REMINDER OF REALITY – AT 11:01 P.M. ET:  A major terror attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, clearly patterned after the attack in Mumbai, India, in 2008 was largely thwarted today, with the help of NATO forces.  All six terrorists who conducted the attack were killed.  In addition, seven others lost their lives.  In the Mumbai attack, some 164 people were killed. 

KABUL, Afghanistan — Several heavily armed attackers stormed one of the capital’s fortified premier hotels on Tuesday night, and sporadic shooting and at least two loud explosions were heard as Afghan security forces battled insurgents for hours afterward.

Coming within a week of President Obama’s announcement of troop withdrawals from Afghanistan, the attack underscored the still precarious nature of security, even in the capital, as the transfer of responsibility to Afghan forces is about to begin in several areas of the country, including Kabul.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, three attackers on the roof of the Intercontinental Hotel were killed by NATO helicopters, a NATO spokesman said.

There appeared to be six insurgents in all, said a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, The Associated Press reported. In addition to the three killed on the roof, two others were killed by hotel guards at the beginning of the assault and another was killed either in the attack by the NATO helicopters or by Afghan security forces, The A.P. reported.

At least seven other people were killed in the attack and eight were wounded, said the Kabul deputy police chief, Daoud Amin, according to The A.P. The assault ended about 3 a.m.

The heavily guarded Intercontinental Hotel, which sits on a hill on the western side of Kabul, has police guards at its base and intelligence officers stationed at the top of the hill and near the entrance. It was not clear how so many attackers could have breached the building’s defenses.

COMMENT:  Imagine how easy it would be to breach the "defenses" of most hotels in the Unite States.  It was widely expected that terror groups would try to imitate Mumbai, which also involved a hotel assault, and there will be other attempts in the future, possibly here. 

We are reminded that the war on terror is far from over, and will be a long twilight struggle.  Most Americans supported the long Cold War battle against the Soviet Union.  I wonder how many are prepared to go the distance against Islamists.

We should point out that the United States has not been successfully attacked since September 11, 2001, ten years ago.  That is a remarkable accomplishment, vindicating the security policies of President Bush.  But we can't be lucky forever, especially when both political parties seem weary of the fight.

June 28, 2011