Originally published on August 8, 2014, at NationofChange.org
During a routine inspection at the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul, a lone gunman killed an American two-star general and wounded at least 15 other coalition troops. Hiding in the bathroom with his NATO-issued assault rifle, Mohammad Rafiqullah waited until the delegation came into sight before indiscriminately firing through a window.
Deputy commanding general of the Combined Security Transition Command—Afghanistan (CSTC-A), Maj. Gen. Harold Greene was responsible for advising and training the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). While routinely visiting the Afghanistan National Military Academy, Greene had been shot three times in the back and one to the back of the head. A German one-star general named Brig. Gen. Michael Bartscher and Gen. Ghulam Sakhi, the Afghan officer running the university, were among the wounded in the attack.
Assigned to the military police, 27-year-old Mohammad Rafiqullah had joined the academy over two years ago. After returning from a patrol on Tuesday, Rafiqullah went to the bathroom instead of returning his NATO-issued assault rifle. With no known motivation, Rafiqullah hid inside the bathroom until the coalition forces came into view. He emptied two clips into the delegation before International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops returned fire, shooting him twice in the face.
andrewemett 