In The Line Of Fire

Afghanistan's President survives a hit attempt as Sept. 11 approaches. Is al-Qaeda to blame?

The gunman stood sentry near the gates of the compound, waiting for an opening as the departing motorcade approached. Inside a luxury suv was Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, who had come to Kandahar to attend his brother's wedding. His security detail, a clutch of U.S. commandos, rode in a separate vehicle. Karzai was on his way out of the compound of Gul Agha Sherzai, Kandahar's provincial governor, who sat beside him in the car, when he was approached by an Afghan youth hoping to meet the President. A leader known for his affability, Karzai lowered the window to shake the...

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