Afghanistan: 'Common Afghans support Taliban attacks on US'

A series of coordinated attacks in Afghanistan's capital Kabul left at least seven people dead and 17 wounded, and resulted in a 19-hour long gunfight. Militants targeted the American embassy and NATO forces headquarters, before several suicide bombers hit police stations elsewhere in the city. Insurgents stormed and occupied a half-built high-rise building, firing guns and rocket-propelled grenades from there. Afghan and NATO forces surrounded the building, killing six militants and forcing several others to flee.

U.S. embassy staff were ordered to retreat into bomb and bullet proof shelters. Texas-based Derrick Crowe of the "Brave New Foundation" think-tank says the presence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan merely encourages the Taliban to keep on fighting.