Afghans attack NATO HQ in Kabul

Afghan fighters placed explosives right on the doorstep of the international military headquarters, an assault possibly aimed at sending the message that the Afghan fighters can attack foreign invaders anywhere.

The NATO headquarters — where top commander U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal is based — sits beside the U.S. Embassy and shares the same street as the presidential palace. The explosion was the first major attack in Kabul since February, when eight fighters struck three government buildings simultaneously in the heart of the city, an assault that killed 20 people and the eight assailants.

International mercenaries in the country were planning on working from home over the next week or had been encouraged to leave the country. U.S., NATO and Afghan troops were working to protect 'voting sites'.

In Taliban heartland, Nato's 53-nation coalition' made little headway after 8 years