from the hotel as NATO helicopters fly over the site of an attack on June 22, 2012.
Musadeq Sadeq / AP
People hide from militants outside the Spozhmai hotel on Lake Qurgha during an attack on June, 22, 2012.
By Cheryll Simpson, NBC News in Kabul and Reuters — Updated at 7:38 a.m. ET Friday — Guests swam for their lives after five Taliban gunmen attacked a lakeside hotel in Afghanistan, killing at least 18 people and taking 50 others hostage in a siege lasting several hours, according to reports.
At least five militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns attacked the exclusive Spozhmai hotel in the Qargha Lake recreation area around midnight local time on Thursday (3:30 p.m. ET) bursting into a private party and shooting dead hotel workers. Read the full story.
Massoud Hossaini / AFP - Getty Images
Smoke rises from the Spozhmai Hotel following an attack by Taliban militants on June 22, 2012.
Omar Sobhani / Reuters
ANA soldiers run for cover during the hotel attack on June 22, 2012.
Musadeq Sadeq / AP
Afghan security forces and civilians are seen at the Spozhmai hotel after the attack on June 22, 2012.
Massoud Hossaini / AFP - Getty Images
A half-eaten birthday cake is pictured at the Spozhmai Hotel after the attack on June 22, 2012.
Elite Afghan police backed by NATO forces ended a 12-hour siege on Friday at a popular lakeside hotel outside Kabul. Msnbc.com’s Alex Witt reports.
Ahmad Jamshid / AP
More than ten years after the beginning of the war, Afghanistan faces external pressure to reform as well as ongoing internal conflicts.
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Hey Taliban, why don't you pick on people more your own size to kill, like little girls going to school?
Amazing how those 'new friends' of ours just can't seem to quit killing civilians, especially women and children. Some great photos, wonder how they were shot?
They (taliban ) all need to be eradicated from the face of the earth. Those who prey on the innocent and randomly kill children deserve a special place in hell, right next to hitler.
The followers of Islamic cult have been specializing in those acts right from Islam's birth!
Just recall how they treat those who are defeated!
Compare it with how they beg for help, plead mercy, do wailing and chest beating and act as biggest saints when they are defeated.
You can see both sides in Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim nations!
That birthday cake with the little number "2" candle fallen off is just about the saddest thing I've ever seen. What kind of monsters could do this evil to little innocent children? I'm not the religious sort, but it makes me wonder if some evil presence has inherited these murderous cowards. I just cannot understand the horror that the innocent children must be living through. If I had a child & was living there, there would be nothing that could stop me from finding a way out of that hell hole. And yet, our own country is sending brave, young men & women to battle this evil which seems to never end.
Children are nothing to them, except as moving targets, apparently.
We have know for many years the scum that the taliban and alcada is, and yet dumass Phony liberal American sympathizers that have blindly followed the hype that America is the bad one. This proves what e have been doing is right all along!!!!! They say your only as strong as your weakest members then I say get these idiots who have been trying to stop Americas efforts Get Them Out Of Our Nation because we don't need them and send them over there. They will be crying for mommy and daddy to get the American embassy and our military to get them back to the US in a NY minute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GOD BLESS AMERICA GET EM' BOYS/GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I'll send donations for more ammo!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 I'm from NY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Remember that place its where it all started for those that forgot!!!!
Even after 11 years of NATO wars with great planning, think tanks' inputs, drone attacks, surges and so on, Taliban of different labels, al-Qaida and others have been attacking right in the capital Kabul as they like!!
Now at least some have come to know that Paki Haqqani network is a "dangerous" one and is behind most of the daring "blasts/attacks" in Kabul.
When the NATO forces were entering Kandahar in 2001, Pakis airlifted key al-Qaida, Taliban, ISI and others militants by back door from Kandahar.
This includes Mullah Omar, Osama and many including Paki Haqqani militant network leaders.
Famous journalist and writer John Woodward wrote a well researched book on this!
Still, the US and allies pumped in huge economic and military aid into "strategic", "trusted" ally, Pakistan.
It took 10 years of "intelligence" to know that Osama was hiding right near their military complexes!