ABOVE: (Mar. 21, 2014) Global’s Chief Political Correspondent Tom Clark was at the Serena Hotel, in Kabul, just a week before Thursday’s deadly attack. As he explains, security there was taken very seriously.
The deadly attack at a luxury hotel in Kabul favoured by foreigners was a surprise, but not entirely unexpected.
Afghanistan‘s capital has been the site of recent attacks in the lead-up to elections early next month and the Kabul Serena Hotel, which opened in 2005, was considered a safe place to stay.
Thursday night’s attack, which left nine people dead, including two Canadians, was a result of a lapse in security measures, not infrastructure.
READ MORE: Vancouver doctor killed in Taliban attack in Afghanistan
The Kabul Serena Hotel was constructed with security in mind.
Romesh Khosla, a Montreal-based architect with Arcop Architecture Inc., designed the five-star hotel – a collaboration with the Aga Khan Development Network, an Ismaili aid and business development organization that has a close relationship with the Canadian government.
Khosal was tasked with designing the $25-million, 177-room facility at the site of a former hotel built in 1945.
He said the pre-existing building had been bombed, but Aga Khan wanted to ensure the historical structure remained.
“That facade became a problem from a security point of view,” Khosal said, describing how the design for the Serena would need to be adjusted to ensure the safety of future guests.
“This particular facade was on the main road facing a bank building on the other side and part of the presidential palace.”
Khosal explained there is a two-story wall around much of the complex and the lobby, which is in the old building, was set back from the road.
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The hotel complex itself is surrounded by roads on three sides.
The courtyards surrounding the hotel – a large one in front and linear ones along the sides – also served to keep the guest areas a safe distance away from the roads.
The buildings themselves were constructed with reinforced concrete, both for security reasons and to deal with Afghanistan’s hot summer weather and freezing winter cold.
Thursday’s attack happened after four gunmen entered the hotel, passing through security checks with small pistols in their socks. They then sat in the restaurant, where many people were enjoying a special dinner for Norwuz – the Persian New Year – for three hours before opening fire on hotel guests.
There were security measures in place that were supposed to prevent such an attack from happening. But, Khosal said, because of the hotel’s high profile, it was always expected to be a target.
Those that stayed there, despite it being considered safer than other establishments, were well aware there would always be some risk.
READ MORE: Calgarian among 2 Canadians killed in Taliban attack on Kabul hotel
The Serena’s guests were subject to strict security checks. Clients included foreign diplomats, aid workers, international delegations – such as those in the country to observe the April 5 election – and journalists.
A crew from Global’s The West Block with Tom Clark stayed at the hotel earlier this month while covering the official end of Canada’s 12-year military mission in the country.
The West Block‘s executive producer Jennifer Madigan said there was always “a mixed message” about the Serena.
“The Serena is the safest hotel, but it’s a permanent target,” she said Friday.
She said to even get into the hotel, guests travelling in a vehicle are subjected to three levels of checks.
READ MORE: Afghanistan could slip back into Taliban control if global support drops: ambassador
That’s not all. Guests then have to take all of their belongings out of the vehicle and put it through an X-ray machine, then pass through a metal detector and get a pat down.
Madigan said this was the process each time you went into the hotel.
But, she said colleagues have told her the pat downs weren’t always thorough or consistent.
There were additional armed security officials inside the hotel and snipers that patrolled the roof of the structure.
“We picked garden facing rooms, so that if there was a suicide blast on the outside we were that much safer. I’ve never picked a room like that.”
Madigan said it was “chilling” to hear the news of Thursday’s assault, having been there just last week, but it didn’t come as a total shock.
She said the security measures were impressive, but it only took one lapse or someone letting their guard down for something terrible to happen.
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