Taliban Targets Achievement of US War in Afghanistan: Private Media

It was a cruel twist when many Afghans learned of last week's deadly Taliban bombing of a bus carrying workers of the country's largest private broadcaster directly from the Tolo TV network.

The spread of private media has been one of the only clear successes in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led international coalition invaded in 2001 and toppled a Taliban government. Tolo, which airs a mix of news coverage and original entertainment, has dominated the market since its launch in 2003.

"We provided people with accurate, fair information and informed them of their rights," said Shakeela Ebrahimkhel, a veteran Tolo reporter. "We also entertained the public and offered them reasons to celebrate and smile."

The successes suddenly seem more fragile after the Jan. 20 bombing that killed seven Tolo employees, three months after the Taliban issued a threat to the network and 1TV, Afghanistan's second-largest broadcaster.