AFGHANISTAN - Aug 11 - Taliban Seize Building For Attack On Afghan Government Offices.

Taliban gunmen and suicide bombers seize a five-story building in this provincial capital on Aug 10, fighting Afghan and American forces for several hours in a battle that left at least four people dead. Violence is escalating throughout the country before national elections on Aug. 20, and more international forces have been deployed to expand security. The Taliban have warned people not to vote and have said they will seek to disrupt the election. As fighting took place here in Pul-e-Alam, the capital of Logar Province, President Hamid Karzai was introducing his election manifesto in Kabul, an hour's drive to the north. Karzai said that if he was re-elected, his priority would be bringing peace and security to the country; he promised to double the strength of the Afghan police and army forces by the end of his second elected term. A new opinion poll released Aug 10 showed that views of Karzai were generally positive, but that his support had dropped to 45%, opening the possibility of a runoff after the Aug. 20 election, in which more than 50% of ballots are needed to win outright. The poll, by Glevum Associates and financed by the United States government, surveyed more than 3,500 Afghans from July 8 to 19, had a margin of error of less than two percentage points and took equal samples from all provinces. It found that security was less of a concern to Afghans than corruption or a lack of jobs, but attacks like the one in Pul-e-Alam were clearly intended by the Taliban to further intimidate the population before the election. Shopkeepers said seven to eight gunmen drove their Toyota up to a shopping center shortly after noon, shot the civilian watchman and rushed to occupy the second and third floors. By late afternoon, three gunmen appeared to have been killed, but fighting continued as government forces tried to kill or capture the remaining gunmen, according to Din Muhammad Darwish, a spokesman for the governor of Logar. One gunman blew himself up with the car bomb; one was killed by rocket fire from the helicopters; and one died in a firefight with Afghan security forces, he said. American forces moved into the shopping center and swept the upper floors. An American soldier said a soldier had been shot in the area, but gave no more details and moved reporters back from the building as sporadic explosions went off. One police officer was killed, and another officer and an Afghan soldier were wounded in the fighting, Darwish said. A police officer said two officers and a civilian had been killed, and many others wounded. The main road connecting the capital, Kabul, to the southeastern region of the country was cordoned off by dozens of Afghan police officers and American soldiers, snarling traffic. A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahed, claimed responsibility for the attack and said six suicide attackers had struck the police station and governor's office, as well as an election commission office. In announcing his plans to expand security forces, Karzai said he would increase the number of police officers to 160,000 from 80,000. He said the Afghan National Army would grow to 260,000 troops over five years, beyond the planned 134,000. The Afghan Air Force would grow to a fleet of 130 helicopters and planes from 45, he said. "Gradually Afghanistan will defend its sovereignty by itself and will fight the enemy that is threatening this country and create a situation that the international community forces go back to their countries", he said. Karzai said that soon after the election he would hold a grand tribal gathering, which would include members of the Taliban and other opposition groups, to find a political solution to the war.