The U.S.-led occupation force in Afghanistan is blaming the Pakistan-based Haqqani network for a deadly assault in Kabul earlier this week. At least 16 Afghans were killed when militants took over a building overlooking the compound housing the U.S. embassy and NATO headquarters. The assault lasted over 20 hours. The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, played down the attack as “harassment.”

Ryan Crocker: “They got into a building and did some harassment fire on us and on ISAF (NATO-led International Security Assistance Force). You know, this really is not a very big deal. You know, hard day for the embassy and my staff, who behaved with enormous courage and dedication, but, you know, look, a half a dozen RPG rounds from 800 meters away, that isn’t Tet, that’s harassment. If that’s the best they can do, you know, I think it is actually a statement of their weakness.”