Taliban Execute 12 Afghans

The Taliban executed 12 Afghans accused of being “government workers” in two provinces Tuesday, the latest in a series of attacks on civilians as the country grapples with the withdrawal of U.S. troops next year. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in Pakistan, condemned the attacks while also blaming “foreign masters” (a.k.a. Pakistan) who “want Afghanistan to be an impoverished and underdeveloped country forever.” Six people were killed in Herat, long considered one of the most stable in the country. The victims, four engineers and two trainers, worked for a World Bank–funded program created by Karzai’s government. The other six victims, all drivers, were killed by the Taliban in the eastern province of Paktia.