Murky roots of targeted killings add to Afghan unease

Significance

Targets of the wave of assassinations include civil activists and journalists. Assigning responsibility is difficult: it is unclear whether the attacks involve the Taliban alone or multiple actors. With limited success, the Taliban have tried to distance themselves from the perception they are eliminating progressive voices ahead of a political settlement.

Impacts

• Washington's revised vision of its Afghan engagement will be partly shaped by who it blames for the killings.
• The murders highlight divisions between secularist, liberal factions which condemn the attacks and conservatives who largely ignore them.
• Whoever is responsible, the attacks will have a chilling effect on the small band of human rights and democracy activists.