There were some 2,000 of us under a massive tent at the Polytechnic University in the western part of Kabul Wednesday morning:  1,600 delegates, members of the media and assorted foreign dignitaries.  (Some of my media colleagues came in late because:  1. we had to sit on the buses forever before the drivers took us to the event and 2. organizers split us into small groups for the long and thorough security process.)

Early in Mr. Karzai’s speech to open the three-day peace assembly, an explosion sounded outside the tent, briefly interrupting the president.  Watch how the situation evolved (also, click here for more info, along with my immediate phone interview with VOA’s Sarah Williams):

Everyone reacted calmly to the initial rocket, but the situation changed after President Karzai’s speech.

As my colleagues and I scrambled to conduct interviews with delegates outside the main tent, a piercing whistle sounded directly overhead.  My initial thought in the split second I heard the sound was “fireworks,” but then logic quickly hit me.  Instantly, I grabbed the camera and tripod (despite my interviewee still being attached by microphone), ducked and looked up, but by that time, we heard the explosion.

I understand that this rocket exploded closer than the first one.  Below is the picture I captured from the media center overlooking the jirga campus. 

The long white structure in the middle is the main jirga tent.  I’m told that the second rocket exploded near the outer green fence, close to the guard tower.

As you can see in my video above, jirga organizers were quick to usher journalists out, much to the amusement of delegates walking calmly among us.

It was a constant battle:  us journalists trying to talk to delegates and shoot video of the exterior of the event, and organizers and Afghan security forces rushing us away.

You could argue they were doing it for our safety.  Which is no doubt true… up to a point.  Once they took us outside the barricades of the jirga campus, they left us standing in the middle of a completely exposed parking lot.  The handful of Afghan policemen there seemed pretty unconcerned by the gunfire ringing out down the street.

I will give the organizers this though… while the buses took some time to show up, the drivers felt no need to hang around.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-10-09-voa5.cfm

The week ended as it began… with a suicide bombing.  The violence moved from the capital westward to the North West Frontier Province city of Peshawar.

Click here for the story.

It was the deadliest attack in Pakistan in more than six months.  I know several people from that area, and they say the market where the blast occurred is in the center of the city and at a major crossroads for people either traveling to Afghanistan or Islamabad.

Following the explosion, Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the government has “no option” but to go on the offensive against the militants, specifically in South Waziristan.

In this week’s “Reporter’s Notebook” radio talk show, I discuss today’s attack and how it may affect the government’s response toward militants in the tribal regions.  I also break down the Kerry-Lugar bill, Pakistan’s response toward it and I give a quick react from Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan’s ruling political party regarding President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize.  (Click here for that story.)

Click here for my “Reporter’s Notebook” segment.

Looking ahead, Afghan election officials are expected to formally declare a winner in Afghanistan’s presidential election by late next week.

I spoke earlier to Dan McNorton, a U.N. spokesman in Kabul.  We discussed the The Washington Post’s article, which quoted confidential U.N. data that allegedly shows voter fraud, mainly in favor of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Click here for the story.

Unofficial vote tallies indicate Mr. Karzai leads with 54-percent.  If his lead falls below 50 percent, he could face his top challenger Abdullah Abdullah in a runoff.  There is a lot of uncertainty — both political and regarding security — as we head into next week.  Stay tuned…