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Assassin kills top member of Afghan peace council

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    Impact on peace negotiations unknown

  • Duration 4:30
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-- some breaking news for you out of Afghanistan today a second Afghan peace broker has been assassinated.

A gunman armed with a silenced pistol murdering a top member of the Afghan peace council in Kabul.

Just months after the former head of the council died at the hands of a homicide bomber.

Conner Powell is streaming live from Kabul for us today -- Connor.

-- Jamie well -- are so our money was a former Taliban official he was the higher education minister with the Taliban ruled Afghanistan.

But for the last five or seven years or so he's reconciled with the Afghan government who's a member of Afghanistan's upper political house here.

And he's been a member of the high peace council but he was gunned down today by several gunmen.

Who allegedly -- to a meeting with US and international officials here in downtown Kabul does not exactly clear -- -- Hui was going to meet with.

But his death has sent shockwaves through the peace process here in Afghanistan.

He was considered a moderate former Taliban official he was somebody that President Karzai apparently did -- on.

For information needed contacts with a lot of -- -- Taliban guards that are based in Pakistan now that are running this war.

But the larger issue is what this Walt what have an impact this will have on the peace negotiations.

Which started about six -- nine months ago they've really stalled in the last few months.

And I spoke to one.

Current member of the high peace council he said simply that that negotiations are running through this high peace council that was set up by President Karzai it's being run by the US.

And by other groups so there was a lot of frustration.

With the high peace council what they were actually -- was not clear what his death.

Well actually have in terms of an impact on the peace negotiations.

But here in Afghanistan he's been more by the end of international community and by Afghans who have known him and it worked with him for many many years Jamie.

What's it like in the area where you are in terms of safety of being able to move around I mean you've been there for awhile Kabul in Kabul you have.

-- perspective on that.

Well the last few attacks that we've covered here in Afghanistan near the US embassy I SE you.

-- right and our neighborhood and so we've had attacks in our neighborhood and around the diplomatic area.

Today's attack was a little bit further by Kabul University it's an area where a lot of Afghans have typically young Afghans live.

Let security -- Kabul is up and down.

You know why haven't attacked it in two or three weeks later it will be perfectly fine you can move around freely and then -- be an attack we've really seen a steady flow of attacks here in Kabul.

About once every three to four weeks yourself.

On the days when there is an attack.

Hubble's very dangerous city the rest of the time you move with caution but you can move around the city Jamie.

But what is interesting to me -- is the fact that as you said this was near -- university so if he's.

Afghan homicide bombers and assassins are attacking.

Afghans.

They are putting civilians at risk something that they point to the United States often times and charge.

Act as of wrongdoing.

So are they -- -- their own purpose what is the sense of that the Afghan citizens.

About what these people are doing are they rising up -- more joining the ranks of police and the military there to want to fight this.

Well the Afghan security forces have been growing in the past few years as well over a hundred or 300000 in terms of the army and the police and that's a good step forward for Afghanistan.

Civilian casualties have long been a sore point between the international -- the Afghan government and while the Taliban kills far more civilians in this country.

The international community has always been held to account for -- civilians have been killed -- The results of US and international operations so that's how bad don't.

Take much of the blame for the deaths here civilians in Afghanistan.

In the way that the international community does.

But there is a real sense among many Afghans that.

While they want the US and international community to be.

More protective of civilians they do know that the Taliban -- a lot of civilians as we put out the Taliban are saying they didn't kill below -- today.

But they have said that they would target members of the high peace council so it it does appear that this could have been a Taliban attack Jamie.

Somebody did and at a time when things are expected to be wound down as president Barack Obama has said for US troops the violence continues.

-- -- -- for us thank you so much.

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