Former Labour MP Chris Carter has had a "pretty rugged" first day in his job with the UN in Kabul, riding out a massive Taliban attack in the Afghan capital.
The assault on the heart of Kabul's diplomatic and military enclave ended tonight after 20 hours when security forces killed the last of six attackers.
It was the longest and most audacious militant attack on the Afghan capital in the decade since the Taliban were ousted from power.
Carter told TV ONE's Close Up he was starting his job with the UN to help build up local Government when the attack started about 1.30pm on Tuesday.
Speaking via Skype shortly after 7pm tonight, he said he had been grounded at the UN headquarters until 11pm Tuesday, by which time militants had been killed in three other areas where they attacked.
But in the remaining area near the US Embassy, the last two militants had been killed in just the last half hour before he spoke with Close Up.
"So it's been a very serious security breach here in Kabul and a reminder to me on my first day on the job how dangerous and dynamic the security landscape is here in Afghanistan," Carter said.
He said he accepted the job in Afghanistan knowing that the security situation was difficult, but said the UN is there to try to make a difference.
"I have been given a really interesting job in trying to build up capacity in local Government and it was a bit rugged the first day."
Toll tipped to rise
At least 11 civilians were killed, three of them children, and there may be unexploded artillery fired by the insurgents in parts of the city, NATO-led foreign forces said.
The Ministry of the Interior said that four policemen were killed and the Afghan security force toll was expected to rise. Around two dozen people were wounded.
The insurgents had holed up in a multi-storey building still under construction and launched their attack, firing rockets towards the US and other embassies and the headquarters of NATO-led foreign forces.
Three suicide bombers also targeted police buildings in other parts of the city, but the embassy district assault was the most spectacular.
Afghan security forces backed by NATO and Afghan attack helicopters fought floor-by-floor in the 13-storey building, which the insurgents appeared to have booby trapped. One or two fighters held out overnight.
Carter said what was particularly scary later on Tuesday evening was that the Afghan National Army came over with helicopter gunships blasting the insurgents and then and enormous electrical storm hit Kabul.
"So we had the helicopter gunships firing, we had bolts of thunder and lightning and explosions going off. And I thought 'this is my first day in the job.'"
'A psychological attack'
The attack was a stark reminder of the insurgents' strength and reach in Afghanistan as Western forces start to return home.
Carter said the security situation is deteriorating as the Taliban flex their muscles, but they were never going to capture the American embassy. It is a very hardened security site and the insurgents were only carrying automatic rifles and rocket propelled grenades, he said.
"But it was a psychological attack, it was saying that no matter how secure the area - and this was the most secure part of Kabul that they managed to penetrate - it was 'watch out nowhere's safe'. So that is a pretty powerful message."
However, he said, there is a job to be done and there is room for hope that "capacity can be lifted" in Afghanistan, so he's one of the team that's there doing that.
"And frankly I'm really still very excited about the job. Yes it was scary, but it's doing something useful and I'm glad to be here to help."
Carter was expelled from the Labour Party for speaking out against leader Phil Goff last year and resigned as MP for Te Atatu, leaving parliament last month to take up the job in Kabul.
The assault was the second big attack in the city in less than a month after suicide bombers targeted the British Council headquarters in mid-August, killing nine people.
In late June, insurgents launched an assault on a hotel in the capital frequented by Westerners, killing at least 10.
A US Senate panel has approved a $US1.6 billion cut in projected US funding for Afghan security forces, part of a significant reduction in outlays for training and equipping Afghan army and police expected in the coming years.
- with Reuters
Latest NZ News Video
-
ONE News Minute 9am update: May 26 (1:00)
-
Kids cough up $14m for Government (1:50)
-
Education ministry 'barbaric' (1:55)
